If you have a pet in the house, especially a dog, you can attest to how frustrating its hair can be.
Every pet owner loves their dogs and wants them around.
However, it gets frustrating when spent time of vacuuming and cleaning the house only to see new tumbleweeds rolling across the floor minutes later.
It could even be more embarrassing if a guest comes around only to leave with dog hair sticking to their cloth.
Why Do Dogs Shed Their Hair?
We can’t blame the dogs; losing old hair by shedding is natural. Also, shedding in dogs is a form of temperature control, although excessive ones raise a flag.
Shedding seems to be a regular process for dogs, and the quantity or frequency of the shed depends on the dog breed. Some breeds regularly shed while some shed theirs seasonally.
Dear dog lover, has cleaning up your dog’s hair become part of your daily life? While you cannot stop a healthy dog from shedding, minimizing the shedding is possible.
Here are some strategies and tools to control dog hair in the house.
Tools for Removing Dog Hair Around the Home
Excessive dog hair can be a nuisance and even cause a few medical conditions, like allergies and asthma. This is why it’s essential to keep the house clean and fur-free.
As mentioned, some tools and strategies exist to control dog hair wherever they may be in the house – on furniture, floors, clothing, or inside the car.
On Clothing
- Rubber Gloves: You can use rubber gloves in most areas around the house, including clothing. Put on the glove and brush.
- Roll of Tape: You can also use a roll of tape to pick up loose pet hairs on clothing. As soon as you notice the hairs, get the roll tape and use it to snag off hairs on apparel.
- Lint Rollers: These are quite good and one of the best hair removal tools for clothes, although they run out much faster. The roller contains sticky sheets; it is used by passing the roller on your clothing to remove the dog’s hair, after which the used sheet will be torn off.
Some other tools you can use are a dry sponge, ChomChom roller, etc.
Carpet
- Vacuuming: If a ton of dog air is embedded in your carpet, then vacuuming is one of the ways to deal with it. Instead of vacuuming immediately, you could dust some baking soda over the carpet to loosen the hair strands from the fibers. After 10 minutes, vacuum thoroughly in alternate directions.
- Dampening: You can dampen and lightly sweep the carpet with a rubber broom before vacuuming.
- Window Squeegee: Certainly, you’d have a squeegee for cleaning windows. You can use it to remove dog hair on the carpet, too. Take a few swipes, and you’ll have a nice big pile of hair.
Some cordless vacuum options for cleaning pet hair include the Dyson V15 Detect, one of my favorites since it comes with the torque screw tool.
Its tapered shape resists hair tangles better than any mini turbo brush I’ve tried.
Nothing seems to wrap on the brush, even with this much hair.
A lighter alternative is the Shark WandVac stick vacuum – (perhaps) the best lightweight vacuum I’ve tested for cleaning long hair.
Hardwood
- Electrostatic Dust Mop: Dealing with hard floors can be tricky. Instead of using a vacuum, an electrostatic dust mop can do a better job trapping these hairs.
- Dampened Mob: If you’ve got hardwood or vinyl floors, a damp mob can also do the magic; it acts as a magnet when picking a dog’s hair. Ensure to use a wood cleaning product while dampening.
Another specialized broom for hair removal on hardwood floors is the Evriholder FURemover Pet Hair Removal Broom.
Its wide base makes cleaning hair more efficient as you’ll need fewer passes. The built-in squeegee is ideal for carpet and other floors, not just on hardwood surfaces and tidying up spills.
Furniture
- Damp Sponge: Dog’s hairs are known to cling well to damp sponge. So, if you’ve got dog fur on upholstered furniture, a damp sponge works well in removing them.
- Rubber Gloves: Another simple way to remove dog hair from your furniture. Dog hair clings well to rubber gloves, which help you get most of the hair on the furniture.
- Rubber squeegees and lip rollers can also work for furniture.
Cars
For cars, the hair problem is mainly with the cloth seats. You can drape the seat with a towel or sheet.
A damp towel, rubber gloves, and lint rollers can also work.
Tips for Minimizing the Accumulation of Dog Hair
As a dog owner, below are some things you could do to keep the accumulation of dog hair down.
- Regular Brushing: A thorough daily brushing of your dog with a rubber bathing glove can reduce hair accumulation.
- Regular Bathing: Ensure you bathe the dogs regularly with a recommended dog shampoo and brush immediately after bathing.
- Good Food: Give your dog proper nutrition. You can also add a natural fatty acid supplement to their food.
- Regular Vacuuming: One of the best ways to keep the accumulation of dog hair at bay is by vacuuming your house regularly, at least once or twice a week. A robot vacuum can do this task autonomously. Some options work well on pet hair, like the
Roomba S9 +. Also, check my guide on cordless vacuums for hardwood floors if you don’t want to spend as much on a smart robot vacuum. - Covers: To prevent excessive dog hairs, you could also use covers, removable ones, to cover furniture and car seats.
Some FAQs about dealing with dog hair
How do I get rid of dog hair in my house?
The most important element is to have the proper tools for the task. Dog hair can be problematic on upholstery and mattresses. One way to minimize the accumulation is to use sheets (or blankets) to cover these areas. Take it a step further and customize coverings for your sofas and chairs.
On hard floors, a microfiber mop like a Swiffer is handy as microfiber is a hair magnet! Lightly dampen the pad before sweeping.
Cleaning pet hair from carpets will be a bit harder. Using a vacuum cleaner is helpful, but these hacks help it pick up more dog hair. One hack is sprinkling baking soda over the carpet before vacuuming—arm and Hammer manufacturers products for such, which they claim to help vacuums lift 25% more dirt.
How can I reduce dust and pet hair at home?
One way to control pet hair at home is to vacuum floors regularly. Robot vacuums are great tools for automating this task as these machines do it autonomously. One reason I recommend robot vacuums is their ability to clean areas under furniture that are catch basins for dust and hair.
Air purifiers are also an excellent investment to keep the air free from allergens. It’s a must-have for people who have allergies. Choose one with a HEPA filter that can handle dog hair.
Do humidifiers help with dog hair?
Yes, using a humidifier will help control airborne particles, including dander dog hair, which will help reduce the accumulation. The important thing is to get something with a HEPA filter to trap these allergens.
What will take dog hair out of the air?
Your best option would be an air purifier. These machines function like an AC, where they circulate air. So, picking a model with a large enough filter to capture dander and pet hair that can accumulate is crucial. If you’re having issues with pet odor, opt for a variant with an activated carbon filter that helps absorb the odor. Otherwise, a true HEPA filter will suffice.
There you have it! Above are some tools for removing dog hair around the home. Seeing strands of dog hair all over your carpet and couch can be frustrating.
Nonetheless, it is your duty as the homeowner to take care of your home. The fact that you own a dog doesn’t mean your home should be filled with dog hair.
With the abovementioned tools, you can remove dog hair around your living space quickly and efficiently. Also, you can employ these insightful tips to minimize the accumulation of dog hair.