Believe it or not, though, there are ways to tame all that hair and keep your home fur-free. And you don’t even have to give your pooch a buzz cut to do it! If you are tired of dealing with pet hair on your carpets, floors and upholstery, keep reading to discover how to keep your home fur-free!
Keep Up with Grooming
How often do you groom your pet? If you can’t remember the last time you got the brush and comb out, then that could be contributing to your fur problem. Even short-haired pets should be brushed or combed every other day or so to help eliminate the loose fur that would otherwise coat the surfaces in your home. Make brushing and combing part of your normal routine. Brush your furry feline before breakfast, and give your dog a good combing when you return home from a walk. By making this simple grooming task a part of your normal routine, you can get rid of a lot of fur before it settles on your floors and furniture.
Taking the “Fur” Out of “Fur-niture”
Whether you allow your pets to curl up on your plush fabric sectional sofa or sleep on your bed with you or not, there is a good chance that it is going to end up coated in animal hair. While it can be difficult to remove, there are a few tips and tricks to make it a bit easier. Start by using your vacuum cleaner’s handheld attachment to suck up as much fur as possible. Be sure to get in all the crevices. If you’re attempting to remove fur from leather furniture, use a soft-bristled attachment to prevent scuffs and scratches.
When you’ve vacuumed up as much as possible, put on a pair of dampened rubber gloves and rub them all over your furniture. Rinse when the glove is completely covered in hair and repeat as needed. Don’t have rubber gloves? A pet sponge will do the trick, too. The sponge is just a bit more difficult to rinse. For more stubborn, embedded hair, use a stiff scrub brush. To get rid of the fuzz on your wooden furniture, use either anti-static spray or spray furniture polish. Apply to the surface, and then clean using a soft cloth. The spray eliminates the static charge and prevents the surface from attracting more hair for a time.
Removing Pet Hair From Carpets
Carpets and rugs are magnets for pet hair. When you buy a vacuum cleaner, choose one that is explicitly designed for pet-filled homes. They really do tend to work better for eliminating hair. Go over the area twice and alternate directions when vacuuming. This helps loosen stubborn hair that has become embedded in your carpet.
If there is still hair in your carpet or rug after vacuuming, rub it gently with a pumice stone. You can also comb it out using a FURminator (or similar) brush. Many of the suggestions listed above for removing fur from furniture will also work to get stubborn hair out of your carpet.
Make Cleaning Part of Your Routine
If you don’t want to spend an entire Saturday scrubbing furniture and combing carpet to remove pet hair before you have guests over, you need to keep up with cleaning and make it a part of your routine. The thought of cleaning daily may not be particularly appealing, but it’s the best way to keep the fur situation in check and prevent it from getting out of control.
Vacuum carpets daily. If you have hardwood or linoleum floors, vacuum or use a dry mop, such as a Swiffer. Using a broom may seem like an excellent way to clean up without dragging out your heavy vacuum cleaner, but doing so could cause more problems than it solves. Brooms tend to kick fur, dust, and dander into the air, rather than allowing you actually to clean them up.
It’s important to regularly dust the hard surfaces, like tables, in your home, too. If you have pets, this should happen at least a couple times per week. If you keep putting off de-cluttering, here is a good reason to get started: Pet fur and dander love clutter. The hair gets tossed around and tends to pile up in spots like tight corners and in between furniture and standing objects. The less random objects and clutter you have lying around, the fewer places fur has to gather.
Don’t Forget About Home Maintenance
There are even a few home maintenance tasks that could help reduce the amount of pet fur in your home. Most importantly, you need to keep up with replacing the filter in your HVAC system. This filter traps airborne pet hair along with other contaminants, like pet dander, dust, etc. When the filter is clogged, it prevents the system from working like it should and can continue to circulate pet hair throughout your home. Changing it regularly helps reduce the amount of fur that you have floating around.
If you share your home with a pet and it isn’t one of the hairless types, it’s impossible to have a home that is entirely fur-free. By creating and, more importantly, sticking to grooming and cleaning schedules, however, you can drastically reduce the amount of hair that you have clinging to your carpet, floors, and furniture. It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s definitely better than trying to force your ball of fluff to go totally bald.
Choosing Pet-Friendly Furniture Fabrics
There’s no reason to put off buying new furniture just because you have pets, but you shouldn’t buy something new that doesn’t fit your lifestyle and is likely to get ruined. Instead, look for furniture that is upholstered using pet-friendly fabric. No matter what your style and how much you can afford to spend, you can find a comfortable and beautiful fabric sectional sofa or other quality furniture pieces that will stand up to just about any abuse your family can throw its way. Let’s take a look at some of the most pet-friendly furniture fabrics.
Microfiber
Available in an endless array of textures, colors, and styles, microfiber is one of the most popular furniture upholstery options for families. Whether you are looking for a smooth finish or something a bit denser that feels more like corduroy, there is microfiber furniture that will suit your needs.
The fabric is made from 100 percent polyester — one of the most durable synthetic fabrics currently on the market, and it is easy to maintain and wears well over time. It can handle a lot of abuse and isn’t susceptible to damage from paws and claws. It also doesn’t hold on to hair, making it easy to vacuum up Fido’s fur. Most spills can be wiped up with a damp rag or scrubbed using distilled water. Some types do require special cleaning supplies, though, so check the tag before you attempt to tackle a stain.
Wool
Wool is another extremely durable material. It works well for sofas and loveseats, and it is less prone to snagging, wrinkling and piling than many other fabrics.
Dust, crumbs, and pet fur are typically easy to remove using a hand-held vacuum attachment, and the fabric is generally easy to spot clean. It’s soft and insulating, making it cozy to snuggle up on chilly winter nights. Wool is also naturally resistant to mold and fire. One thing to note, though, is that wool may not be a good choice if you are looking for furniture that has cushions with removable covers that can be thrown in the washing machine. Just like your favorite wool sweater, wool cushion covers can shrink if they are not washed appropriately. As a result, many pieces do not have removable covers.
Top Grain Leather
When you want the ultimate in style and comfort, top grain leather is the way to go. This natural material is soft and supple, and while many people think that it requires a lot of maintenance, caring for leather furniture is easier than you may realize. When shopping for leather furniture for your home, choose pieces that are upholstered using aniline, or protected, leather. These leathers have an extra layer of protection to help prevent scuffs, scratches, and stains.
Dust, pet hair and spills can be wiped off top grain leather using a damp cloth, and scratches can easily be buffed away. Concerning maintenance, your leather furniture just needs to be cleaned regularly and conditioned about twice per year. When properly maintained, furniture upholstered in top grain leather lasts for several decades and looks incredible — even in homes with pets.
Vinyl
Vinyl offers the look of leather at a much more affordable price. It is durable, and when it comes to stain resistance, you can’t go wrong. When something is spilled on the furniture, just wipe it up right away and clean with distilled water. Pet hair, crumbs, dust, etc. can all be vacuumed up with ease, but it’s best to use a soft brush attachment to prevent scratches.
While high-quality vinyl looks like leather, it’s important to note that it isn’t as soft or breathable. If you are looking for an affordable and easy-to-clean sofa for the playroom, vinyl may be a great choice. If you are hoping for one to spend long Sunday afternoons snuggled up on with the family, though, you may want to choose a different material.
How do you keep your home clean? Make sure to share any tips in the comments below!
About the Author
Jeff King serves as Vice President of Club Furniture (One Source Plus, Inc.). Jeff oversees all marketing related functions from the Charlotte, NC headquarters. When not busy playing bass guitar… Jeff enjoys reading, playing tennis, and spending time with his wife and two children.
