You know the old saying, dogs are a man’s best friend! They’re lovable, playful, cuddly, and overall a great companion.
Unfortunately, one of our favourite things about dogs can also be extremely frustrating when it comes to keeping the house clean. In case you haven’t guessed it, we’re talking about that luscious fur coat and all the shedding that comes with it!
Luckily, we’re here to assure you that there’s no need to pull out your own hair when your dog leaves his behind, because we’ve rounded up some awesome cleanup tips that will come in handy next time you find yourself tripping over another pile of fur.
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Stock up on Lint Rollers
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Stock Up on Sponges (and Keep Your Spray Bottle Handy)
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Ditch the broom and get out the vacuum
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Keep Your Mop Handy
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Use a 3-Step Approach for Carpets
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Trade your duster for a wet cloth
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Don’t Forget the Dryer Sheets
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Have Couch Covers on Hand
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Brush your dog regularly
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Take your dog for a haircut!
These little tools are lifesavers when you want to perform a quick cleanup—especially when it comes to clothing and upholstery. Best of all, they’re affordable. If you stock up on multi-packs from any major department store, they only cost about a dollar a piece!
Keep one under the couch in the living room and in your bedside table to quickly eliminate any shedding messes before they build up and get unbearable.
Lint-rollers are also great to keep in your purse for last minute touch ups. You don’t want to step into an important meeting or fancy date only to realize you’re covered in Rufus’ fur.
When it comes to getting hair off of your furniture, another one of the quickest ways to take care of it (as an alternative or addition to lint rollers) is to take your spray bottle of water and lightly spritz water over your furniture. Then dampen your sponge (or rubber glove) and lightly glide it along your furniture, which will pick any hair up easily.
Sweeping up dog hair can feel like the job that never ends, so skip the broom and use the vacuum instead—even if you have hardwood floors. Sweeping can actually cause more of a mess since it moves the hair around and causes it to float into different areas, whereas vacuuming sucks it all up in one shot. Ensure that you move your vacuum in alternate directions to get the most effective results.
When it comes to your floors, regardless of whether they’re hardwood or vinyl, giving the floor a quick mop is a good way to manage hair on a daily basis. Often, it can be quicker than using a vacuum. Don’t miss the corners and under furniture, which is where balls of fur tend to collect.
When it comes to your carpet, a three-step approach will work most effectively. However, any steps in this process can be used on their own to deal with hair quickly.
First, slightly dampen your carpet (do not soak it), and then follow-up with a rubber brush to gather all of the hair into a ball. Next, use the vacuum to pick up any remaining hair that you might have missed. The last step is to get a squeegee and run it along your carpet to pick up any last hairs that may be lurking.
This entire 3 step process is not something you will do every day, but every few weeks or so is a good guideline for really managing hair. In between, simply pick and choose one of these steps to throw into your cleaning routine.
Instead of dusting coffee tables and countertops, consider using cleaning wipes or rags with warm water instead. Dusting is just a temporary problem and tends to scatter the hair around, only for it to settle on new surfaces. A slightly moist cloth will get rid of dog hair on contact instead of just re-distributing it.
When it comes to your clothes, an effective way to get rid of hair when the lint roller just won’t do it, is to throw your clothes into the dryer along with a dryer sheet for 10 minutes.
One way to get ahead of the cleaning and significantly reduce your spot cleaning is to invest in couch or bed covers, like blankets and throws. Instead of spending time cleaning furniture, you simply just have to change the blanket or throw and put the other one in the wash. This is particularly ideal if you have guests coming over and are short on time.
Running a brush through your dog’s hair allows you to pull out loose locks before your dog sheds all over the couch. You can even buy special dog brushes that get out even the finest hair. With that in mind, be sure to do this outside or in a room that is not carpeted. Otherwise, the clean up afterwards will be even worse than when you started.
If you have a long or curly-haired breed, a quick visit to the pooch salon can do wonders for shedding. Of course it won’t eliminate hair loss entirely, but it will definitely make a significant difference, and the pieces of hair that do fall out will be much shorter and less noticeable.
Cleaning up after your dog is much easier if it’s done consistently. Follow the above tips and your house will stay fur free!