How to Get Pet Hair Off Everything

That Cleaning Girl · House Cleaning

We love our dogs and cats, but their hair ends up everywhere: the couch, the rug, your black pants, the corners of every room. Shedding season makes it worse, and in Texas, many pets shed hard twice a year. If you've already been fighting Pollen Season Cleaning: Keeping Cedar and Oak Pollen Out of Your House, pet hair is the other big thing floating around your house. Here's how to get it under control.

Start with the source: brush your pet

The easiest pet hair to clean is the hair that never hits the floor. Brushing your pet regularly, outside if possible, catches loose hair before it spreads.

• Dogs with double coats, like labs, huskies and shepherds, shed heavily in spring and fall and benefit from a de-shedding brush.
• Short-haired dogs still shed and do well with a rubber curry brush.
• Cats usually groom themselves, but a quick brush a few times a week cuts down on hairballs and hair on furniture.

Regular baths and good nutrition also help keep coats healthy and reduce shedding. Ask your vet if you're seeing more shedding than usual.

Couches and upholstery

Upholstered furniture is a pet hair magnet. A few tools work far better than a vacuum alone:

• Rubber gloves: put on a dish glove, dampen it slightly and run your hand over the fabric. The hair balls up and comes right off.
• Rubber pet hair brushes or squeegees: they pull hair out of fabric in long strokes.
• Lint rollers: fine for quick touch-ups before guests come over.
• Vacuum upholstery tool: finish with the vacuum to get what's left and the dust underneath.

Washable couch covers or throws on your pet's favorite spot make cleanup much easier. Wash them weekly.

Carpet and rugs

Pet hair weaves itself into carpet fibers, which is why one pass of the vacuum doesn't get it all.

• Vacuum slowly, in overlapping passes, and go over high-traffic areas in two directions.
• Use a vacuum with strong suction and a brush roll. Many vacuums have a pet tool designed for this.
• Empty the canister or change the bag often. A full vacuum loses suction fast.
• Clean the brush roll, where hair wraps around and stops it from spinning well.
• For rugs, a rubber broom or carpet rake pulls up hair before you vacuum.

In homes with heavy shedders, vacuuming two or three times a week during shedding season makes a big difference.

Hard floors

Pet hair on tile, wood and vinyl floats around and gathers in corners and under furniture. Sweeping can just send it flying. A vacuum on the hard floor setting, or a microfiber dust mop, captures it better. Do this before you mop, or the hair will stick to your wet floor and mop head.

Along baseboards and corners, a damp microfiber cloth picks up the clumps that the vacuum misses.

Clothes and bedding

Before washing, toss pet-hair-covered clothes or blankets into the dryer for ten minutes on low or no heat. This loosens the hair, and the lint trap catches it. Then wash as usual. Adding a dryer ball or two helps pull hair off during drying. Clean the lint trap every load.

For bedding, especially if pets sleep in your bed, wash sheets weekly. Keep a washable blanket on top of the comforter where your pet likes to sleep.

Cars

Pet hair in the car is stubborn. A rubber brush or damp rubber glove pulls it from seats and floor mats, then vacuum with a crevice tool. A seat cover or hammock for the back seat saves a lot of effort next time. Keep an old towel in the trunk for lake days and muddy walks, so wet fur and red clay land on the towel instead of the upholstery.

Smell and dander

Pet hair isn't the only thing pets leave. Dander and odor come with it. Wash pet beds and blankets regularly. Vacuum and wipe the areas where your pet eats and sleeps. Clean up accidents quickly with an enzyme cleaner, which breaks down the source of the odor instead of just covering it. Change the HVAC filter often in pet homes, since it fills up with hair faster.

Living with pets and a clean house

A clean home and a happy pet can absolutely go together. Brush often, vacuum regularly, keep covers on the furniture they love and pick the right tools for the job. Pet families here in Ellis County and across the south DFW area are some of our most regular clients. If you'd like help, see our house cleaning services.