No matter how well we brush and groom our furbabies, the truth is, fur can still be everywhere—from your furniture to your carpets, to your laundry! Pet hair clings so well in clothing, making it challenging to remove and get rid of. When not removed properly from your laundry, loose pet hair can accumulate in your washing machine dryer and will cause you to have furry clothes and trouble with your appliances.
In this article, we will introduce some easy ways how to get rid of pet hair in your laundry so it won’t end up damaging your laundry, getting stuck in your filters, and clogging your machines and drains.
What to Do When There’s Pet Hair Everywhere
We love our pets, and yes including pet hair found everywhere in our house. It might sound exhausting to clean up after a fur mess but dealing with it should not be frustrating and difficult. We have come up with three simple steps on how easy it is to get rid of pet hair in your laundry.
Step 1: Always Lint Roll Before Washing
Prevent pet hair from reaching your washing machine by lint rolling. Lint rolling is by far the most efficient way to get rid of pet hair off your clothes, beddings, and other items in your laundry before washing. A lint roller or a lint remover is a roll of one-sided adhesive paper that is usually on a plastic or cardboard barrel and mounted on a central spindle with a handle to hold as you roll. This helps remove lint or other small fibers (especially pet hair!) from most fabrics including upholstery, clothing, and linen.
What’s even better? It is easily available in many pet stores, grocery stores, or even drug stores and it is super easy to use. You just need to roll it back and forth on the clothing, beddings, and linen to pick up pet hair then tear off the outer sheet and remove pet fur! It helps pet parents prevent putting excess cat or dog hair in washers and dryers.
You may also want to schedule a vacuum time every week. This can prevent hair from sticking to surfaces around your house which then transfers to clothing blankets, or linens. It may sound like a lot of work, but regular vacuuming can help prevent excess cat or dog hair from accumulating.
Step 2: Use the Dryer
It is tempting to dump laundry that is covered in pet hair directly into the washing machine. But when you allow water and pet hair to meet, it just clumps up. Pet hair clings to the fibers in fabric and if you add water, it will only gets worse. Pet hair certainly can ruin your washing machine if you are not careful. Cat or dog hair in washers can get caught and stuck in the water filter and clog your machine or drain and will give you plumbing issues. Cleaning your wet clothes with pet hair will give you a hard time!
The second step is to use the dryer first! Yes. Dryer, then washer, then dryer again. Here is how it is done:
- After lint rolling your laundry, place laundry in the dryer. Throw in a dryer sheet or two. These sheets contain anti-static properties that will help repel pet hair and collect in your dryer’s lint trap.
- Set your dryer on low heat or no heat for about 10 minutes. Running the laundry through a tumble cycle will help loosen the fabrics and yes, pet hair! No heat is needed.
- After the 10 minutes, take out your laundry, give it one more shake, and one more run with the lint roller to remove any remaining pet hair. You may opt to use the dryer again but this second time around on a normal setting. Note: Always clean the lint trap after each use.
Step 3: Use a Pet Hair Remover in Wash
A great way how to get rid of pet hair in washing machines is to use a pet hair remover or pet hair catcher in the wash. A pet hair remover is a safe, reusable, and practical pet hair remover that goes into your washer or dryer that gently gets rid of pet hair from your laundry, acting as a cat or dog hair catcher for washers and dryers.
How do you use a pet hair remover in your washer? You just place the pet hair remover into your laundry washer during your regular washing cycles, and it goes to work gently adhering to and pulling the cat and dog hair in washer from your laundry. While effective in the washer, quality pet hair removers will also work well in the dryer along with your fresh laundry, catching dog and cat hair from clothes, blankets, and more.
More Tips on Get Rid of Pet Hair in Your Laundry
Brush your pet regularly. It all starts with your pet. We suggest brushing your pet daily to remove loose hair. That way, they will not fall out as much during the day and cling upon furniture, clothing, and floors around the house. There are lots of great pet brushes available for different types of coats. You can even ask a vet for recommendations if you are unsure which is best for your dog. Make sure to dispose of the collected hairs once brushed out.
Use Couch Covers. Couch covers are a great option for pet parents who like to cuddle with their furbabies but do not want to deal with the excess pet hair afterward. You may use a Pet Parents® Pawtect® Blanket. This premium pet blanket is specifically made to protect furniture from all kinds of mess, from leaks, drools, and yes, pet hair! Plus, it is made from reversible, Sherpup® material that is super soft for both you and your furbaby.
Offer Skin and Coat Supplements. A great dog shedding solution is ensuring that they have a healthy coat. To support this, you can give your furbaby Pet Parents® Skin and Coat SoftSupps®. These Pet Parents® Skin and Coat SoftSupps® provide your furbaby with healthy nutrients that help promote skincare and overall healthy skin and coat, such as Epax®, a world leader of omega 3 fatty acids for dogs, dog DHA, fish oil, and salmon oil.
Note: Pet Parents® SoftSupps® are only for dogs. You may consult your vet about the best supplements for your pet cats.
Shop Wisely. It might be a good idea to keep them in mind the next time you are buying clothes. Certain fabrics including corduroy, velvet, and loose-knits can attract more pet hair than some alternative options. Synthetic fabrics are generally pretty good at repelling cat and dog hair, but satin, leather, and other shiny fabrics are the most manageable to remove pet hair from when cleaning.
Clean your Machine. It is important to keep your washer and dryer as clean as possible when dealing with pet hair on your clothes. So, make it a practice to wipe down the inside of your washer and dryer routinely. You can also opt to run your washer on a rinse cycle while it is empty to make sure that it is super clean and free from pet hair.
Be sure to clean the lint trap of your dryer between each load of laundry. If you know you have an especially hairy load, you might even want to stop the dryer cycle midway to exhaustively clean out the lint trap. It is also a good idea to vacuum out the trap every once in a while (when not in use) to get rid of any lingering pieces of lint, pet hair, or other debris.
Getting rid of pet hair can be a lot of work but it does not mean it should be frustrating and exhausting. There are efficient ways Pet Parents® have come up to make your life easier and pet hair-free. Try these tips to get rid of pet hair in your laundry so can spend less time removing fur from your clothes and more time with your furbaby.