How to Get Dog, Cat, and Pet Hair Out of Your Laundry

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Laundry pros share how to keep your clothes pet hair-free
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While you love your pet, you probably don’t love the hair they leave all over your clothes, blankets, and linens, which can make laundry day a mess. Luckily, there are plenty of easy tricks to remove their hair from your laundry and keep your washer and dryer clean. In this article, we spoke with laundry specialists and cleaning experts to learn how to remove pet hair from your laundry before you put it in the wash and how to get rid of pet hair while washing and drying your items. We’ll also explain how to prevent hair from getting all over your laundry in the first place, too. Read on to learn more!

Easy Ways to Remove Pet Hair from Laundry

Laundry specialist Safir Ali says to remove as much hair from your clothes or linens as possible before washing them. For instance, use a lint roller or hair removal tool, or throw the items in the dryer for 10 minutes before washing. To remove hair from laundry machines:

  • Add fabric softener or white vinegar to your washer’s rinse cycle.
  • Place a hair catcher tool in your washing machine.
  • Add dryer sheets or wool dryer balls to the dryer.
  • Clean out the dryer’s lint trap halfway through the cycle.
Section 1 of 4:

Removing Pet Hair From Laundry Before Washing

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  1. Take a kitchen sponge that you don’t plan on using for washing dishes anymore. Let it dry, then run the abrasive scrubbing side against the clothing or blanket to swipe off the pet hair. [1]
    • Do this outside or over a trash bag so you don’t get hair all over your floors.
    • For hair that's tough to get off , use a damp sponge. Wet the sponge, then wring out any excess water before brushing the fabric.

    Meet the wikiHow Experts

    Safir Ali is a laundry specialist and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry with over 6 years of experience.

    Jon Gholian is a cleaning specialist and founder of Cleany, which specializes in providing quality cleaning and handyman services.

    Kamel Almani is a laundry and cleaning specialist and the co-owner of WashyWash, a toxin-free and eco-friendly laundry service.

    Susan Stocker is a professional cleaner and owner of Susan’s Green Cleaning with over 10 years of experience.

    Ayad Mirjan is a dry cleaner and laundry specialist and the founder of OrangeBag® with over 4 years of experience.

  2. Ali agrees that a lint roller is a great way to remove pet hair from your clothes and keep it out of your laundry. Start with a clean adhesive sheet on your roller. Then, roll it over the item, using smooth strokes in one direction. Remove as much of the hair as possible, paying special attention to any areas with a lot of hair. [2]
    • Rip off the sheets as they become covered in hair to expose fresh sheets. Otherwise, the roller won’t be as effective at pulling up the hair.
    • If you don’t have a lint roller, make your own ! Ali suggests wrapping a piece of masking or packing tape around your hand with the sticky side facing out. Then, press it into the fabric to pick up hair. [3]
    • Tip : Spray static guard on the fabric to help loosen the hair before you use the lint roller.
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  3. Cleaning specialist Jon Gholian says rubber gloves attract pet hair, making them a super easy way to get hair off your clothes (as well as your furniture and other fabric items). Simply put on a pair of rubber gloves and drag your hands over your garment or other item to pick up hair. [4]
    • If the gloves get covered in hair, simply rinse them off with water. Just dry them off with a towel before going over your clothes again.
  4. Pet hair remover tools work similarly to lint rollers, except they don’t use a sticky surface to remove the hair. Instead, the roller is made out of a textured material that grips the hair, making these tools reusable. Simply roll the tool over your garment or item in short, smooth strokes to lift away the pet hair. [5]
    • Most tools have a built-in compartment that collects the hair, which makes clean-up super easy, too.
  5. Drying your clothes before you wash them can loosen the pet hair from your clothes. Just put the hair-covered items in the dryer and select a no-heat cycle (like “air dry” or “fluff”) or low-heat cycle (like permanent press). After 10 minutes, check the laundry. If there’s still a lot of hair on the pieces, leave them in the dryer for another 5 to 10 minutes. [6]
    • Any hair that gets removed will get caught in the dryer’s lint trap. Just make sure to clean the trap when your items are done drying.
    EXPERT TIP

    Safir Ali

    Laundry Specialist
    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
    Laundry Specialist

    Remove as much pet hair as you can before you put your laundry in the washer. If you put hair-covered items in the machine, the chances of the hair remaining inside the washer are high. So, anything you wash afterwards will probably get hair on it, too.

