Removing Dog Hair: Handy Tips and Gadgets
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By brushing your dog regularly, you can remove loose fur – this reduces the amount of work needed when vacuuming and mopping the floors.
Whether they’re a short-haired breed or a long-haired one, whether they sport an abundant undercoat or just a little – all dogs shed. The annoyances of this are all too familiar: upholstered furniture, car seats, jumpers and carpets seem to attract loose clumps of fur as if by magic. We reveal how you can rid your home of pesky dog hair in the following guide.
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Knowledge Nuggets on Dog Hair
Depending on the size and breed, dogs have approximately 1,000 to 9,000 hairs per square centimeter of skin. In contrast, the human head has only about 150 to 500 hairs sprouting in the same area.
The lifecycle of a single dog hair is around six to seven weeks. After that, it falls out, and a new hair grows in its place. No maths whiz is needed to figure out that this results in quite a pile of hair that regularly sheds.
What to Do About Pet Hair in the Home?
Shedding is entirely normal for dogs, especially during the moulting seasons in spring and autumn when most pooches shed noticeably more hair that then merrily scatters itself around the home, car, and on clothing.
Some dog breeds, like the Newfoundland or the Bernese Mountain Dog, are even known to shed copiously throughout the year.
To reduce the amount of fur remnants in your home, you should brush your dog regularly. Using a special comb, brush or grooming glove, gently sweep across their body to remove loose hairs. At the same time, you’re giving your furry friend a pleasant massage that strengthens the bond between you two.
What to Do If Your Dog Sheds Excessively?
During moulting periods, it may indeed be helpful to gently groom your pet daily. If your fluffy companion is one of those that shed a lot, regular brushing should also continue outside of moulting seasons to keep loose hair at bay.
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Removing dog hair – these tools make it a breeze.
When it comes to getting rid of dog hair from carpets, upholstered furniture, and car seats, you can utilise various tools and gadgets. A specialised pet hair vacuum cleaner is recommended as it quickly and powerfully removes loose fur clusters – even from rough surfaces.
Alternatively, you can attach a rotating brush attachment to your regular vacuum cleaner to tackle the “hairy issue”. For a quick clean-up in between, a handheld vacuum cleaner is extremely handy.
Extra tip: On smooth floors, you can easily sweep up dog hair using a rubber broom or a scrubber with rubber blades.
Which Pet Hair Remover Is the Best?
An alternative to the classic lint roller are self-cleaning pet hair brushes. These handy gadgets attract loose dog or cat hair through electrostatic adsorption, enabling quick, thorough cleaning of clothing, car seats, and upholstered furniture. The fur clumps are collected in a container and can then be disposed of hygienically.
Compared to a typical lint roller, such a reusable pet hair remover has a significant advantage: it produces less waste since there’s no need to dispose of sticky paper strips. Recommended models are made of sturdy materials and come with an ergonomic handle.
How to Best Remove Dog Hair from the Sofa?
On upholstered furniture such as sofas and armchairs, as well as on cushions and blankets, dog hair clings particularly well. While fur remnants can be wiped off furniture with leather or faux leather covers, cleaning fabric sofas is somewhat trickier.
The simplest method is to vacuum large areas. As mentioned earlier, you could use a special pet hair vacuum nozzle for this purpose to at least tackle the bulk of the mess.
Getting Rid of Stubborn Dog Hair
To extract hidden hairballs from crevices, a handheld vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool is recommended. For individual, particularly stubborn hairs, a dampened rubber glove can be used to lift them from the upholstery.
How Can You Remove Dog Hair from Carpets?
For carpets and rugs, a vacuum cleaner with a turbo brush or a dedicated pet hair vacuum cleaner is the first port of call to remove dirt. Especially with shaggy carpets, the embedded dog hair can be so deep that a regular vacuum cleaner may struggle.
Good to know: A quality pet hair vacuum cleaner doesn’t only remove hair but also dead skin flakes, dust, and dirt from the carpet, ensuring hygienic cleanliness. This is particularly important for allergy sufferers.
How Can You Remove Dog Hair from Clothing?
A lint roller or even adhesive tape can quickly and effectively remove annoying dog hair from garments. Alternatively, and to produce less waste, a damp rubber glove is an insider’s secret and can be used repeatedly.
Which Wash Programme Helps Against Pet Hair on Clothing?
Before tossing your hair-covered jumpers, trousers, and shirts in the washing machine, you should first remove the loose fur clumps.
If available, select the anti-allergy programme or pet hair washing programme of your machine. Alternatively, you can add an anti-lint ball to the wash and run your clothes on the delicate cycle.
Removing Dog Hair from the Washing Machine
Keep your washing machine free from hair residue by routinely cleaning the lint filter. This prevents dog hair from re-entering the drum in the next wash and dirtying your clothes. Also, occasionally wipe down the drum with a microfiber cloth.
A regular wash cycle at 95°C will ensure hygiene in the machine. To also free your washer from bacteria and unpleasant odours, there are special cleaning powders and gels available.
Removing Dog Hair from the Car
You can also fight the battle against dog hair in the boot and on the back seat with a vacuum or handheld vacuum or using a dedicated car vacuum. It’s easiest if you use the device without any attachment. In addition, a de-shedding brush with soft rubber bristles can serve you well for cleaning the car.
If your car seats are upholstered with leather or faux leather, they can also be wiped clean with a microfiber cloth. To protect the seats or the boot from getting too dirty in the future, you can lay out a blanket for your dog.
Conclusion: Living Fur-Free Is Just Not an Option
“It’s not quite a home without a few dog hairs,” they say. There’s truth in that: Floating fur remnants simply come with the territory when sharing your life with a dog. To keep the furry fallout in your abode to a minimum, regularly brush your darling. Alongside that, vacuums, lint brushes and the rest can help to quickly and effortlessly remove dog hair.
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"A life without a pug is possible, but pointless," Loriot once said. I would unreservedly agree and add: "A life without horse, cat and rabbit as well!" My heart beats for all animals big and small and I have the great fortune to be able to write about my passion as a freelance author. With my articles I would like to raise awareness for animal welfare and give useful tips to animal lovers.
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