October 13

How To Remove Cat Hair From Furniture

Having cats in your home is surely one of the better feelings out there. They are playful and loving, while a little arrogant at times. Still, they are a great friend to have around and are one of the most preferred pets nowadays. Still, cats as all other mammals shed their hair mostly in the spring and fall. Those are the times when you see giant fur-balls rolling around your apartment floor like an old Western movie. Cat hair gets stuck on everything and the places where your pet hangs out the most are usually also the hot spots. And where does your cat like to stay all day long? That’s right – on top of any furniture in its reach. This is why it is important to know how to remove cat hair from the furniture.

“You cannot stop a healthy cat from normal shedding, but you can reduce the amount of hair in your home with regular brushing,” says Lori Bierbrier, DVM, Medical Director of Community Medicine at the ASPCA.

Apart from being your cat’s favorite chill spot, the couch is also where humans hang out. That is why hair should be regularly cleaned from it, otherwise it will stick on your clothes and from there it is just a matter of sequences for that same hair to get into every part of your life.

In this article, we will go over five of the most common methods of dealing with pet hair all over your house. They are:

  • Using a rubber glove
  • Lint Rollers
  • Vacuum cleaning tricks
  • Cleaning hair from wooden surfaces
  • Using the dryer

Using a rubber glove

Using rubber gloves has been the go-to method to remove cat hair (or any type of pet hair, for that matter) for a long time now. We consider it to be the classic way of handling this issue. Simply using the rubber gloves you use to wash dishes on your couch should do the trick. The glove will rub off against any type of soft furniture you use it for and will gather all the hair in ball-like hunks which you can then easily pick up and remove.

Having that glove slightly wet will increase its effectiveness in most cases. Once it is full of hair simply run some warm water over it and repeat the process. If you don’t have gloves around you can do the same exercise but with a slightly damp sponge.

Pro Tip: Store a pair of rubber gloves under your couch cushions for emergency hair removal in case of unexpected guests.

You can also spray your couch or other furniture with a mix of water and fabric softener and wipe off the remaining hair. That also creates an anti-static coating which will prevent future adhesion of most hair and dust particles.

Lint roller tricks

Cleaning dirty

Lint rollers are again one of the best methods to deal with hair and dust in general. They are great for your bed, your couch, or every other surface that attracts hair. The issue with them is that they are usually expensive and if your cat is actively shedding you will run through rollers like nose wipes during flu season.

If you don’t want to spend a small fortune on those, you can make yourself a budget version of a lint roller by having some packaging tape wrapped in a circle with its sticky side facing out. That will have similar (if not better) sticking power for a fraction of the cost of a lint roller.

Vacuum cleaning

Most vacuums that don’t have a pet brush, or any type of brush for that matter, can struggle with pet hair, especially if it is deeply stuck into your carpet. Applying some fabric softener with a spray bottle to the area you are about to vacuum will make your task easier. However, if your pet(s) shed a lot, it might be a good idea to invest in a good carpet cleaner for pets or another vacuum that comes with a hair removal attachment or spot cleaner.

To help manage your pet hair problem on furniture, use old blankets or removable couch and chair covers and wash as needed.

One model that we recommend is the Hoover PowerDash pet carpet cleaner. It even has a wet cleaning option in case something worse than cat hair happens to your couch or carpet.

Cleaning hair from wooden surfaces

Wooden furniture is a tad easier when it comes to cleaning it. Still, applying anything that will remove the static charge that is keeping the hair nailed to the furniture is a great idea. Anti-static dusting sprays do a great job at that, although the classic furniture polish combined with a soft cloth is a good enough of a solution. The only advantage of the anti-static spray is that it will prevent future buildup of hair and dust, which is valid for all other types of surfaces you are going to clean.

Using the dryer

Before you wash your pet’s bedding, you can put it into the dryer on a cool temperature mode. The drum will loosen up the stuck hairs and will make them easier to come off during the washing process later. After you are done washing the bedding, make sure to clean your filter as it can easily get clogged up. Also check the inside of the drum after you’re done washing the bed since hair gets stuck in there too. Put the washing machine on a rinse cycle to remove those.

Steam cleaning your carpet can be a very effective and gentle way to remove pet hair that’s trapped in thick carpet fibers

You can run a dryer sheet over your cat to take the shedded hair from it without using a brush.

Preventing the issue before it even starts

As with everything else, it is better to not have a ton of cat hairs flying around in the first place, right? That is the reason why you can start this whole process by grooming your cat and taking care of its fur. Brushes and brushing gloves are a great idea since they will take the falling hair from your cat before they’ve had the chance to cling onto your couch or carpet.

During the shedding months, clean their bedding regularly if it is washable. Pay extra attention to the carpet as well, as it will take the heaviest hit. If you want to learn how to clean dog urine from your carpet click here.

Final Words

Knowing how to remove cat hair from your furniture is a key part of your cleaning routine that you need to master in order to have a hair-less home. Your cat will shed a lot, especially during the spring and fall months, and your upholstery won’t like that. This is the reason why you need to take measures before its too late. In other words, it is far easier to do a light clean every day, as well as grooming your cat, than to clean once per week and have hair stuck in the most hard-to-reach places in your home.

About the author 

Candance E. Reid


Tags


You may also like

How to Get Old Dog Urine Stains Out of Carpet (In 5 Easy Steps)

How to Get Old Dog Urine Stains Out of Carpet (In 5 Easy Steps)