  6. Fabric combs are typically used to remove pilling and fuzz from garments, but they may be helpful for getting rid of pet hair, too. Lay your garment or item on a flat surface and hold the comb at a 90° angle. Then, brush the comb over the fabric in quick, short strokes. [7]
  7. The warmth and moisture of the steamer can help release trapped hair on your garments, making it easier to remove the hair completely in the wash. Fill the tank of the steamer with water, hang up your garment or item, and then lightly run the steamer over the fabric in downward strokes. [8]
    • Steamers are safe to use on delicate materials, like wool and velvet. Check the care instructions on the label of the item if you aren’t sure.
    • If you’re on a budget, get a handheld steamer. It typically costs around $30 to $40, while standing steamers can cost over $100.
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Section 2 of 4:

Removing Pet Hair In the Washer and Dryer

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  1. According to laundry and cleaning specialist Kamel Almani, fabric softener helps remove static cling on clothing. [9] When you add it to your laundry, it can loosen up the pet hair and prevent it from sticking to your items. Simply check the back of the bottle to find instructions on how much softener to use per load. Then, pour the fabric softener into your machine’s fabric softener compartment and start a wash cycle. [10]
    • Most fabric softener bottles have measuring caps that you use to portion out the liquid. The dispenser in the machine itself may also have a fill line that you can use as a guide.
    • The fabric softener dispenser will either look like a tall cylinder in the center of your machine or a small compartment towards the top of the machine, depending on your model.
    • Never pour fabric softener directly into the drum of the washing machine.
    • For older washing machines , read the manual to find out if you need to wait and manually add the softener immediately before the last rinse cycle. Newer models do this automatically.
  2. If you don’t have fabric softener on hand, Almani says white vinegar is a great alternative. [11] The acetic acid in vinegar softens fabric, which frees up the pet hair that's stuck in the material. Simply measure out 1 ⁄ 2 cup (120 ml) of vinegar, then pour it into the fabric softener dispenser of your washing machine. Then, start your wash cycle. [12]
    • If you have an older washing machine , you may need to manually add the vinegar before the final rinse cycle, says professional cleaner Susan Stocker. [13] On newer models, you simply put it in the fabric softener compartment, and the machine automatically dispenses it when it’s rinsing.
    • Add your regular laundry detergent to your machine like normal. Stocker just cautions you against mixing the detergent and vinegar together, as this can leave you with oily clothes. Always add the vinegar to the rinse cycle, not the main wash cycle. [14]
    • You can use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar if you’d like.
    • Warning : Check your washer’s manual first to make sure it’s okay to use vinegar with your model, as vinegar can damage some machines.
  3. Hair catchers, like the FurZapper or FurBall , are special products designed to remove hair from your clothes and linens as they’re being washed. The rubber material collects the fur from your items and holds onto it during the wash cycle. Simply add your items to the washer, throw a hair catcher on top, and start your wash cycle. [15]
  4. Overstuffing your washing machine can prevent the detergent, water, and agitator from properly loosening the hair on your clothes, and it can make any of the above methods less effective. So, aim to wash smaller loads at a time.
    • Consider turning your clothes inside out before washing them, too. This way, any hair left behind will be on the inside of your clothes. Just be warned that this might make your clothes itchy, though!
    • Wash clothes that are heavily covered in hair separately from clothes that aren’t covered in as much hair, or clothes you want to keep hair-free (like your work clothes).
    • Tip : Use your machine’s pet hair cycle if it has one. Some machines have specially designed cycles that use higher water pressure to help remove stuck-on hair. [16]
  5. Dryer sheets eliminate static, which can keep hair stuck to the fabric. Just place the sheets in the dryer along with the wet clothes before you turn on the dryer. If you have a light load of laundry, 1 sheet will work. For medium to heavy loads, use 2 sheets. [17]
    • For fabric with a lot of static, like flannel, use an extra dryer sheet.
    • Tip : Use dryer sheets specially formulated to trap pet hair, like from Bounce or Snuggle .
  6. Dryer balls remove static and stray hair just like dryer sheets, says dry cleaner and laundry specialist Ayad Mirjan, but the balls are biodegradable and reusable. They're also free of artificial ingredients, so they don't have a scent. He recommends adding 3 balls to the dryer with your wet laundry. Then, simply start the machine. [18]
    • If you’re drying a large load of laundry or your items are covered in a lot of hair, add up to 6 dryer balls.
  7. If the lint trap gets clogged while your laundry is drying, the hair can get spit back onto your clothes. Stop your dryer when it reaches the midpoint of its drying cycle and pull out the lint trap . Simply brush off any hair or lint that has accumulated, then replace the trap and resume the cycle. [19]
    • Depending on your dryer model, the lint trap is usually either on top of the dryer or just inside the door.
    • Of course, make sure to clean out the lint trap once your laundry is done drying, too.
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Section 3 of 4:

