Pet Hair Removal Tips

Hi there! Arm and Hammer makes a product called "Pet Fresh" or something close to that... Target carries it, it is basically baking soda and another agent that bonds to the hair and allows it to vaccuum more efficiently. It is less than $2 a box, and I have found that it works quite well. It is in the pet aisle. I am sure Petsmart would carry it as well. Good luck!

I have to chime in on the Dyson too. It's pricey, but worth it. The first time I vacuumed my living room with the dyson it picked up an entire canister of hair and allergens (and I had just vacuumed with my old vacuum the day before). My husband walked into the living room afterwards and said he could smell the difference- the house seemed fresher.

We recently purchased The Pet Hair Eraser vacuum by Bissell. It works wonderfully on our carpets. It is the only sweeper that we have found so far that seems to pick up all of the dog hair. We purchased ours at Best Buy but I have seen them at other stores as well. Hope that helps.

M.

Hi A.,
I don't want to sound like an infommercial but here goes. We had my brothers dog for a few months and he left hair in our carpet really bad. We would vacuum constantly even after the dog was gone. Do you know that his hair was in our carpet for 4+ years. Then we saw it on tv the most amazing invention ever, The "One Sweep"! We didn't buy it right away we thought there is no way that broom can do that. A year later we went to CVS pharmacy and passed by their 'as seen on tv' aisle. and there sat the one sweep. It only cost us ten dollars and we were very curious if it would work. We took it home and tried it. In a matter of minutes Dog hair that had been in our rug for years just lifted right out without harming our rug. It was AMAZING! We liked it so much we bought another one. We use them not just for our carpets but to clean cement floors like our porch or basement, we also use it every summer to help clean our pool. It really is a great investment that cost very little money. I own my own housekeeping business and have found out that a Dyson can be a good vacuum but they break down pretty easily. As a dog and cat owner I don't believe in leaving animals out alot cuz I would not leave my child out all day either thats how your pet can be exposed to illnesses and diseases. The 'One Sweep' is inexpensive and easy to use even for large rooms. I use it in customers homes if they have bad pet hair problems. If you are looking for a good vacuum I recomend a Hoover upright with the bag because bagless even dyson loses suction very quick, or as I use at home a Kenmore Progressive canister it is an awesome vacuum. It may cost about $400.00 but is a great house vacuum. Good luck with your hair problem and congrads on adding to your family.

A.
years ago our vet told us to put tablespoon of oil in our dog's bowl of food but she was a german shepard. So i don't know what our dog's weight is but you can adjust the amount.i would use olive oil maybe it is healthier for the dog too. Then put 1 part alfa carry oil or avon's sss bath oil to 7 parts water in a spray bottle and mist the dog with it and then brush it into it's hair to moisturize it's skin. That should help cut down on the shedding. Hope this help's
good luck and god bless

Hello,
I have just heard this, haven't yet been able to try it. But if you take one part liquid fabric softener to two parts water. spray it on your carpet let it set over night, and vacuum in the morning. This is supposedly supposed to bring up more fur. Like I said I haven't gotten a chance to try it yet, but if anything I would think it would help make the carpet smell better and feel softer which is always a bonuses.

Hi: A.:
I'm not sure where you live, but you should really check into a professional dog groomer. I know that they have a product that releases the fur... I think it's call furiature...I'm sure that's not how to spell it. I've seen the pictures before and after, and Oh my gosh, what a difference. I wish I would have know about this product when we had a cocker.
D.

I think that pet hair just comes with the territory!! I have used the arm & hamer pet fresh vacum stuff. It comes in a box and you sprinkle it on the carpet before you vacuum- it is great for any pet smell (I had a beagle with that "dog" smell) and it has something in it that helps release the pet hair- I really felt like it helped at least. My mom always sprayed the furniture where our cat layed all the time with static guard before she vacuumed- it helps the hair lift off easier. One more thing that my sister has done with her dog is something the groomer does called a "shed less" treatment- i think like petsmart and places like that do it. Its like they basically vacuume your dog and get the hair that they would shed- my sister's dog is a huskey/shephard mix with a TON of hair and it really helped- espically in the spring when their coat is thinning out.
Hope that helps- honestly though, I just had to have my dog put to sleep and I would so much rather have his hair all over the place and him here than my now cleaner house!

I feel for you. I clean house for a few families that have animals and the hair never is totally gone. I use a rubber brush, and a gardening or work type glove with rubber palm. Rubber pulls the hairs out. Got the brushes from Kroger. One was for pet hair. The other for cleaning car mats. (While you are busy cleaning up the pets, consider keeping them free of parasites--as well as your family. by Zapping ! with a very safe gadget consisting of a rectangular 9 volt batter, two wires, two clips and two copper tubes. See the "recipe" in Dr. Hulda R. Clark's book, "The Cure For All Diseases" visit her website of that name or get the book from a health food store. It is very informative.

