Rubber mulch is becoming the ideal mulch for most landscapers as it’s resistant to diseases, not easily displaced, and lasts long. Additionally, it comes in a wide range of colors. However, you need to learn how to clean rubber mulch and always keep your landscape looking good, right?
Well..
You can use either a leaf blower or an adjustable leaf rake to clean the leaves in rubber mulch. Nonetheless, to give it a more thorough cleaning, you can wash the mulch. Cleaning rubber mulch makes your surfacing cover look fresh always and extends its lifespan.
This article discusses how to clean leaves from rubber mulch. Also, it offers you tips you can apply when using a leaf blower machine.
Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Rubber mulch
How To Clean Rubber Mulch
You can rinse off dirt using water or blow leaves and loose debris with a blower to clean rubber mulch.
Kids usually drop sweet wrappers and litter the playgrounds. So, sweep the playground regularly to maintain its cleanliness and prevent your kids from picking germs from a contaminated play zone. Additionally, remove dropped chewing gums that can stain their garments.
In some seasons, trees in your yard may shed leaves and litter your mulch. In this case, use a blower to remove loose debris, leaves, weeds, and sticks. Luckily, rubber mulch is heavy and doesn’t get easily blown off.
Nonetheless, if you want to clean your mulch thoroughly, use eco-friendly soap and hose it off with water. Washing the mulch is easy and quick, and usually effective. Besides, you can occasionally pressure clean the rubber surfacing to get rid of any stuck dirt or grime.
Sadly, pets can use the mulch as a litter box. In this scenario, you can pick and dispose of your pet’s poop.
How To Clean Leaves Out Of Rubber Mulch
To clean leaves out of rubber mulch, you can:
- Use A Leaf Blower
You can use a leaf blower to clean leaves out of your rubber mulch. It’s pretty easy and quick to blow off large dry leaves. However, removing smaller leaves takes some time, and you work the blower from multiple angles.
Set your leaf blower to low settings and point its end downwards at an angle of 25-35 degrees. You’re ensuring that the forced air isn’t just pushing the leaves into the air by doing this but also preventing them from falling back. Why? The wind can simply blow them back to the same surface.
Be patient to ensure that as many leaves as possible are blown away by the blower. Remove stubborn leaves by hand that refuses to budge.
Below are safety tips you can apply when using a leaf blower:
Put on leather gloves: The leather gloves help to decrease finger and hand tingling and numbness brought about by the vibration of the blower.
Wear hearing protection gear: The noise levels of a blower can go up to 100 decibels which causes permanent hearing loss. Therefore, always put on hearing protection gear if you don’t want to lose your hearing ability.
Put on eye protection gear: When using the leaf blower, it easily kicks up dirt, dust, and rocks which may hurt your eyes. Eye protection gear such as safety goggles protects your eyes from harm and injuries.
Take time before refueling: Always let the blower cool for about 15 minutes before you refuel. It’s important to note that heat from a hot engine can kindle gas vapors when filling the fuel compartment.
- Rake The Rubber Mulch
You can use an adjustable leaf rake to clean leaves out of your mulch. It’s more effective than a yard rake. It’s narrower and can reach settled leaves hidden in the plants. Ensure the adjustable rack has a flexible metal line to pull the leaves out without damaging the mulch.
When pruning, raking your rubber mulch away from plants prevents debris such as leaves and stems from landing in the mulch. Regularly raking the mulch ensures it stays evenly spread out. Also, raking reveals underexposed mulch making it look newer.
Rubber mulch gets compacted after some time. However, you can loosen it up using a rake.
How to Wash Rubber Mulch
Rubber mulch is non-porous and doesn’t rot, making it easy to clean with water. It allows the water to drain easily and fast. If your pets decide to make it their litter box, you can easily collect their poop and hose off the residual.
Washing rubber mulch is easy: Sprinkle eco-friendly detergent and then hose off the mulch. The density of the rubber is more than water, and thus it won’t float away. Also, it dries fast and doesn’t rot.
Occasionally, you can pressure wash the mulch with warm water to help clean grime and dirt stuck on the rubber.
For spilled water-based paint, immediately clean the rubber mulch with washing up liquid and water.
Some surfaces may become heavily stained in isolated spots. For such problems, scrub off the stains using scrub brushes and a strong all-purpose detergent.
Nonetheless, avoid using harsh chemicals such as chlorine bleach, paint thinners, mineral spirits, and heavily concentrated degreasers. These harsh chemicals can be harmful to you and accelerate your rubber mulch’s wear and tear.
After washing, you can use a mild detergent and a power wash on a low setting to freshen the mulch’s color.
Why Should You Clean Rubber Mulch?
It might be tempting to let the mound of fallen leaves remain in your mulch. However, cleaning rubber mulch is an excellent method to keep it looking good and extend the product’s lifespan. It makes your rubber surfacing look fresh always and increases its durability. Your landscape maintains a vibrant outlook year in, year out.
Furthermore, piles of dry leaves on your rubber mulch are a fire hazard that can be easily set ablaze by the slightest ignition.
You’ll enjoy the many benefits of the mulch for a long time before you have to replace it. If you properly install and take care of your rubber mulch, including cleaning it, it can last up to 10 years.
Regularly inspect your rubber surfacing for any damages and foreign objects. It’s advisable to address any problem immediately before it becomes more severe. Failure to act fast makes cleaning the rubber mulch harder and eventually costs you more during repairs.
It’s advisable to clean spilt oil and paint immediately; otherwise, the spillage sets in and becomes quite difficult to get rid of the stain.
FAQs
How Often Should I Clean Rubber Mulch?
The frequency of cleaning your rubber mulch depends on how often the surface is used. High traffic areas in the playground, such as slides, need more cleaning than less busy areas.
Monthly cleaning is sufficient to remove loose debris from your mulch. During autumn and winter, once a fortnight might be necessary because of excessive foliage.
Conclusion
You can now maintain a clean yard since you know how to clean rubber mulch. Whatever works for you, whether raking or blowing using a blower to blow away leaves and other loose debris, go for it. However, it’s necessary to observe safety precautions to avoid accidents and injuries when using a leaf blower.
For more thorough cleaning, especially on grime, dirt, or any residue stuck on the rubber, you can either hose off the mulch or pressure wash. Rubber mulch is highly porous, allowing the water to drain quickly and dries quickly. Also, it doesn’t rot.
The rubber mulch remains in good condition when you clean and maintain it as required to preserve its durability. Therefore, you’ll get to enjoy its numerous benefits for quite a long time.
