Home Owner Tips for Removing Pet Hair

We love our pets; dogs, cats, hamsters, ferrets, rabbits, even rats. What most people don’t love about their pets is the fur they leave around the house after a cuddle session or playtime.

Here are our top 10 tips and tricks for removing pet fur from furniture with items and tools you probably have lying around the house. Keep in mind the fabric of your couch will determine the best method to pet hair removal.

1. Furniture polish or anti-static dusting spray and a soft cloth work great on wooden furniture. It is a great way to not only remove pet hair from furniture but it decreases the chances the hair will re-stick.
2. If you have fabric or upholstered furniture, try putting on a pair of rubber gloves and rubbing your hands over the fabric to attract the hair and fur. For added efficacy, get the glove slightly damp to attract the fur. If you don’t have a rubber glove, a slightly damp sponge works well too.
3. Dryer sheets work well to collect pet fur and as an added bonus if the fabric sheet is scented, it leaves a fresh scent behind.
4. Vacuuming can be a great tool to remove pet hair, especially if you have specialty attachments. If your vacuum isn’t doing the job, try adding a spoonful of fabric softener to a spray bottle of water and shake before spraying. Let it sit for 5 minutes then try vacuuming again. Make sure you test this method on a non-visible area of fabric to ensure there is no staining.
5. The good old fashion lint roller has yet to fail us, but if you’d have a lint roller around, tape works great. Simply wrap some packing tape around your hand with the sticky side out. This is a great option if you don’t want to shell out the big bucks for weekly lint roller refill sheets.
6. If you still have those old fashion Velcro hair curlers lying around, they work very well for attaching to pet fur and removing it from furniture.
7. Whoever said cleaning wasn’t fun has never used a balloon to remove pet fur from furniture. For those people who have balloons lying around, put them and science to use. Blow up a balloon and use the static charge to pick up the hair and fur. Its fun and easy reusable!
8. There are a variety of tools on the market that are advertised to pick up stubborn pet hair. The team at Dust and Mop is quite fond of rubber brooms. They are especially effective because of static electricity within the bristles. It’s almost as if the hair jumps into the broom.
9. Squeegees (like the ones uses for cleaning windows) are a great tool most people have lying around the house that easily collected pet fur from furniture. It also works great on carpets.
10. If you don’t have any of the tools we just mentioned then your last resort might be a pair of shoes with rubber soles. Make sure the sole is clean (best if it’s never been worn outdoors) and drag it across the surface to collect your pet fur. This technique is not always ideal for furniture but it’s great for floors and carpets.

There are many products on the market intended for picking up pet fur from furniture and each is most creative than the last, but they are all built on the principles of the above suggestions. You can also reduce shedding by regularly grooming your pets and providing them with a good diet. Excessive hair loss can often be related to poor diet so consult with your veterinarian for the best food for your pet’s age, breed and fur type.

Dust and Mop loves your furry friends as much as you do and we understand that excess fur in the house can be unattractive to guests and cause allergy issues. When you’re discussing your home cleaning needs or filling out the free cleaning estimate form, make sure to mention if you have any pets and fill out the form completely to get the best estimate for your home cleaning needs.