People love their pets. In fact, 70 percent of the homes in the United States have either a dog or cat in the home, or both. Pets are part of the family and are often welcomed inside, especially in the frigid winter months or the extremely hot summer months. But one thing pets carry with them is something that haunts pet owners and impacts the air quality in the home: it’s all that fur! If you want your furry friends to spend time inside with you, you may realize that pet hair sticks everywhere – your clothes, your furniture, and even your air.
Here are some tips from the experts at Rainbow Restoration® on how to combat pesky pet hair in the home:
Groom Your Pet More
- Brushing your pet once a day will allow the dead pet hair to come off on your time instead of every time your pet moves or breathes. Sometimes, this can prevent huge amounts of fur from accumulating around your house.
- Vacuuming your pet directly also works (your pet may not enjoy it as much as you will). Introducing them to this method while their young helps and can make life easier for you. When vacuuming, use the brush attachment on your vacuum.
- Some pets manage to shed multiple times a day, though, so these methods may not work for everyone every time.
Choose DIY Approaches
- Lint rollers obviously work very well on clothes, so why not use them to remove pet hair from your furniture and drapery too? This remedy is easy and quick to use, so it’s beneficial to keep these around your home for quick pet hair removal. They are inexpensive and you can keep replacement rolls on hand. You can also try using a dry sponge in the same way.
- A similar idea is the “rubber glove method.” By putting on a wet rubber glove, wetting it, and wiping down the areas that are hair-ridden, you can easily pick up a lot of your pet’s misplaced fur. Rinse the glove occasionally to clean it off and continue again until you’ve cleaned to your heart’s content!
- Rubbing a fabric softener dryer sheet on furniture may help release the pet hair for easy cleanup. Be sure to test the surface of your furniture first to make sure it doesn’t stain or damage it. Just as a dryer sheet takes away static cling, it can also help remove the pet hair clinging to your furniture or drapery. In the same way, applying antistatic spray to clothes, furniture, and drapery can help break the charge that makes pet hair cling to surfaces.
Choose Fabrics That Don’t Hold Hair
- Selecting pet-friendly fabrics and materials is ideal. Hardwood, tile, and laminate floors make it a lot easier to clean up pet hair, as do leather, pleather, and heavy cotton fabrics. It’s a good idea to take your pets into consideration when choosing your furniture.
- Add some colorful design elements to your room by placing washable slipcovers, carpets, or blankets on your furniture or floors. Then, when they become covered with pet hair, pick them up and toss them in the washing machine to rid them of pet hair. Tip: Adding softener to the washer and a fabric softener sheet to the dryer can help release stubborn hairs.
Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum!
- If you own pets, you cannot become a stranger to your vacuum. You most likely will not have the wiggle room when it comes to sweeping and vacuuming, but it’s worth it for your four-legged family member. When vacuuming, alternate the direction of your vacuum to loosen those stubborn hairs and suction them up. For added air quality benefits, use a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
- If you have wood, tile, or other hard surface floors, try using an electrostatic mop.
Winning the pet hair battle takes effort and daily steps to keep it under control. If you find yourself overwhelmed and realize that pet hair is gaining control, let the professionals at Rainbow Restoration help you gain control of your home again. With the latest in cleaning technology, the experts can clean your carpet, drapery, and upholstery, and remove spots, stains, and deodorize your home so that you and your pets feel better. And, having a clean slate will help you implement some of these pet hair removal and cleaning solutions so that you can win the battle against pet hair in the home once and for all!