I know your pain! LOL! I have a white turkish angora cat and I have him shaved since my daughter was born. I hate to do it, but as for my husband, it was the only option. I use to use this type of gravy that I put in his food to help him from shedding so much. My cat loved it but, the only bad part about it was that since he is white and not the neatest cat for some reason, he ended up with a brown chin. Now if your animals aren't white, then you shouldn't have a problem. I haven't used it in a long time but you can find it at a petsmart, petco, the internet, etc. I think it was called ShedStop? It's like a gravy that you put on their food. That is all you do and it works. There are other name brands I'm sure, but I recommend if your animals not white.

Dirt Devil has a vacuume that works great on pet hair! It will say right on it that it is a great pet hair removal vacuume, and it is blue. A friend of mine has one and I was so shocked at how great of a job it does! You won't believe how much hair you take out of the canister when finished sweeping with it! Give it a try.

I bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner that is specifically for pet hair. Theses vacuum cleaners are expensive but I noticed a considerable difference after using it. We vacuumed our carpet before we bought the vacuum and then used the new one and it picked up a ton of cat hair and other dirt that our regular vacuum did not.

Look for a dog food called "Nutro". My son brought his dog home to my place for two weeks and all I could think about was, "I'm going to have dog hair everywhere!" I couldn't find ONE! He hadn't bathed the dog for about 3 months, but he smelled good, his coat was shiny and healthy looking, he didn't have that greasy feel after petting him. I have now started my dogs on this food. I have poodles, so they really don't shed, but their coats seem much healthier. I buy "Nutro" at my local pet store. It's a little more expensive but in the long run....worth it!

I usually steam clean my carpets once every few weeks. With pets, I usually have to go over it a few times, but it does get a lot of the hair out!

http://www.flylady.net/pages/FlyShop_rubba_scrubba.asp

Hi A.!

I agree with every response. Here is what we do...
1) We invested in a Dyson Vacuum - huge difference.
2) We take the dog to a groomer once a month - we have a lab..the cost is about $25/visit. The reason I do the groomers vs. bathing myself is that, based on the groomer, they do one of two things. 1) They use a "vacuum" to suck all of the excess hair off of the coat or 2) They use a "blower" to blow off the excess hair. Both techniques work great. Make sure you ask, but it is usually part of the standard process.
3) We use a high quality food. Nutro is great, as someone recommended, but another thing a quality food will do besides enhance the coat is cut down on the "waste". More of the food/nutrients are absorbed, which also cuts down on the waste and the dog does not need as much. Many dog food ingredients have corn products as the main ingredients rather than meat and green vegetables. The brand we use is Diamond, but Nutro is easy to find at places like Petsmart and Petco.

Perhaps your vacuum is the problem ... maybe it isn't doing the job. I have two Golden Retrievers & have been very happy with my Dyson - the purple one for pets.

Use a yellow rubber glove. It picks up all kinds of hair and lint.

he Arm&Hammer Pet Release powder works really well.

I know rubber gloves rubbed over the surface works really well. I don't know how it would work or carpet, but I know it works great on furniture. just put them on and rub everything down.

I also have a super shedder. I purchased a Furminator dog brugh and it works wonders. I get so much hair out of his coat with each brushing there isn't as much falling on the floor.

A.,

Not sure what kind of vacuum you have but if you can afford it, I recommend a Dyson (doesn't have to be the animal one, the attachments don't work THAT great). We have a yellow lab, and she sheds like crazy, and my Dyson works great at picking up her hair! However, before I had the Dyson, I used to buy Arm & Hammer's Pet Hair removal powder, it worked REALLY well (I haven't tried it with my Dyson yet, I'm worried about clogging the system). So, you might want to try that...good luck! I know that pet hair drives my DH crazy!

Also, we use a shedding blade on our dog to help minimize the her hair loss, but you can't get rid of all of it! or can you? ha ha ha ha

After vacuuming well use a dampp sponge mop on the carpet. Its a little work but it does pull up a lot more dog hair.

I have a cat and I feel the same way. We have one of the best vacuums on the market, and I still feel like EVERYTHING is covered in cat hair! I haven't really found anything that works to take out more than vacuuming does. We tried the stuff that's suppose to lift out the hair and make more come out of the carpet, but I didn't really notice any difference. I've heard that the Dyson Animal is suppose to be excellent for lifting out pet hair. I'm interested to see what others have to say!

i too have a problem w/ pet hair.we have 4 pomeranians and a cat. hair everywhere!! but we have a dyson and love it!!! it has an attachment-you use on furniture. we love it. we've had the dogs and cat and dyson for almost 3 years now. my only problem is getting the hair/fur off clothes and bedspreads:( so if anyone gives advise about that please help. i can't use a lint roller all day everyday. our washer/dyer are awesome but it seems to continue to stick to a lot still:( lots of luck. get a dyson, works awesome, i use it everywhere, hard wood floors, carpet, furniture

I have a yellow lab and have the same issue. I purchased the Dyson Animal vacuum. Its pricey, but worth it and I'm hoping to use it for many years.