Cleaning Pet Hair from Your Washer and Dryer

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  1. This helps rinse out any extra hair that’s still inside the machine. Simply set your washing machine to a regular wash cycle or its self-clean cycle and let it run without anything inside. [20]
    • For the deepest clean , choose the hottest setting and longest cycle on your washing machine.
    • Settings that are labeled “white” or “stains” tend to use the highest heat.
    • Choose “extra rinse” if you have that option on your machine.
  2. Use a damp cloth or paper towel to pick up any strands of hair that were left behind in the drums of either machine. Any hair that’s left inside of your washer or dryer will just get tossed onto your clothes the next time you do laundry. [21]
    • To sanitize your machine while you wipe it down, squeeze a few drops of laundry detergent onto your cloth or towel.
    • Make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies, including the door and door seal, too.
  3. For hard-to-reach areas, use the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to suck up any hair that was left behind in both machines. Do a sweep around the entire drums, including the tops and sides. If you're vacuuming the washing machine, make sure it's completely dry first.
    • To dry the drum of the washing machine, leave the door open so it can air out, or wipe it down with a dry cloth.
    • You can buy different brush attachments for your vacuum cleaner from a houseware store, hardware store, or online retailer.
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Section 4 of 4:

Keeping Pet Hair Off Your Laundry

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  1. Cleaning specialist Courtney Jacobs recommends vacuuming or sweeping high-traffic areas in your home once per day, like your kitchen and living room, to help keep pet hair at bay. Otherwise, aim to vacuum other areas once per week, or whenever you notice pet hair building up. [22] Gholian suggests mopping afterwards to pick up any leftover hair. [23]
    • Regularly remove hair from your furniture, too. For instance, use a brush attachment to vacuum your couch and chairs, or run a rubber glove over them to catch the hair.
  2. Regularly brushing your pet can help reduce shedding and prevent their hair from ending up on your clothes. Certified pet groomer Lancy Woo recommends brushing your dog or cat at least once per week. If you have a breed that sheds a lot, you may want to brush them every few days. [24]
    • Brush your pet outside, if possible, so the hair you remove doesn’t end up inside.
    • Make sure to wash your dog regularly, too. According to licensed pet groomer Marie Lin, “dogs should be bathed when their coat accumulates dirt and when they start emitting an odor.” [25] This can be anywhere from weekly to once per month.
  3. Pet beds can harbor lots of pet hair, which can get caught on your clothes, too. So, Gholian recommends washing your pet’s bed weekly. [26] Remove the cover, if it has one, and shake it out outside. Then, use a lint roller or pet hair remover to remove as much hair as possible. Simply wash the cover in your machine using a gentle, unscented detergent . [27]
  4. To help clean and control the pet hair in your home, Gholian suggests running an air purifier . Most purifiers remove pet hair, as well as dander, allergens, and odors. Just make sure to change the filter regularly, says Gholian, which is typically around every 6 months. [28]
    • If your pet sheds a lot, you may want to change the filter sooner. Just check on the filter every month and change it once it’s full of debris.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do you get dog hair out of clothes?
    Safir Ali
    Laundry Specialist
    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
    Laundry Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Use a lint roller, or even some packing tape wrapped around your hand inside out, to pick up the pet hair from your garments. Repeat the process as best as you can, since pet hair can get onto other clothes during the washing cycle, or remain in the washing machine indefinitely.
