December 27, 2023
6 Ways to Remove Dog and Pet Hair from Your Home
Dogs have long been considered man’s best friend. A pet can become a member of your family, bringing love and joy to any home. However, there’s one big complaint that the majority of pet owners share: hair. Dog and pet hair can get into the strangest corners of your home, and it can seem impossible to get rid of. Luckily, you don’t have to shave your furry friend to keep their hair off of your floors, clothes, and furniture. Here are a few easy ways to rid your home of pet hair without spending hours sweeping and vacuuming.
1. Regular Brushing
Not every pet enjoys being brushed, but it’s a necessary part of keeping them happy and healthy. But brushing has a huge benefit beyond your pet’s well-being: it can help reduce the amount of hair you have to deal with. Brushing your dog or cat regularly helps remove hair not long after it’s been shed, so you can catch it and throw it away before it winds up on your floor.
Grooming your pet outside can make the process even easier. Give them some time to enjoy the outdoors and play for a while before you start brushing them. You’ll get to spend some quality time with your furry friend and give them a good grooming in the process. If your pet is particularly opposed to being brushed, reward them with a treat when you’re done!
In addition to brushing your pet regularly, you should also be tending to the pet hair in your home regularly. Giving your surfaces a quick “brush” with a duster or mopping cloth will help you pick up stubborn hair before it accumulates, making cleaning easier in the long run.
2. Clean with Rubber Gloves
You likely already have a pair of rubber gloves lying around for your regular cleaning tasks. Don’t be afraid to break them out when dealing with pet hair! Pet hair will stick to rubber gloves, so it’s a good idea to wear them when you’re trying to clean soft surfaces like beds or couches.
Get your gloves wet and run your hands over the surface. The pet hair will stick to the gloves for easy removal. This process will work with virtually any kind of dog or cat at any length. When you’ve gathered the hair, simply ball it up, throw it away, and wipe the rest of the surface clean as usual.
3. Sticky Solutions
Perhaps the easiest way to get pet hair out of your home is by using something sticky. Sweeping can cause pet hair to float around, while a sticky solution will capture the hair and ensure it gets to the trash.
A simple roll of tape can help you remove pet hair from almost any surface. Wrap tape around your hand, sticky side out, and brush it against any lingering pet hair. You can use this method to clean your clothes, furniture, counters, and more. Similarly, you can use a lint roller to clean your clothes or furniture in just a few minutes.
The best thing about using tape or a lint roller to clean pet hair is the portability. These items are relatively cheap, so you can purchase several to keep in every room of your home or apartment, as well as in your car, purse, or briefcase.
If you’re planning a celebration and happen to have some balloons lying around, use them to your advantage! The power of static can work wonders to collect pet hair from your upholstery. This can also be a great way to get your kids involved in the cleaning process!
4. Utilize Your Washer and Dryer
Washable items like blankets, pillowcases, and clothing are best treated with a quick trip through the washer and dryer. Wash your pet’s bed and blankets regularly to reduce hair buildup. You can add half a cup of white vinegar to the washer to help detach any stubborn hairs.
Once your fabrics are washed, throw them in the dryer with a dryer sheet and run the cycle on cool. The cool air will help loosen the hairs, while the dryer sheet can catch them. Any extra hair should end up in your dryer’s lint trap.
While you’re in the laundry room, grab a few extra dryer sheets to use around your home. They can be incredibly effective at lifting pet hair from fabric furniture, and they add a fresh scent to the room at the same time.
5. Vacuum
Your standard vacuum can work wonders at picking up pet hair from your hard floors and carpets. If your floor is particularly hairy, you can use a damp mop to gather most of the hairs from your hard floors before you vacuum. Use the vacuum’s wand to get hair out of hard-to-reach areas like corners and baseboards.
As you’re vacuuming, empty the dirt regularly, as pet hair can quickly build up and reduce your vacuum’s suction power. Most pet hair can be picked up with your existing vacuum cleaner, but if you have lots of furry friends or a particularly hairy dog or cat, you can choose to invest in a special vacuum designed to deal with pet hair.
If you notice that vacuuming isn’t picking up as much hair as you’d like, try alternating directions. Hair can get stuck in the fibers of your rugs or carpets, and vacuuming in different patterns can help you tackle the floors from every angle.
6. Protect Your Surfaces
After your pet’s hair is cleaned up, you’ll want to keep it that way. While you won’t be able to fully prevent having pet hair around your house or apartment, you can take a few steps to make cleanup easier in the future.
If you happen to be redesigning an area, consider opting for hard flooring like vinyl or wood, which is easier to maintain than carpet. Thinking about new furniture? Leather is quick to wipe clean and won’t collect hair in the same way that fabric does.
If you’re concerned about pet hair on your couch or bed, give your pet a special blanket to lay on. The hair will be largely confined to their space, and it’s easy to throw the blanket in the wash to remove the hair.
Protect your clothes from accumulating dog hair by running a dryer sheet over your garments or misting them with an anti-static spray. This inexpensive solution will prevent hair from sticking to your clothes, which can be helpful when you’re in a rush to catch the subway and can’t spend time using a lint roller! You can also make your own anti-static spray by mixing water with a bit of fabric conditioner.
If your dog often rides in your car, seat covers can reduce the pet hair from those trips around town. They’re easy to throw in the washing machine between trips and can be removed when your furry friend isn’t riding around with you.
Working with White Glove Cleaner
Cleaning up after your pet shouldn’t take all day. After all, you’d rather spend your time playing with them! White Glove Cleaner can help you maintain your home or apartment, giving you more time and money to spend treating yourself and your four-legged pal.
White Glove Cleaner is proud to serve clients throughout all five boroughs of New York City, offering both one-time and recurring cleaning services. We can tend to your space on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis to keep your home or apartment sparkling clean all year long. Additionally, we provide special cleaning services for moving in or out of a space. Our “green” cleaning service is ideal for those with kids and pets, as we utilize gentle yet effective cleaning products throughout your home.
Contact the team at White Glove Cleaner today to learn more about all of our services.