Attacking Pet Hair in the Home

Attacking Pet Hair in the Home

  1. When cleaning, start with dusting under furniture and baseboards with a microfiber cloth or duster.  You can even use a vacuum with an extender or attachment.
  2. Use a vacuum with upholstery attachments or a dust buster to clean your furniture off.  Be sure to get in between the tight spaces of the cushions, as hair can get trapped there also.
  3. Next Dust off your hard surfaces with a Swiffer Duster or the like.  Use a tool that will trap the dust and not spread it in the air.
  4. Now that your surfaces are clean, let’s tackle the floors:
    • If you have hardwood floors, avoid sweeping with a flicking motion, as this will spread the pet hair in the air and around the room (which you just cleaned so nicely).  Instead, use a vacuum to pick up the dirt and pet hair from the hardwood floors.  There are plenty of options available from vacuum brooms to robotic vacuums that will attack the pet hair.
    • If you have carpet, simply use a vacuum with good suction and a rotating brush to pick up the hair from the carpet fibers.  Be sure that you have a clean filter on the vacuum as well.  This plays an important role in keeping the hair in the vacuum (canister or bag) and not back in the air.
  5. Empty the vacuum outdoors to avoid putting hair back on your clean floors and surfaces.

Other Quick Tips:

To tackle pet hair on surfaces quickly you can also…

  1. Use a window squeegee to remove hair from the carpet. (move the squeegee back and forth and the rubber will pull up the stubborn hair and make it easier to pick up or vacuum up)
  2. Dampen rubber gloves to wipe surfaces (great for pillows and armchairs.  The rubber creates friction and attracts the pet hair)
  3. Use a Tape Lint Roller
  4. Use an anti-static spray (with a soft cloth and the spray, you can remove hair from wooden surfaces.  Spray your carpet and then vacuum.  The anti-static spray will pull the pet hair to the surface and make it easier to vacuum up.)

References: