How to Remove Pet Hair

Co-authored by Safir Ali

Last Updated: February 12, 2022 References Approved

Hair from your furry friends can be very frustrating when it finds its way onto your clothes, carpeting, furniture, and upholstery. While it can take a little work to remove pet hair, it can be done! Things like rubber gloves, squeegees, and your vacuum cleaner will make the job easier.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning off Furniture and Decorative Fabric

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Vacuum the furniture with a handheld vacuum. Run the vacuum over the furniture to pick up as much hair as you can. If you don't have a handheld vacuum, you can use your regular vacuum's hose attachment to pick up hair.^{[1]
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- Go forward and back over the furniture in rows so you don't miss any hair.
2
Run a squeegee over microfiber furniture. Grab a clean, dry squeegee, the kind you use to dry off windows when washing them. Place the rubber edge on the couch, and gently scoot it across the fabric. The rubber will collect the hair on the couch, making it easy to pick up.^{[2]
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- Run a vacuum over it when you're done with the squeegee for easy cleanup.
- This will also work on carpet.^{[3]
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Wipe down most fabric furniture with a damp rubber glove. Put on a fresh rubber glove, the kind you use for household cleaning. Run it under the faucet and then shake off the excess water. Rub the glove lightly over the fabric, and it will easily pick up pet hair.^{[4]
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- If the glove gets clogged with hair, run it under water to clean it and begin again.
- You can also use a spray bottle to lightly spritz the glove.
4
Rub a dryer sheet over hard furniture. Wood, plastic, and laminate can also pick up cat hair. While this is easier to clean up than fabric, pet hair can still cling to the surface. Wipe down the furniture with a clean dryer sheet from your laundry room, which will make picking up pet hair a breeze.^{[5]
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- The dryer sheet has enough fabric softener in it that it will grab the hair. Plus, it will make your room smell fresh.
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Spritz a soft cloth with furniture polish for wooden furniture. Grab a non-abrasive rag, such as a microfiber cloth. Hold it in your hand and lightly spray it with furniture polish. Run the polish over the wooden furniture to quickly pick up pet hair.^{[6]
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Use a dry sponge to wipe pet hair off of curtains. Run the sponge down the curtain to gather up the hair. You may need to place a hand behind the curtain to hold it in place against the sponge. Collect the hair with your fingers to toss in the trash and pull any excess hair off the sponge to use again.^{[7]
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- Alternatively, vacuum the hair off the bottom of the curtain with a hose or hand vacuum.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting Pet Hair out of Carpet

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Rub a pumice stone over small areas of carpet. If you have stubborn hair on your carpet, grab a (clean) pumice stone from the bathroom. Run it back and forth over the area a few times, and it will gather the pet hair up enough that you can just pick it up.^{[8]
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- This works especially well on stairs.
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Mist the carpet with a fabric softener and water solution to loosen the hair. Mix 3 parts water with 1 part fabric softener and pour it into a small spray bottle. Spray the mixture over the carpeted area until it's slightly damp. Allow 30 minutes for the area to dry, then run a vacuum cleaner over the carpet to pick up the hair.^{[9]
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- The fabric softener helps release the pet hair from the carpet.
- This spray will also work on furniture, but test it in an inconspicuous area first.
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Vacuum up the rest of the hair on carpet. Once you've removed as much hair as you can, pull out your vacuum cleaner. Run it over your carpet to get up as much of the loose hair left behind as you can.^{[10]
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- For stairs, use a handheld vacuum or a hose attachment.
4
Run a microfiber mop over hardwood floors to pick up loose hair. Sweep up and down the room to quickly pick up the loose cat hair on the floor. Gather the hair in one spot, and then pick it up with a dustpan.^{[11]
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- Avoid vacuuming the hair on hardwood floors, as that tends to blow it around rather than pick it up.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Getting Pet Hair off Clothes

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Set a lint roller by the door for a quick once-over before you leave. Run the lint roller up and down your clothes to remove hair from your clothes.^{[12]
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Expert Source

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.} Don't forget to hit your backside, particularly your buttocks, as you can pick up hair from sitting on furniture. Also, go up and down your legs.^{[13]
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- You can use a sticky lint roller. With this kind, you run the sticky side over your clothes, then peel off the top layer so that it's sticky again.
- You can also use reusable lint removers, such as the sticky variety, which you rinse off between uses. Another reusable kind has fibers going one direction that pick up pet hair; the pet hair comes off in an included holder.
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Run a piece of tape over your clothes if you don't have a lint remover. Wrap the tape around your hand with the sticky side out, letting it overlap itself. Then, rub the sticky part over your clothes to remove excess pet hair.^{[14]
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Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.} If you're having trouble rubbing the tape on your clothes, pat it on them instead.^{[15]
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- If the tape loses its stickiness, replace it with a new piece.
3
Dry hair-covered clothes before you wash them. Pet hair tends to stick to clothing even after it's gone through the wash. To help remove it, set your dryer on cool and put your clothes in it for 5-10 minutes. The hair will mostly come off and end up in the lint trap.^{[16]
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- Add a dryer sheet to the load to help pull the hair off your clothes. You can also use a dryer ball.
- Wash your clothes normally after you dry them. Using liquid fabric softener will also help get the hair out.
- This works on freshly washed clothes that have been covered in pet hair, too.
- Always remove pet hair from your clothes before washing them. Pet hair can get stuck in your washing machine and then end up sticking to your other clothes.^{[17]
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  Safir Ali
  Professional Dry Cleaner
  Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.}

Expert Q&A
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Question

What's the best way to get pet hair off of clothing?

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map.

Safir Ali

Professional Dry Cleaner

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

You can remove pet hair with a lint roller, or you can even use packing tape or any sort of tape that you can wrap around your hand inside-out. Run the lint roller or tape over your clothes to pick up pet hair that's stuck to them.
Question

Can I brush a cat to reduce shedding?

Community Answer

Yes! This will reduce the amount of fur that a cat sheds and prevent the fur from sticking to clothes and furniture.
Question

How do I remove cat hair from my shoes?

Community Answer

The latex glove method. It works perfectly. Just rub the shoe down with your hands in the glove. The hair comes completely off.