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  • Question
    Can you remove pet hair in the washing machine?
    Safir Ali
    Laundry Specialist
    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
    Laundry Specialist
    Expert Answer
    It's best to remove the pet hair before you put the clothes in the washing machine because the pet hair will likely transfer all over your other laundry if you don't.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.stain-removal-101.com/removing-pet-hair.html
      2. ↑ Safir Ali. Laundry Specialist. Expert Interview
      3. ↑ Safir Ali. Laundry Specialist. Expert Interview
      4. ↑ Jon Gholian. Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview
      5. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/how-to-get-pet-hair-out-of-laundry-8698662
      6. ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/washing-machines/dont-let-pet-hair-ruin-your-washer/
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/OR2kZx8LXfo?si=BhYCxwvAhR2f19Uk&t=53
      8. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/how-to-steam-clothes-8363100
      9. ↑ Kamel Almani. Laundry & Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview
      1. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/how-to-get-pet-hair-out-of-laundry-8698662
      2. ↑ Kamel Almani. Laundry & Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview
      3. ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/washing-machines/dont-let-pet-hair-ruin-your-washer/
      4. ↑ Susan Stocker. Professional Cleaner. Expert Interview
      5. ↑ Susan Stocker. Professional Cleaner. Expert Interview
      6. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/how-to-get-pet-hair-out-of-laundry-8698662
      7. ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/washing-machines/dont-let-pet-hair-ruin-your-washer-a1602461402/
      8. ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/washing-machines/dont-let-pet-hair-ruin-your-washer-a1602461402/
      9. ↑ Ayad Mirjan. Dry Cleaner & Laundry Specialist. Expert Interview
      10. ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/washing-machines/dont-let-pet-hair-ruin-your-washer/
      11. ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/washing-machines/dont-let-pet-hair-ruin-your-washer/
      12. ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/washing-machines/dont-let-pet-hair-ruin-your-washer/
      13. ↑ Courtney Jacobs. Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview
      14. ↑ Jon Gholian. Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview
      15. ↑ Lancy Woo. Certified Pet Groomer. Expert Interview
      16. ↑ Marie Lin. Licensed Pet Groomer. Expert Interview
      17. ↑ Jon Gholian. Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview
      18. ↑ https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/how-to-clean-a-dog-bed/
      19. ↑ Jon Gholian. Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To get pet hair out of your laundry, remove as much hair from the clothes as you can before washing them. Brush loose hair away with a dry sponge, then remove stubborn hair that’s still clinging with a lint roller. You can also use a fabric steamer to loosen pet hair sticking to delicate garments. Before washing your clothes, tumble them in the dryer for 10 minutes to catch hair in the lint trap. When you put the laundry in the washing machine, add fabric softener to the dispenser, since this can help loosen stubborn hair. Alternatively, add ½ cup (120 mL) of vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser. Transfer your clothes to the dryer and add 1-2 dryer sheets or 3-6 wool dryer balls to help reduce static, which can make hair stick to the clothes. Pause the dryer half-way through the cycle and clean the lint trap to remove any pet hair that’s caught there, then restart it and finish the cycle. To learn how to clean pet hair out of your washer and dryer, read on!

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