How to Remove Pet Hair

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Hair from your furry friends can be very frustrating when it finds its way onto your clothes, carpeting, furniture, and upholstery. While it can take a little work to remove pet hair, it can be done! Things like rubber gloves, squeegees, and your vacuum cleaner will make the job easier.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning off Furniture and Decorative Fabric

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  1. Run the vacuum over the furniture to pick up as much hair as you can. If you don't have a handheld vacuum, you can use your regular vacuum's hose attachment to pick up hair. [1]
    • Go forward and back over the furniture in rows so you don't miss any hair.
  2. Run a squeegee over microfiber furniture . Grab a clean, dry squeegee, the kind you use to dry off windows when washing them. Place the rubber edge on the couch, and gently scoot it across the fabric. The rubber will collect the hair on the couch, making it easy to pick up. [2]
    • Run a vacuum over it when you're done with the squeegee for easy cleanup.
    • This will also work on carpet. [3]
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  3. Put on a fresh rubber glove, the kind you use for household cleaning. Run it under the faucet and then shake off the excess water. Rub the glove lightly over the fabric, and it will easily pick up pet hair. [4]
    • If the glove gets clogged with hair, run it under water to clean it and begin again.
    • You can also use a spray bottle to lightly spritz the glove.
  4. Wood, plastic, and laminate can also pick up cat hair. While this is easier to clean up than fabric, pet hair can still cling to the surface. Wipe down the furniture with a clean dryer sheet from your laundry room, which will make picking up pet hair a breeze. [5]
    • The dryer sheet has enough fabric softener in it that it will grab the hair. Plus, it will make your room smell fresh.
  5. Grab a non-abrasive rag, such as a microfiber cloth. Hold it in your hand and lightly spray it with furniture polish. Run the polish over the wooden furniture to quickly pick up pet hair. [6]
  6. Run the sponge down the curtain to gather up the hair. You may need to place a hand behind the curtain to hold it in place against the sponge. Collect the hair with your fingers to toss in the trash and pull any excess hair off the sponge to use again. [7]
    • Alternatively, vacuum the hair off the bottom of the curtain with a hose or hand vacuum.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Getting Pet Hair out of Carpet

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  1. If you have stubborn hair on your carpet, grab a (clean) pumice stone from the bathroom. Run it back and forth over the area a few times, and it will gather the pet hair up enough that you can just pick it up. [8]
    • This works especially well on stairs.
  2. Mix 3 parts water with 1 part fabric softener and pour it into a small spray bottle. Spray the mixture over the carpeted area until it's slightly damp. Allow 30 minutes for the area to dry, then run a vacuum cleaner over the carpet to pick up the hair. [9]
    • The fabric softener helps release the pet hair from the carpet.
    • This spray will also work on furniture, but test it in an inconspicuous area first.
  3. Once you've removed as much hair as you can, pull out your vacuum cleaner. Run it over your carpet to get up as much of the loose hair left behind as you can. [10]
    • For stairs, use a handheld vacuum or a hose attachment.
  4. Sweep up and down the room to quickly pick up the loose cat hair on the floor. Gather the hair in one spot, and then pick it up with a dustpan. [11]
    • Avoid vacuuming the hair on hardwood floors, as that tends to blow it around rather than pick it up.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Getting Pet Hair off Clothes

