How to Get Rid of Pet Hair from Clothes

Did you know the human brain is wired to find puppies and kittens cute? We love our fur balls but don’t really love having fur all over our favorite outfits. Pets become family, and most pet owners get used to all the loose hair falling around in the house. But you can follow certain laundering tips and tricks to reduce and control pet hair at home. You can find some great products online that work on removing pet hair from your clothes and upholstery. 

Basic product requirements to remove pet hair from clothes

• Anti-static spray 
• Lint roller/ sticky tape 
• Microfiber cloth
• Steamer 

Certain textured fabrics like wool, suedes, and synthetic fabrics that create static attract pet hair and dander the most. Use an anti-static spray to loosen the pet hair from your garment. Now place the fur-covered garments in your dryer with a wet microfiber that will attract the loosened pet hair. 

Run your dryer on the low-heat cycle to quickly remove all the pet hair from your clothes. Remove from the dryer and hang the garment on a shower curtain. Use a steamer to loosen any pet hair stuck to the garment for textured fabrics like wool or corduroy. 

Use a sticky lint roller all over the garment to remove any fur or lint- if you do not have a lint roller, you can use sticky tape. Wrap your fingers with the tape- keep the sticky part on the outside and pull off the pet hair with your hands. Press your hand into the garment and slowly rip it off. Be careful with loose threads, or you may damage the garment. 

How to reduce pet hair around your home

It can be a tedious task to go through the process of removing pet hair from every outfit you might want to wear. Reducing pet hair at home is a better long-term solution. Here are a few ways to reduce pet hair collection and dander around your home.

• Vacuum your furniture: Most of the fur on your clothes is coming from your ‘FUR’niture. Get it?! The textured fabric on your sofa and rugs or your velvet curtains will keep attracting and collecting pet hair over time. Regularly vacuum your upholstery and home to reduce pet hair and dander. 
• Washing machine maintenance: If you are washing your pet’s bedding in your washing machine, ensure you thoroughly clean the machine afterward. An extra rinse cycle should eliminate any residue hair in most cases. 
• Dryer cycle before washing: For clothes and upholstery with too much pet hair on them, use the dryer before the washing cycle. On a no-heat setting, allow the garments to toss and tumble. This will loosen the pet hair and make it easier to wash the garments. 
• Add vinegar: Use one cup of distilled vinegar for one load of laundry. The vinegar helps the fibers in your clothes relax, which loosens the pet hair and removes any odor. 
• Use a fabric softener: Add a good-quality fabric softener to your final rinse. This will help reduce static and keep your clothes hair-free. 
• Groom your pets: Groom the source of all this hair, i.e., your pets, regularly. You can find some useful and cute products online to help with pet grooming. Grooming includes- brushing excessive hair off your pets, baths, and hair trims. You can visit a professional groomer once a month for pet spa and hair treatments. 
• Visit the vet: Sudden and drastic increase in shedding can be a symptom of an underlying health problem for your pet. Fungal infections, skin allergies, ringworms, etc., can lead to abnormal shedding. Visit the vet for proper treatment and care. 

Products that can help

A few useful products are available in the market specifically designed for grooming your pets. You can also find laundering products that protect your clothes from excess pet hair, dander, and lint. Let’s take a look at a few! 

• Grooming gloves for cats and dogs: Grooming gloves have soft bristles that help your pet relax and feel closer to you. These gloves work wonderfully to remove the excess loose hair from their bodies while you form a stronger bond with them. Cats love these, and you know they don’t like a whole lot of things! 
• Pet hair remover for laundry: You can find products like FurZapper online that help reduce hair, lint, and dander in your washing machine. The silicon FurZapper will attract the pet fur and pull it away from your laundry.  
• Garment storage bags: Invest in good quality garment storage bags for your wools, cashmere, suedes, and corduroy. These fabrics attract the most pet hair and therefore should be stored away from your other garments. 

It’s impossible not to come home and cuddle with your fur babies. But with a little care and maintenance, you can keep your home and clothes clean and hair-free. Ok, maybe not completely hair-free, but manageable.