Have you started thinking about spring cleaning? For pet owners, this seasonal task is a hassle for one reason: pet hair. It would seem that once you buy a pet, you are destined to find their fuzz on your clothes, furniture, floors, surfaces and cars for all eternity. Not to mention, your new pass-time is cleaning every nook and cranny of your house to eliminate sneezing hazards.
If this situation sounds familiar, continue reading for a guide to efficiently cleaning pet hair around your house.
1. Floors
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Photo by Sean Dwyer / CC BY-NC-SA
Carpet. There are a few methods to use when cleaning your carpet:
- Vacuuming – Obviously, you should vacuum regularly – even if you don’t have a pet. But for deeper cleaning, sprinkle baking soda beforehand to loosen the hair and deodorize. Be sure to vacuum over each section of carpet up to three times from different angles for maximum results. (Also, if you don’t have time to deep clean every couple of weeks – invest in a robot vacuum to do some of the work for you.)
- Rubber Broom – Using a static electricity, rubber broom will rake through the carpet and quickly pull up the fur.
- Slightly Damp Mop – If you have a regular mop, get it slightly wet (do NOT soak) and mop over carpet (yeah, it sounds weird, but it works!).
- Hard Wood/Tile. For hard wood or tile flooring, the best results can come from using:
- A Mop – Much like vacuuming, it is good to mop routinely. For the best results, slightly dampen the mop and go over the floors once. This will pick up the hair without causing it to stick together and clump on the floor. Once you have the hair taken care of, mop regularly to pick up excess gunk.
- An Electrostatic or Microfiber Dry Mop – With these mops, the hair easily attracts to the static electricity of the fabric on the mop. Just brush off or shake the fabric (outside, preferably) and continue mopping!
2. Furniture
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Photo by Maia C / CC BY-NC-ND
Upholstered Furniture. To get all of the fur off or out of your favorite chair or sofa, try:
- A Damp Sponge – Get a regular kitchen sponge damp and wipe over your furniture. This will gather the hair into clumps.
- Rubber Gloves – Slightly dampen either a latex or kitchen glove, then sweep the furniture and gather the hair. The water will help loosen the fur, and the rubber will pull it along. You can also use a rubber squeegee for the same effect.
- Balloons – It sounds unusual, but it works! The static electricity from a blown up balloon will gather hair. Just throw away the collected fur and continue using the balloon.
- Protection – If your pet has a favorite spot on the sofa, put a blanket over the spot and wash regularly. This will prevent your furniture from fur collection, discoloration or odor.
- Wood Furniture
- Moisture – The best way to clean wooden furniture is to lightly spray it with water (or spray fabric softener) and wipe with a clean cloth. The moisture should help effectively pick up fuzz. You can also use a microfiber cloth for this.
3. Clothes
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Photo by countrykitty / CC BY-NC-ND
Lint Roller. Carry a lint roller in your purse or car for on-the-go de-fuzzing.
- Wash Hands. A lot of fur might be on your clothes because you pet your animals. The hair you get on your hands from that can easily get on your clothes. To prevent this, do your best to wash your hands often after petting your animal.
- Pre-treat Your Laundry. If you find your clothes are still fur-filled even after washing, try this technique of pre-treating your laundry:
- Tumble – Throw the clothes on the heat-free cycle for about 10 minutes. This will loosen up any hair or fur that is embedded in the material. (Remember to empty your lint trap afterward!)
- Shake – Thoroughly shake the garment (possibly over a trash can) to get rid of that loose hair.
- Wash – After shaking, go ahead and wash the laundry on the regular machine settings. (You can add white vinegar to soften fabric and loosen even more hair.)
- Dry – Once the laundry is washed, shake the garments again and toss them in the dryer for a final spin. (Be sure to use dryer sheets or dryer balls for the best results.)
4. Prevention
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Photo by the green gables / CC BY-NC-ND
Brush. Brushing your pet at least twice a week will significantly help decrease the amount of stray hair.
- Wash. It also helps to wash your pet at least once a week in order to keep them clean and less likely to shed. (Good luck to all cat owners… You can actually use cat wipes for this. And if you want to get rid of allergens, get some hypoallergenic wipes to wipe your cat clean. This will go over far better than a bath!)
- Pet Beds. It’s a great habit to wash your pet’s bed regularly. This is where a lot of their hair will accumulate and will spread when your pet gets in and out of it.
- Air. Another great routine is to replace air filters monthly and air ducts yearly. Stray hair can get trapped and circulate through the house, creating more work for you.
For a few more tips, check out this past article on pet hair removal.
How do you keep your house and clothes clean from pet hair?
The post How to Get Rid of Pet Hair around Your House appeared first on Pet Assure Blog.
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