Tips for removing pet hair from clothing

April 16th, 2012

Are your clothes covered in so much fur that you’ve become a target for animal rights activists?

I for one am sick of having paint dumped on me by incised members of PETA every time I leave the house (to buy cat food).

But no more! No matter how fluffy your feline or hirsute your hound, relief is at hand for devoted pet owners.

Here are our top tips for de-furring your clothes like a pro:

1. Sticky lint roller

The simplest ideas are often the best – these things really work a treat.

Directions:
1.   Apply sticky roller to pet hair affected surface
2.   Roll
3.   Bask in hairless glory

These dudes sell them via the internet (the only way to shop!) plus it’s an Aussie company, which is a good thing to support.

Alternatively, for anyone too cheap busy to buy a newfangled roller thing, you can always wrap your hand in duct tape (sticky side facing outwards) and pat yourself down. PROBLEM SOLVED.

2. Rubber gloves

Another quick and easy solution is to put on a rubber glove and run it over your clothes. A slightly damp glove works best for picking up stubborn hairs.

In theory at least, pet hair sticks to rubber. (But in my own personal experience I’ve found this technique to be frustratingly inefficient). However some people swear by it – maybe it’s my technique that’s lacking.

You might also want to invest in a rubber pet hair removal brush, which can be used for car seats, couches and doona covers.

3. Wet sponge

Rubbing a wet sponge over your clothes will encourage the pet hair to roll into clumps, which can then be picked off by hand.

Apparently a slightly damp sponge mop can be used to remove pet hair from carpets too, but honestly we think you’d be better off with a Dyson DC35 Animal cordless vacuum – just sayin’.

4. Beko washing machine

Beko is one of the UK’s biggest appliance brands, and their washing machines are the only ones on the market with a specific pet hair removal function.

They work by adding pre-wash and additional rinsing steps to the normal cycle which helps to soften and then remove pet hair from clothing.

Watch a video review of a Beko washer (from our buddies at Appliances Online UK) here:

5. Use preventative methods

As doctors are so fond of telling you, prevention is often the best cure.

The obvious way to avoid getting pet hair on your clothes is to avoid picking your furry friends up or letting them sit on your lap while wearing your Sunday best.

If you have cats, always remember that what might be a pile of clean laundry to you is, to your cat, the world’s most comfortable bed:

So try not to leave laundry baskets lying around in places where kitty might be tempted to catch up on her 20 hours of beauty rest.

More of a dog person? Perhaps it’s time to vacuum your dog:

Louise Carter

Louise is a writer with a passion for appliances, especially those that involve food. She is particularly fond of ovens because they enable her to make cake. Apart from baking Louise also enjoys listening to alternative music, dying her hair various unnatural colours and writing poetry that has been described (by her Nan) as 'quite nice'. On her appliance wish list is a Hello Kitty toaster and 'Hero' the barking dog-shaped hot dog maker. She lives in Sydney. Google+