The sofa blanket is your cat's favourite spot and, in the middle of autumn, it shows: it's covered in a layer of hair that won't come off even when you shake it. Before you put it straight into the washing machine, stop for a moment. If you want to know how to wash a blanket covered in cat hair without the hair ending up stuck to the rest of the laundry or in the filter, the secret is the order: first you remove the hair while the blanket is dry, then you wash it and, finally, you wipe out the drum. Here's how to do it, step by step.
Why you shouldn't put the blanket straight into the washing machine
Cat hair is very fine and light. Water makes it clump together, it gets caught in the blanket's fibres and whatever comes loose spreads around the drum. The usual result is a blanket that comes out almost as hairy as it went in, clothes covered in hair they didn't have before and a filter that's dirtier than it should be. With fleece, sherpa or long-pile blankets it's even worse, because those are exactly the fabrics that hold on to the most hair.
Step 1: get the cat hair off the blanket while it's dry
This is the step that makes all the difference. The more hair you get off now, the better the blanket will turn out afterwards.
- Shake it outside. On the balcony, terrace or patio: give it a good, hard shake on both sides.
- Run a slightly damp rubber glove over it. With the blanket spread out on a table or on the bed, always move your hand in the same direction. The hair gathers into little balls that you can pick up by hand.
- Finish off with a roller. A reusable pet hair roller picks up the fine hair the glove leaves behind and stores it in its compartment, with no sticky sheets to use up.
- If you have a tumble dryer, ten minutes with no heat. A short cold-air cycle loosens a lot of hair, which ends up in the filter. Empty it when you've finished. Before you start, check the care label to make sure the blanket can go in the dryer.
If cat hair also builds up on your clothes, here's how to get pet hair off clothes with methods that actually work.
Step 2: how to wash your cat's blanket in the washing machine
With most of the hair gone, you can now wash it. Always check the care label first: it trumps any tip.
- Wash it on its own or with your pet's other blankets. Don't mix it with dark clothes or with fabrics that attract hair, such as knitwear or fleece.
- Don't overload the drum. The blanket needs room to move; fill the drum two-thirds full at most.
- Use the programme and temperature on the label. Many fleece blankets do well on a delicates or synthetics programme with cold or lukewarm water.
- A mild, lightly scented detergent. Cats have a very keen sense of smell and some will reject their blanket if it smells too strongly of fabric softener or perfume.
- Cleaning vinegar in the fabric softener compartment. If your washing machine's manual doesn't advise against it, a small splash helps reduce static electricity, and with less static the hair clings less. An extra rinse makes it even better.
Step 3: clean the washing machine afterwards
Even if you've removed almost all the hair, some will be left inside. When you take the blanket out, wipe the drum and the door seal with a damp cloth, as that's where the hair collects. If you often wash pet blankets, run a short empty cycle every now and then and clean the filter as your washing machine's manual says.
Drying: air-dry or tumble dry
The safest option for almost any blanket is to air-dry it, spread out and in the shade. If the label says it can go in the tumble dryer, use a low temperature: it will dry the blanket and the filter will catch the last of the hair. Once it's dry, give it a shake and a quick once-over with the roller before putting it back on the sofa.
How to stop the hair coming back so quickly
The hair will come back, because your cat keeps shedding. What you can do is make it take longer to build up and make the next clean much quicker.
- Brush your cat regularly, especially in spring and autumn, when cats shed the most. If you're not sure where to start, see how to brush a cat without it bolting in a second.
- Go over the blanket every two or three days with the roller. Two minutes now saves you half an hour on laundry day.
- Have two blankets and alternate them. While one is in the wash, the other protects the sofa and your cat doesn't lose its spot.
- Choose the right fabric. Tightly woven cotton holds far less hair than fleece, sherpa or chunky knits.
- Watch out for dry air. With the heating on, static electricity builds up and hair clings to fabrics more.
And if the hair escapes from the blanket and ends up all over the house, here's how to remove pet hair from your sofa, clothes and car, plus a method to get hair off the sofa in five minutes that works for cat hair too.
In short
When you wash a blanket covered in cat hair, order is everything: get the hair off while it's dry with a good shake, the glove and the roller; wash it separately, with plenty of room in the drum and a mild detergent; and wipe out the drum when you've finished. With a quick once-over every few days, the blanket will stay clean for much longer.
From our shop
Self-cleaning pet hair remover
- ✓Works with static electricity: as you roll it back and forth, the roller picks up hair and lint from the fabric.
- ✓No batteries or refills: it doesn't use sticky sheets, so there's nothing to replace.
- ✓A compartment you can empty in seconds: open it, tip the hair into the bin and it's ready to go again.