Hi A.,
Did you find anything that works?
I like to use a rubber glove, (Playtex Living is the type I think I have). I just hold it in my hand folded or balled up and wipe the surface with it. It is great on steps because you can get in the cracks and edges too.
Good luck.
T.

I read somewhere that it is hard to remove animal hair because of static cling. They recommended to put liquid fabric softner and water in a spray bottle and mist the air just above what you want to clean. The fabric softner is suppose to cancel the cling and also scents what's being cleaned.
I hope this helps you. I have never had a big problem. We have a cat and dog. Also some sweepers are honestly better than others.

Have you considered keeping your pets outside? Maybe letting them in periodically. My cat stays out all the time and he does just fine!

I don't know if investing in a new vacuum cleaner at this time is an option for you or not, but here is what I know. I used several different "regular" brands of vacuum cleaners for years and never felt like my carpet was clean. I was even vacuuming 2-3 times per day during the shedding seasons (I have a husky). For Christmas last year, my husband got me a Dyson Animal (the newest model available). Let me tell you... I would be lost without that thing!!! The first time I used it I vacuumed with my Dirt Devil bagless, then immediately with the Dyson. Not only did I fill up the (very large) canister, but had to empty it half way through to make more room for the rest of the dirt/hair. I never realized how much my vacuum was missing, as it looked ok each time I vacuumed. After using my Dyson once a day for about a week, I noticed a significant difference in the overall appearance of my carpet. Even now, I vacuum once a day, even if it doesn't look like I need to, and I always get a decent amount of dog hair every time.

I feel your pain. Dogs shed this time of year naturally. One thing we do is go outside or in the garage and use an undercoat rake to help remove the hair that is shedding. It costs about $10 and can be used time and time again. And since my husband loves his shop vac. so much I let him vacuum the floors with it It works great because it has so much more suction than a regular household vacuum.
Another, cheaper, alternative to the Arm and Hammer Carpet Powder is using just baking soda. It works wonderful too, just don't let anyone walk on the carpet before you vacuum it up.

I have a golden ret. and Mastrif dogs and the best thing I have done is buy a Dyson D 14-17 sweeper. Since we have had it wow. It really works. If is on your furniture try a drap sponge and spray Frebres in it and it does pick up the hair. Good Luck.

I KNow it is slightly more but the Dyson Animal was WAY worth the money. I got one and took it to my moms, she had just vacuumed. We vacuumed an 8 by ten area of her room and filled up the jug with cat hair it was amazing, she went straight out and got one too.

Dear A.:

Welcome to the world of having pets who have fur/hair. I have lived with dogs 90% of my life, cats 70% of my life, and
have had hamsters and rabbits. You can brush them and vacuum them but they will shed unless you purchase a certain bread who is said not to shed. By the way, they will shed too.

Like humans, they shed a certain amount on a daily basis. I know you feel like you vacuum all of the time. You will find if you shampoo the carpets immediately after vacuuming there will still be hair. Sort of like brushing and combing your hair until no loose hair comes out of your head and then shampooing your hair and finding hair in the sink/tub and again in the comb when you comb it out.

I have a Dyson vacuum and it is far superior to the Kirby or the Hoover. I tried a Dirt Devil for awhile for quick clean ups but that wasn't very effective.

Sorry, this is the way it is unless you can keep the pet outside. Even if you restrict it to a kitchen/basement area where there is only wood/tile/concrete flooring you will find that the fur will travel and still be on part of the carpet.

P. R

We have a golden retriever and I had no clue what I was getting myself into when we got him. Hair ALL over! We keep his hair cut pretty short for a golden and that seems to help some. Also we brush him quite regularly. To get it out of the carpet I use Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh carpet powder. It's an odor eliminator but also has something in it that helps the carpet release the pet hair to make it come out of the carpet easier. That has helped ALOT. It does have a strong smell (supposed to be good; but a little overwhelming) so if you are having company or something I'd suggest doing is quite early or the night before. I hope they come out with a fragrance free version. Also, during shedding times we try to keep the kids in clothes that the hair won't stick to as easily (fleece sleepers) so they don't track it to bed. The dog is not allowed in the bedrooms either. I have also invested in MANY MANY lint rollers. I use them all the time on clothes, furniture, and curtains. Has helped alot. I hope these tips help and I can't wait to hear other ppl's tips. I'm always up for help in this subject.