We all love our furry friends and most of us consider them to be a part of the family, but if you own a short hair breed of dog or cat then you’ll know the continuous struggle involved in keeping your home free of pet hair. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can manage your pet’s shedding and control the amount of hair lying around your home and we’d like to share them with you.
Brush Every Day (Or At Least Every Second Day)
It may sound a bit excessive but this is perhaps the most effective way of managing your furry friends shedding. Giving your dog or cat a quick one minute brush every day will save you hours dusting, sweeping and vacuuming, it will really be worth your while. Try and get into a habit or brushing your pet at the same time every day, perhaps before dinner or before their afternoon walk, habits make daily tasks seem more routine and less of a chore.
Try the Furminator, it is an all in one pet de-shedding tool which really works wonders in removing all of your furry friends loose hair, you’ll really notice the difference around your home if you use one of these once a day. For large dogs buy here, for smaller dogs or cats buy here.
Use Blankets, Throws Or Covers On Your Furniture
Think about what’s easier, getting the vacuum out and giving your sofa, couch, bed or ottoman a brush down and good vacuum or simply rolling up the blanket or throw and throwing it into the washing machine? It’s a lot easier to simply throw something into the wash, especially since all of the covers can be done at once.
Keep two sets so that you can wash and dry one while the other is in use. When you have guests, simply pull the covers off and your furniture will look clean and fresh.
When washing the blankets, throws and covers, remember to use a warm wash of at least 55 degrees Celsius (130 degrees Fahrenheit) to kill of bacteria and other allergens. Don’t mix these covers with your clothes or bedding, always wash them separately.
While you’re cleaning the throws, blankets and covers, have a look at these Things You Should Be Cleaning But Probably Don’t.
Cover Your Car Seat
Following on from the previous tip, if you take your pet in the car often then your car is probably also covered in pet hair. Get a pet car seat cover like the one below to keep the pet hair in one place. It not only protects your seats from their sharp nails but is also easily removable to brush off, vacuum or wash, keeping the rest of your car clean.
Buy HereDress You Furry Friend
This tip ins’t for everyone, or every breed of dog, but it certainly goes a long way towards keeping the hair off the ground. Dressing your pet up in a well fitted pet jersey or t-shirt keeps the hair in the clothes and off of your floor and furniture.
Buy HereVacuum Regularly
A lot of the hair that lands up on your clothes and on your furniture has been carried there from the floor and other furniture. Vacuuming your home regularly picks up all of the hair on the floor and removes the chance of it being re-distributed around your home.
Get a good quality vacuum with a water filter or HEPA filter, one which has been specifically designed to suck up and filter out pet hair and dander.
Here are our top recommendations:
BISSELL Big Green Complete Home-Cleaning System – Buy Here
Eureka Mighty Mite Pet Lover Bagged Canister Vacuum Cleaner – Buy Here
Ovente Bagless Canister Cyclonic Vacuum – HEPA Filter – Buy Here
Use A Rough Blanket In Your Pets Bed
If your pet has a tendency to lounge around in their favorite spot for most of the day, try using a rougher blanket in that spot or in their bed. A rough blanket helps to “brush” the hair off of them while they sleep or roll around in it. The blanket traps the hair and you can simply wash the collected hair out once a week.
Clean Your Air Conditioning System Filters
If you’ve got pets, especially dogs, cats and birds, you’ll be surprised how much pet dander lands up in the AC filters. Be sure to check, clean or change your AC filters every month or two to prevent a build up. Pet dander can quickly clog up these filters and may land up damaging your AC system.
Cleaning Products To Help You Around The House
Now that you’ve implemented the above tips to keep your home hair free, you’ll likely have a lot less hair lying around.
For those bits that still make it through, here are some of our favorite products we use to keep our home, furniture and clothes hair free:
Swiffer Spray Mop Cleaner Starter Kit – This all in one mop kit is perfect for giving your tiles or hard wood floors a quick clean up. Run it over the floor and use the built in spray bottle to attract and keep pet hair stuck in one place to collect and throw away. Buy Here
Lint Roller – Going out with pet hair all over your clothing doesn’t look good or give a good impression of your home’s cleanliness. Get a good quality lint roller to quickly go over your clothing before you leave and remove any excess pet hair. Buy Here
Pet Grooming Glove – If you pet is not a fan of being brushed then consider getting a grooming glove. It is much softer on your pet and also allows you to hold them firmly while the glove removes loose hair. Buy Here
Now that you’ve got rid of the pet hair in your home, have a look at these 5 Cleaning Tips To Rid Your Home Of Dust.