What pet owner hasn’t been found with a tape-wrapped hand – sticky side out – tapping at the sofa seat in an attempt to capture wispy wads of stuck on cat or dog fur?
If you’re a pet lover, you know how difficult it can be to keep your home clean by removing pet fur from your carpets, upholstery and air systems. You’ve seen the dozens of gadgets and products designed to remove pet fur – but did you know there are basic cleaning tips you can follow to reduce flyaway pet hairs in your home and keep it cleaner from day to day?
Easy-to-follow tips for removing pet hair…
From carpet
Use a vacuum with a good beater brush or brush roll. Remember, just as professional carpet cleaning is vital to extending the life of your carpet, regular vacuuming is also necessary in reducing soils and fur buildup.
Vacuuming weekly or even daily is best, but be aware – most standard vacuums cannot generate sufficient lift to pick up all the pet hair from the floor. For this reason, we recommend using a vacuum with both a brush roll and a HEPA or high efficiency filter.
From upholstery & fabrics
With light, even strokes, use a pet rake – or a brush with crimped nylon bristles – to remove pet hair from fabrics and upholstery. Whether kitty spends the majority of his time in a pet bed or on your sun-lit window chair, these brushes work for most fabric types.
A tried-and-true favorite for many pet lovers is the various assortment of sticky tape rollers (think back to the tape-wrapped hand) and “pet sponges,” which are efficient for getting to hard-to-reach corners and edges where hair tends to collect.
From the air you breathe
Once fur has been removed from visible surfaces, your home should be in tip-top cleaning shape, right?
Maybe not, say home health experts. According to ALA Home Health, respiratory irritants can circulate within the ducts and enter the room through the registers.
Bottom line, it’s likely pet fur and dander is circulating throughout your home, whether or not you can see it on your floors or furniture. Regular air duct cleaning and sanitization of your entire system every three to five years will drastically reduce these irritants.
