How to Keep Your Home Pet Hair-Free

Whether you have a dog, a cat or a small herd of lovable animals, one thing is certain. Pet hair is problematic. Like people, dogs and cats naturally shed hair.

At times, you might notice that they lose large clumps at a time. Pet hair can come off on your hand while you scratch their backs, and it can build up on your bed and couch. You might find it on your clothes, in the carpet and building up along the baseboards even after you clean your home.

How do you get rid of pet hair and enjoy a cleaner home?

Understanding Why Pet Hair Accumulates

While some species shed more than others and have different shedding cycles, all animals shed hair on a fairly regular basis. As the hair falls off your pets, it sticks to materials that have a static charge, such as furniture, upholstery and clothing.

In addition, the air currents in your home may cause hair to build up in greater quantities in specific areas. On top of that, your vacuum cleaner may not be removing all of the hair on each cleaning day, and this results in an increasing quantity of pet hair in your home.

Grooming Your Pet to Reduce Shedding

It is a certainty that your pet’s hair will fall out, and you can take some level of control over that. By brushing your dog for up to 10 minutes every other day, you can capture loose hair before it falls on your floor and furniture. Use a steel comb or wire brush for silky or curly hair. Otherwise, use a shedding comb or brush.

In addition to brushing your pet regularly, a bath is needed weekly during peak shedding times. During other times, bathe your pet twice a month. You can also trim your pet’s hair during the summer when shedding is often most problematic.

Establishing Pet-Free Zones

While you want to share your home with your beloved fur babies, you don’t have to share your entire home with them. For example, you may want to keep them out of your bedroom. Simply train them not to enter that room. You can also close the door or use a pet fence or gate. You might also train them not to sit on the couch or to only sit on a specific chair that you cover with a blanket. A blanket is much easier to clean than an entire couch.

Essential Cleaning Tools for Pet Hair

A vacuum is a necessity in a home with dogs and cats. It needs to have several handheld attachments for cleaning upholstery and reaching corners and crevices. Anything that breaks static cling is also helpful, such as a moistened dryer sheet or anti-static spray. A lint roller makes it fast and easy to pull hair off fabric, or you could use a ball of tape in an emergency situation.

Cleaning Strategies for a Pet Hair-Free Home

Pet hair is problematic in every room where your pets spend time, and pet hair can creep into nearby areas as well. How can you clean each of these areas for a pet-free home?

Flooring

A small mist of water on your carpet will allow you to sweep up large portions of pet hair with a firm broom relatively easily. An alternative is to run a squeegee over the carpet to gather the hair. After doing so, sprinkle baking soda on the floor. If the carpet is still moist, let it air dry. Then, vacuum the floor in different directions.

For hard flooring, sweep the floor daily, or use a vacuum designed for these surfaces. Some dry mops have covers that are specifically designed to attract pet hair as well.

Bedding, Linens, and Towels

One of the easiest ways to clean pet hair off of bedding, linens and towels is laundering them. If they are otherwise clean and aren’t due for washing, you can toss these items in the dryer on a low heat setting for 20 to 30 minutes. When time is in short supply, run a lint roller, lint rake or handheld vacuum over them.

Clothing

If you spot pet hair on your clothes just as you are walking out the door, grab a lint roller to wipe down your outfit fast. It’s always a great idea to keep a spare lint roller in your glove compartment in case you don’t notice the hair until after you’re on the road.

Sticking clothes in the dryer is also a surefire way to remove pet hair fast, and you can spray them lightly with an anti-static spray to minimize the amount of hair they gather after you get dressed.

Countertops and Tables

When dusting counters and tables, you don’t want to simply brush the pet hair, dust and other debris on the floor. Use a special duster specifically designed to trap pet hair and other elements. Some of these dusters are also perfect for cleaning hard-to-reach places, such as at the back of shelves.

Upholstered Furniture

While pulling out the vacuum cleaner and using the hand-held attachments is the gold standard for removing pet hair from upholstery, that’s a hassle. If you don’t already have a small, hand-held vacuum, consider investing in one for the convenience. As with other types of cloth, you can also use a lint roller. An alternative is to wipe down the furniture with a moistened dryer sheet.

Tips to Keep Your Home Pet Hair-Free

• Groom your pet regularly.
• Stay on top of pet hair with daily sweeping and frequent vacuuming.
• Adopt pet-free zones.
• Lay blankets or covers on your bed, chairs or sofa for your pets to sit on.

Pet hair is more than a nuisance. It makes your home filthy and uninviting. While you can take steps to reduce the amount of pet hair in your home, your pets will continue to shed. The easy way to stay on top of this ongoing problem is to use a professional Boston cleaning service. Our pros at Cleanzen are ready to clean your home, so schedule service with us today.