How to keep your home pet hair free

If you have pets that shed their hair, you will be only too aware of how the hair piles up and gets embedded in carpets and furniture so strongly that it is difficult to remove. Here are some tips for keeping your home pet hair free that don’t involve getting rid of your pet. More Th>n recommends insuring your pet to ensure they are covered in emergencies, although you should always double check when taking our insurance what is and isn’t covered.

Reduce surplus hair by grooming

Some pets shed more than others, especially in the moulting season when the weather begins to get warmer after the winter. At that time of year if you have a dog such as a Golden Retriever or other heavy shedder, all he needs is to shake his body to create a blizzard of hair that goes everywhere. The key is to remove as much dead hair as possible by regularly grooming you pet. The more you hair you collect in your grooming comb and brush, the less will be left to find its way to the carpet.

Use a better vacuum cleaner

When it comes to picking up pet hair not all vacuum cleaners are equal; some are very much better at it than others and there are even specialist vacuum cleaners that are designed precisely for doing just that. Generally suction alone is insufficient and vacuums with agitator brushes are more effective, though you may need to remove any hair that becomes entangled in the cleaning brush regularly to keep it working at maximum efficiency.

Vacuum clean your pet

This has the same effect as grooming, but you shouldn’t just use your ordinary vacuum cleaner. You can buy special pet vacuum attachments which fit onto the end of cylinder vacuum cleaners. You can remove huge amounts of surplus hair this way, though if your pet is nervous you might need to get an extension tube so that you can increase the distance between the noisy vacuum cleaner and your pet.

Cover surfaces

To prevent pet hair becoming embedded in the fabric of you chairs and sofas cover them up with washable loose covers that are easy to vacuum clean and which you can wash in your washing machine.

Alternatively use furnishings that are resistant to hairs, for instance pet hair is easy to remove from leather sofas; replace carpeting with wood or laminate floors which can be easily vacuumed; vinyl is also pet hair resistant and considerably cheaper than leather. Alternatively you could get a carpet that is the same colour as you pet; the hair might still be there but it would be well disguised.

Alternative methods for collecting hair

In addition to vacuum cleaning there are several other methods of collecting pet hair. Adhesive rollers that are designed to remove lint from clothing are highly effective at collecting hair from furnishings, though you might need to buy them in bulk. You can use a slightly dampened cloth or sponge to lift pet hair; when it has become laden with hair just wash it and squeeze it almost dry and continue. Another method is to use a balloon that you have charged with static electricity by rubbing it on a dry towel; it is surprisingly effective at gathering up pet hair.