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  1. Run the lint roller up and down your clothes to remove hair from your clothes. [12] Don't forget to hit your backside, particularly your buttocks, as you can pick up hair from sitting on furniture. Also, go up and down your legs. [13]
    • You can use a sticky lint roller. With this kind, you run the sticky side over your clothes, then peel off the top layer so that it's sticky again.
    • You can also use reusable lint removers, such as the sticky variety, which you rinse off between uses. Another reusable kind has fibers going one direction that pick up pet hair; the pet hair comes off in an included holder.
  2. Wrap the tape around your hand with the sticky side out, letting it overlap itself. Then, rub the sticky part over your clothes to remove excess pet hair. [14] If you're having trouble rubbing the tape on your clothes, pat it on them instead. [15]
    • If the tape loses its stickiness, replace it with a new piece.
  3. Pet hair tends to stick to clothing even after it's gone through the wash. To help remove it, set your dryer on cool and put your clothes in it for 5-10 minutes. The hair will mostly come off and end up in the lint trap. [16]
    • Add a dryer sheet to the load to help pull the hair off your clothes. You can also use a dryer ball.
    • Wash your clothes normally after you dry them. Using liquid fabric softener will also help get the hair out.
    • This works on freshly washed clothes that have been covered in pet hair, too.
    • Always remove pet hair from your clothes before washing them. Pet hair can get stuck in your washing machine and then end up sticking to your other clothes. [17]
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    What's the best way to get pet hair off of clothing?
    Safir Ali
    Professional Dry Cleaner
    Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map.
    Safir Ali
    Professional Dry Cleaner
    Expert Answer
    You can remove pet hair with a lint roller, or you can even use packing tape or any sort of tape that you can wrap around your hand inside-out. Run the lint roller or tape over your clothes to pick up pet hair that's stuck to them.
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  • Question
    Can I brush a cat to reduce shedding?
    Community Answer
    Yes! This will reduce the amount of fur that a cat sheds and prevent the fur from sticking to clothes and furniture.
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  • Question
    How do I remove cat hair from my shoes?
    Community Answer
    The latex glove method. It works perfectly. Just rub the shoe down with your hands in the glove. The hair comes completely off.
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      Tips

      • One way to cut down on pet hair in your house is to brush your pet more often. You'll remove loose hair that would have ended up on your furniture. [18]
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      • Run your washing machine through a rinse cycle if you see hair inside the machine after washing a load with lots of pet hair. [19]
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      • Cover your furniture with blankets or fitted covers to catch pet hair. Then you can simply toss them in the wash. [20]
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      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • Brush your dog gently and often to reduce shedding. Don’t bathe your dog more than once a month, or you could dry out its skin and cause more shedding.
      • Use a motorized brush roll attachment on your vacuum cleaner when cleaning up pet hair from upholstered furniture, car seats, and carpeted stairs.
      • Rub the area with thick latex gloves that have bumpy ridges on the palms.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.firstforwomen.com/posts/how-to-remove-pet-hair-168509
      2. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/how-to-remove-pet-hair-from-absolutely-everything-51880#how-to-remove-pet-hair-from-microfiber-couch
      3. ↑ https://www.puppyleaks.com/tips-cleaning-dog-hair/
      4. ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-remove-pet-hair-everywhere-from-furniture-floors-and-more-199660
      5. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/how-to-remove-pet-hair-from-absolutely-everything-51880#how-to-remove-pet-hair-from-carpet
      6. ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-remove-pet-hair-everywhere-from-furniture-floors-and-more-199660
      7. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/how-to-remove-pet-hair-from-absolutely-everything-51880#how-to-remove-pet-hair-from-curtains
      8. ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/interiors/a28238962/remove-pet-hair-carpet-mrs-hinch/
      9. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/how-to-remove-pet-hair-from-absolutely-everything-51880#how-to-remove-pet-hair-from-carpet
      1. ↑ https://www.firstforwomen.com/posts/how-to-remove-pet-hair-168509
      2. ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-remove-pet-hair-everywhere-from-furniture-floors-and-more-199660
      3. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
      4. ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-remove-pet-hair-everywhere-from-furniture-floors-and-more-199660
      5. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
      6. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/house-and-home/household-advice/a680039/how-to-remove-pet-hair/
      7. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/house-and-home/household-advice/a680039/how-to-remove-pet-hair/
      8. ↑ Safir Ali. Professional Dry Cleaner. Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.
      9. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/house-and-home/household-advice/a680039/how-to-remove-pet-hair/
      10. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/house-and-home/household-advice/a680039/how-to-remove-pet-hair/
      11. ↑ https://www.puppyleaks.com/tips-cleaning-dog-hair/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To remove pet hair from your clothes or furniture, try wetting the palm of your hand and wiping in a downward motion to remove the hair. If this doesn’t work, use some sellotape, or any tape your have around, to peel the fur off of surfaces. Alternatively, rub velcro curlers on the area to get rid of hair. Besides these methods, you can also use static electricity to remove pet hair. To do this, put on a latex glove and rub the surface where you need to remove pet hair. After awhile, the static electricity should cause the fur to stick to your glove. To learn how to prevent pet hair build up in your home, read on!

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        Jan 21, 2018

        "The information that helped most was the moisture method. This seemed to work best at removing white cat hair from ..." more
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