With the change of seasons, we humans swap out our wardrobes for weather appropriate clothes and exchange cold medicines for hayfever tablets! For dog owners, the shift from winter to summer and back again has its own set of challenges. Warmer weather means lighter evenings perfect for long walks with our pooches, but it also means the fight to keep your home fur-free is about to heat up. Yes, we’re talking about shedding! To discover six tried and tested methods for dog hair removal, read on.
How can I stop my dog from shedding?
Shedding is healthy and normal for all dogs, it enables them to lose old and damaged hair so they can maintain a healthy coat. The amount your pooch sheds depends on a number of factors. Some breeds are known for their shedding superpowers – Siberian Huskies and Golden Retrievers we’re looking at you! Whilst other dog breeds are known to shed less; Labradoodles, Poodles and Bichon Frises to name a few. And don’t forget factors such as season and climate also play a role in how much your dog sheds.
Whilst you might not be able to stop the shedding, there are things you can do which will help in your fight against the fur. The question isn’t how do you stop your dog from shedding, but more how can you control and ultimately conquer the fur around your home.
How do I keep the fur under control?
It might sound obvious, but the best place to start is with the culprit: your pooch.
Regular brushing will help remove any excess fur from your dog. Especially as the weather warms up, it’s a good idea to brush your dog more regularly to help them lose their thicker undercoat. As well as helping to control the shedding, regular brushing will also help keep your pooches coat soft, clean and help avoid skin irritations. There is a huge range of brushes out there, designed for different breeds with different types of fur, so make sure the brush you get suits your dog’s coat.
A brush with almost cult-status among dog owners is the FURminator. As well as having a rather intimidating name, it claims it can reduce shedding by almost 90%! Since one brush doesn’t suit every dog there are a number of different FURminators variations available, adapted for different dogs and their fur types.
As well as brushing your dog regularly, bathing your dog will help to keep their coat clean and healthy. Since all dogs have different coats, they all have different grooming and bathing needs. Unsure of how often to bathe your dog? Our helpful bathtime guide will help.
Excessive shedding can also be caused by poor diet or underlying health issues. So if you think your dog is shedding excessively, visit your vet to get your pooch checked over as soon as you can.
How do you get dog hair out of clothes?
Now the dog’s sorted, what about you? Whilst you might be okay with a little fur on your jeans when you’re taking your pooch to the park, being covered in a layer of fur at that important meeting is less ideal. A quick internet search reveals hundreds of different (and some quite frankly bizarre) ways to remove dog fur from your clothes. So which ones really work?
You can’t go wrong with a classic lint roller, they’re great at removing the extra fur your pup leaves behind when they give you a kiss goodbye in the morning. Affordable, portable and widely available, they make removing small amounts of fur from your clothes a doddle.
If your clothes are caked in hair, a lint roller probably won’t cut it. Instead, try putting them in the tumble dryer for 10 minutes on a heat-free setting before you wash them. Give them a shake out when you take them out the dryer before you wash them to remove the hair which will have come loose. The dryer should create static which will help draw the hair out of the fibres of the clothing. Just make sure you clean the tumble dryer filter before you use it again!
How do I get rid of dog hair in my home?
And so, we’ve reached the final battleground, your home. With such a big area to cover defeat at this final hurdle might seem inevitable, but don’t surrender just yet. There are hundreds of products and gadgets out there to help you try remove the fur from your home. Knowing which ones will really work can be a daunting prospect, but we’re here to help.
The science behind removing dog hair is simple; static or moisture will attract the hair making it easier to pick up and throw away. That’s it! Unfortunately, most our homes aren’t quite that simple. Carpets, tiles, sofas, curtains, wooden floors… almost every surface is made of a different material, and different materials react to moisture and handle static differently.
But don’t rip up the carpets and tear down the curtains just yet. We’ve rounded up six of the best ways to help you de-fuzz your home (some of which you’ll already have hidden in the cupboards) to help you.
1. The trainer technique
“Don’t drag your feet on the floor, you’ll scuff your shoes” a catchphrase of mums around the world. But it turns out, when it comes to dog hair removal at least, mum may have got it wrong. Put on a pair of rubber soled shoes (we found trainers worked well) and drag your feet along the carpet, and you’ll see the hair all ball up, so you can easily pick it up and throw it in the bin. Not ideal for large areas, and a time-consuming way to tackle your whole home, but great if you need a quick de-furring fix in a smaller area.
2. The microfibre mop
Rather than vacuuming a tiled or wooden floor, try a microfibre mop. Whilst a vacuum blows all the hair up in the air, a microfibre mop will attract all the hair so that it doesn’t reappear as soon as you’ve finished cleaning and put your feet up to have a cup of tea. The tea will taste sweeter too when accompanied by the sweet taste of fur-ictory!
3. Rubber broom
Rubber is known for its electrostatic properties – meaning it’s great for hair removal and explains why so many dog grooming centres use rubber brooms. So why not get one for your home too? As well as being effective, they’re also versatile and can be used to remove hair from tiles, wooden floors and carpets. Best of all, because they have a long handle, you don’t have to crawl on your knees to de-fur your floor. And for your furniture you can get a smaller rubber brush, like the FURemover Duo (which you can also use to brush your pup).
4. Rubber gloves
The weather might be warming up, but you should get your gloves on. Rubber gloves, that is. Slightly damp rubber gloves work like a charm when trying to de-fuzz your furniture. Rubbing your glove-clad hands over the fabric will attract the hair, and rinsing off the gloves is a lot simpler than trying to pick it off the sofa!
5. Use a dry sponge
If you’re worried about using something damp on your furniture, you might want to try another cupboard staple to remove the dog hair. A dry sponge wiped over upholstery will attract the hair making it easy to remove. And as an added bonus, you won’t need to wait for it to dry before you can sit down to rest after all your cleaning efforts.
6. Robotic vacuum cleaner
The fight to keep our homes fur-free is never-ending, but none of us have the time to constantly clean up our pooches fur. So if you really want to win the war, without giving up all your free time, you could invest in a robotic vacuum cleaner. Although it might seem like a pricey solution, you can programme it to clean your home every day, so finally you can beat the fur once and for all, without even lifting a finger!
Do you have any great tips or tricks for keeping your home fur-free? We’d love to hear them (so we can try them too), why not share them in the comments below.