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Water-based vs Foam-based Enzyme Cleaners: Which Is Best for Artificial Turf?

If you’re dealing with turf odor from pet urine, the culprit isn’t your dog—it’s chemistry.

Author

Nick Purchio
June 23, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

🧪 The Real Reason Turf Stinks

Pet urine is 95% water. The rest?

A nasty little cocktail of urea, uric acid, ammonia, and other compounds.

When the pee dries, water evaporates—but uric acid crystals remain, clinging to the turf blades, infill, and even the underlayer. These crystals:

  • Don’t dissolve in water

  • Reactivate every time it rains, gets humid, or you turn on the hose

  • Release ammonia gas that makes your whole yard reek

⚖️ Water-Based vs Foam-Based Enzyme Cleaners

You’ve probably tried water-based enzyme sprays. And maybe they worked…

For a day.

But here’s what you need to know: contact time is everything. And foam wins.

Feature

Water-Based Enzyme Spray

Foam-Based Enzyme Cleaner (e.g. FoamZyme)

Enzyme contact time

Low (10–30 seconds)

High (5–15 minutes dwell time)

Surface cling

Drips off quickly

Expands + clings to turf blades

Penetration into turf base

Weak

Deep and slow-releasing

Effectiveness on uric acid

Incomplete

Full breakdown of crystals

Risk of odor returning

High

Low if used regularly

🌡️ Why Heat and Humidity Make It Worse

The smell gets worse in spring and summer because:

  • Heat bakes in the uric acid

  • Humidity activates the crystals → releases ammonia gas

  • Heavy air traps the smell near the turf = gross backyard vibes

🌧️ And Rain? Not Your Friend.

Rain doesn’t wash urine away—it rehydrates the crystals. That means:

  • Smells resurge after every storm

  • Moisture seeps deeper, making cleanup harder

  • You’re stuck in a never-ending odor loop

🧽 The Fix: Foam-Based Enzyme Cleaners

Enzyme sprays evaporate too fast.

Foam-based cleaners slow it all down—and that’s exactly the point.

Why it works:

  • Foam clings: It hugs the stink.

  • Foam lasts: More dwell time = more enzyme action.

  • Foam soaks: It gets into turf layers where urine hides.

Think of it like using shaving cream instead of water to clean your face.

You’re not rinsing. You’re treating.

🎯 Pro Tips for Cleaner Turf

  1. Remove solids first (yes, we’re talking poop).

  2. Apply foam evenly over the affected zone.

  3. Let it dwell. Don’t rinse too soon.

  4. Repeat 2–3x a week in hot, humid months or after storms.

  5. Store your enzyme bottles in a cool, dark place. (Sun kills enzymes.)

💡 Final Takeaway

If your turf smells, it’s not your fault.

It’s the science of dried pee.

And only the right cleaner with the right contact time can fix it.

Water-based sprays = surface clean.

Foam-based enzymes = deep, lasting odor control.

✅ Want to try a foam-based enzyme cleaner that actually works?

Cheers,

Nick & Mozzarella