5 Effective Ways to Remove Pet Hair in Your Home

You love your 4-legged family members as much as anyone else who shares your living space. However, knowing how to remove pet hair from your home is important to protecting your health and preventing allergies. It also makes it nicer when visitors arrive — they won’t leave with their clothes plastered with fur. Here’s what to do. 

Problems Caused by Pet Hair 

Why is it so important to learn how to remove pet hair — after all, they call it fur-niture for a reason, right? Unfortunately, pet dander can have adverse effects on human health. It can trigger a skin rash called contact dermatitis or hives. It can worsen asthma symptoms and cause sneezing and congestion. 

Plus, if you have crawling toddlers, you know everything ends up in their wee mouths. The thought of them sucking on a toy coated in pet hair gives many parents the screaming horrors. Pet dander can carry parasites and germs that can harm your little one’s health. 

How to Remove Pet Hair in Your Home: 5 Methods 

Fortunately, you can learn how to remove pet hair in your home via one of five methods. Here are your options and the tools you need to get the job done right. 

1. Vacuum

Vacuuming can remove pet hair from furniture and floors in a jiffy. However, the method you use determines how effective this method is at removing all the hairs trapped within your household fabric’s fibers. 

When vacuuming floors, you’ll want a roller-style upright vacuum, not a Shop-Vac. Ideally, it should have multiple roller level settings to scrub everything from hardwood to deep pile. It should have a detachable hose and the right attachments to handle couches and chairs. Some of the best pet vacuum cleaners available are as follows:

• Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet Upright: Each purchase supports the Bissell Foundation for homeless pets. 
• Eureka PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Pet Turbo: Transitions easily from hard floors to deep carpet. 
• Shark NV356E Navigator Lift-Away Upright Vacuum With Pet Power: With lift-away functionality to more easily clean stairs. 

Fortunately, vacuum attachments generally fit a standard size. You may wish to invest in one of the following for couches and chairs: 

• ANBOO Pet Upholstery Turbo Brush
• Generic Universal Vacuum Attachments Set

Those with hardwood, tile or vinyl flooring have a slightly easier job. A quick once-over with a broom and dustpan is enough to remove most dander. Follow with a damp mop or a modern version like a Swiffer to remove stains and any lingering fur. You may still need a vacuum to clean your furniture. 

2. Specialty Rakes

Part of learning how to remove pet hair involves getting the deep-down stuff that inevitably cakes your kitty’s favorite climbing tree or Fido’s bed. Call in the right specialty rakes to the rescue. These devices get deep into the fabric pile, loosening hair so you can wipe it away with a rag or suck it up with the vacuum. 

Many pet owners consider the Uproot brand the creme de la creme of such cleaning rakes. Tiny, grippy teeth remove stuck on fur like magic. They come in various sizes to let you maneuver in tight corners, like the edges of your staircase. 

3. Hair-Removal Mitts

Learning how to remove pet hair from your couch can be as easy as running your hand over it with the right mitt. While manufacturers often make such tools with shedding pets in mind, you can use them to remove their fur from your furniture, too, not just your puppy’s coat. Brands with short rubber nubs are ideal for many fabrics, while longer and grippier models dig deep into the plush pile. 

4. Tape and Rollers 

One of the least expensive methods to remove pet hair on furniture is to use tape. Wrap a strip of duct tape around your hand, sticky side out, and go to town dabbing and blotting up bits of fur. You can also find tape lint rollers that let you detach the used bits and keep going — they’re ideal for larger surfaces and long-haired species. 

5. Laundry Service

Check your furniture. Many designs today have zippers that let you remove the slipcovers from your couches and chairs. If yours has this feature, removing pet hair from your home can be as simple as tossing the covers in the washing machine. 

Pet hair can sometimes clump, forming little balls in the wash. However, it’s easier to remove after the wash with a piece of tape or even your fingers. 

3 Overlooked Places to Remove Pet Hair

Your furniture and flooring aren’t the only places in your home where you might have to remove pet hair. Check out these frequently overlooked areas if you want a true, deep-down clean. It’s especially important to do so to ease allergy symptoms. 

Your Ductwork 

Dirty ducts can make your whole house dusty, and pet dander can linger in your vents. Remove each register cover and use your vacuum’s hose attachment to remove as much as possible from each vent and the intake. While at it, change your filters — you should do so at least every 60 days, although you may wish to do so more frequently if you have multiple pets. 

Your Washer and Dryer 

Pet hair can accumulate in your washer and dryer. Even if you don’t launder your slipcovers in the wash, fur clings to your clothing. Fortunately, cleaning your washing machine only takes about 30 minutes with the right tools. Your dryer may take longer, as you’ll want to detach the ductwork and clean out any fur lingering in the line. Doing so reduces your risk of dryer fires. 

Your Curtains and Windowsills 

You probably know pet hair can accumulate on your curtains. Washing them is one option, or you can use a special vacuum attachment or tape. However, when was the last time you checked your windowsills? Hair can build up within, but a toothbrush gets in tight crevices, removing the mess and making it easier to open your windows for a fresh breeze. 

How to Remove Pet Hair 

Learning how to remove pet hair from your home is a must for any kitty or puppy parent. Fortunately, it isn’t too hard with the right tools. Build such cleanup into your routine for a fresher home and less fur on your furniture — and clothing.