You've just vacuumed the sofa and there's already a fine layer of hair on it again. Autumn is even worse: dogs and cats swap their summer coat for a thicker one and shed it everywhere, on the sofa, on your dark jumper, in the boot of the car. To remove pet hair you don't need an expensive gadget, just the right trick for each surface. These are the methods that genuinely work day to day.
Why pet hair clings so stubbornly
Dog and cat hair is fine, picks up static easily and has a scaly surface. That's why it gets caught in upholstery, knitwear and rug fibres. The vacuum cleaner picks up loose hair, but the embedded hair stays put. The basic rule is: loosen it first, then collect it.
How to remove pet hair from the sofa
- Rubber glove: slightly dampen a washing-up glove and run your flat hand over the fabric, always in the same direction. The hair rolls up into little balls you can pick up effortlessly.
- Rubber window squeegee: a squeegee works surprisingly well on fabric sofas. Use short strokes, then vacuum up the hair it gathers.
- Pet hair roller: for the daily once-over, a reusable roller is the easiest option. Our self-cleaning pet hair remover picks up hair as you roll it back and forth and needs no sticky sheets, so there's no waste and you can keep it right by the sofa.
- Leather sofa: a slightly damp microfibre cloth is usually enough. Smooth leather barely holds on to hair.
Removing dog and cat hair from clothes
Get the hair off before washing. Otherwise it spreads around the drum onto the rest of the laundry and clogs the filter. Here's how:
- Go over the clothes with a lint roller or a damp rubber glove.
- If you have a tumble dryer, put the hairiest items in for about ten minutes with no heat. The tumbling loosens the hair and it ends up in the filter. No dryer? Give them a good shake on the balcony or terrace.
- Then wash them. Dog blankets and cushion covers are best washed separately.
- After the wash, wipe the empty drum with a damp cloth and clean the filter.
It works the same way with cat hair. As it's usually even finer, the spin in the dryer is especially worth it.
Rugs and the car: where hair hides
In rugs, hair works its way in deeper. Before vacuuming, go over the rug with long strokes of a rubber broom or squeegee: you'll be amazed how much hair comes out. Then vacuum slowly, against the pile.
In the car, the trouble spots are the boot and fabric seats. A damp rubber glove or a pet hair roller loosens the hair, and the vacuum's crevice tool gets it out of the gaps. Even easier: a washable blanket that stays on the back seat or in the boot for good.
Prevention: less hair around the house
- Brush often: daily during moulting season, ideally outdoors. Every hair left in the brush is one that doesn't end up on the sofa.
- Cover their favourite spots: shaking out a washable blanket in your pet's corner is much quicker than vacuuming a whole sofa.
- Choose fabrics wisely: smooth, tightly woven fabrics, leather and faux leather hardly hold any hair. Velvet, chenille and chunky knits, on the other hand, attract it.
- Little and often: two minutes a day with the roller gets better results than a deep clean at the weekend, because the hair hasn't had time to embed itself.
- Keep an eye on the coat: if your pet sheds a lot outside moulting season or its coat looks dull, there may be a skin or diet problem behind it. If so, it's best to see your vet.
Conclusion
You can't avoid pet hair completely, but you can keep it under control by doing things in the right order: loosen it with rubber or a roller, then vacuum or wash, and give your pet its own spots with washable blankets. With a pet hair remover handy by the sofa, the daily once-over takes just two minutes.