Fight the Fur with These Hacks Using Household Items
If you have pets, keeping things clean can feel downright impossible at times. If nothing you’ve tried has worked so far, consider adding some of these heavy duty tips and tricks to your pet hair removal toolbox.
Conventional wisdom
If you have pets it goes without saying you need a vacuum, but a handheld portable vacuum can be a great weapon in your battle against fur. Simply pull out your portable vacuum and remove those tufts of hair as they appear, rather than letting them build into large piles that can be hard to manage.
You may also want to purchase furniture covers to keep the hair off your upholstery, and lint rollers are perfect for quick touch-ups.
Not just for pedicures
If you want to save your lint rollers for your clothes, try a pumice stone instead and run it over your car seats or furniture. The stone will collect plenty of hair before you vacuum.
Not just for parties
A latex balloon will also do the trick. Rub an inflated balloon on furniture and car seats to remove fur.
Not just for cleaning
The rubber gloves and squeegee you have for cleaning the bathroom and windows are great weapons in the battle against pet hair. So are the sponges you use to do the dishes.
Put on your gloves and run your hand along carpet, beds, couches and chairs to pick up the fur in advance of vacuuming.
Note: If you don’t have any gloves and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you also can just wet your hand and do the same.
You can also use the squeegee on carpets and rugs after vacuuming to collect and remove the hair left behind.
The rough side of a sponge can also be used to pick up hair from furniture and rugs. As can a microfiber cloth.
And don’t forget your Swiffer. With the pads, they are great for grabbing hair and dirt from hard floors. But they can do wonders on soft surfaces too. Just run the Swiffer over the carpet or rug before you vacuum.
Not just for laundry
Dryer sheets also are useful for grabbing fur off soft surfaces.
Note: They can be your friend pre-wash, too. Toss your particularly hairy clothes in the dryer before the washer. Run them on the no-heat (fluff/tumble) setting for about 10 minutes, then toss them in the washer. Don’t forget to clean the dryer lint trap afterward.
Not just for home improvement
That paint roller left over from your last home redecorating project, along with the duct tape you use to fix everything, can also be anti-hair weapons. Wrap the paint roller in duct tape, sticky side up, and run it over furniture and carpets for quick fur pickup.
A dose of prevention
Baths and brushing can significantly reduce shedding, in turn reducing the time you spend gathering hair. Give your pet a bath weekly and brush them (outside) once every few days to keep pet hair at bay.
2-10 HBW offers the most comprehensive Home Warranty coverage for homeowners. Let us help you protect your home.
