These 5 Tricks Will Help Keep Your Home Pet Fur-Free
Say goodbye to those pesky clumps of hair!
We love all the time we’re spending with our fur family at home, but the hair they leave behind on our clothes and furniture? Not so much. Just follow these easy tips to erase fur fur-ever!
Nix pet bed hair and odor with a cozy blanket.
“Bulky pet beds are a pain to vacuum, and they often don’t fit into washing machines,” points out Kathy Callahan, author of the forthcoming 101 Rescue Puppies. To make cleaning them a whole lot easier: “Simply throw small fleece blankets on top of each bed. Every week, I just shake them out outside and toss them in the wash.”
Lift clumps from rugs by ‘grooming’ them.
If your pooch has a special spot on the rug where she likes to curl up, chances are, no amount of vacuuming will lift the snarl of fur. But there is one tool that can: a fine wire “slicker” brush, assures Callahan. Simply brush the rug to lift hard-to-reach animal hair. One option: Li’l Pals Slicker Brush ($11.94, Amazon).
Foil ‘fashion furballs’ with dryer sheets
To prevent pet hair from accumulating on your clothes in the first place, run an unused fabric softener sheet over them. This gives fibers an anti-static coating that makes fur less likely to stick. And by weakening the chemical bond, existing hair will be easier to remove. Don’t forget to add fabric softener to your wash cycle or toss in a tumble dryer sheet, to — it works the same way, acting as a pet hair preventative and relaxing fibers to release existing hair.
Keep your car clean with a squeegee.
Love to take your furry friends for car rides but hate the hairy mess they leave behind? Just keep a squeegee in your vehicle and swipe it across the seats, advises Pat Miller, author of How to Foster Dogs. “The rubber blade catches hair easily as it moves over interior surfaces. Works great for removing fur from car flooring too!”
De-fuzz upholstery with rubber gloves.
The easy trick to removing pet hair entwined in upholstered sofas and chairs? Put on rubber dish gloves, then glide them anywhere fur doesn’t belong, advises Dana Puglisi of AdoptAPet.com. “Rubber naturally grips pet hair from fabric surfaces, making cleanup a snap.”
This story originally appeared in our print magazine.
