dog and cat in front of white background

Got a Pet Hair Problem? Here Are The Best Tools to Keep it Under Control

If you love your pets but have just about had it with finding their hair everywhere—from the couch to the bed and even a hair or two with dinner—help is on the way! You can’t stop the shedding but there are a number of brilliant, inexpensive solutions for keeping a pet hair problem under beautiful control.dog and cat in front of white background

Here’s the deal: All mammals including humans shed some amount of hair every day. Even the non-shedding Sphynx cat and Poodle dogs who earn their reputation for being none-shedders are going to drop some amount of fuzz, fur, and fine hair. Keeping the problem under control is an ongoing proposition.

Rubber Gloves

To quickly remove pet hair from upholstery or carpet, slip on a rubber glove and run it under the faucet so it is slightly damp (to quell the static electricity). Now, run it over the areas with pet hair and watch how the hair clings to the glove.

This is especially effective for crevices where vacuuming misses—like between sofa cushions and along the crevice where the carpeted floor meets up with the wall.

Prepare to be quite astonished by what a dampened rubber gloves will pull out of those crevices.

 


Sticky Paper Roller

For quick pet hair pick-up jobs, sticky paper rollers work reasonably well with pet hair. But if you’re going to put out the effort, making sure you have the extra sticky option makes the task a lot easier and far more effective.

Whether your fur baby has long hair or short strands, incorporating a lint roller into your cleaning routine can reduce the amount of airborne pet hair in your home and keep your clothes and furniture looking tidy in between deep cleans. This extra sticky paper roller option will give you the best outcome.

 


Paperless Pick-Up Roller

A pick-up roller, similar to a lint roller, is not going to rid your entire house and car of pet hair. But it will come to the rescue when you notice you have pet hair all over your handbag or socks. Or a throw pillow that’s covered in cat hair covered and company will be here any minute.

The operative feature of a handy pet hair lint roller is the nubby, prickly, fabric-like surface of the roller itself. We’ve seen this before on lint removers. But a decent pet hair roller moves it up a few notches.

This gadget is self-cleaning (and so tidy about it). Here’s how that works.

This paperless pick-up roller works similarly to the sticky paper rollers—but so much better because, well … no paper. No refills are required. No batteries, either. Comes in several colors.

Here’s an idea: Christmas is still months away, but it’s never too early to plan. This cute roller would make a dandy stocking-stuffer!

 


Pumice Stone

Pet hair can be a somewhat different problem in a vehicle than in the house. Maneuvering a full-size pet hair vacuum in the back of an SUV isn’t going to work. Managing a carpet rake is equally unlikely. What’s more, automotive carpet is much different than typical residential carpet. Pet hair can get hopelessly stuck in a car’s interior. You can roll your heart out with a sticky paper lint roller and end up frustrated. And forget that weak car vacuum.

A pumice stone is an ideal solution for hopelessly “pet-haired” car carpet, seats, and maybe even the headliner. I know, how does pet hair get embedded in the ceiling of a car?!

Any pumice stone will do the job. This Pumice Valley pumice stone is well-priced, plus it has a handle and rope handle, which makes it easy to handle.

Running a pumice stone over these areas is going to be an eye-opening task. That pumice, being stronger than the tough carpet harboring the pet hair, will literally drag that hair and fur from the car’s surfaces. A quick treatment with a damp rubber glove to get into the cracks and crevices will complete the job!

 


Carpet Rake

This is pure genius. The FURemover is a rubber carpet rake/squeegee combo that makes quick and easy work of picking up pet hair—from carpet and hard flooring.

To remove all that pet hair that has become hopelessly embedded in the carpet which is quite possibly not visible, use the rake side with short quick strokes. You are going to be bug-eyed when you see what you pull out of the carpet. Don’t worry, it’ll be our little secret.

Use the squeegee side on hardwood, tile, and other hard-surface floorings. The natural rubber attracts pet hair like a magnet.

The FURemover has a telescopic handle that easily adjusts from 36 to 60 inches. And that rubber cleans up easily using soapy water.

 


Pet Hair Cordless Vacuum

I put this Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet Cordless vacuum in the “stick vac” category. It’s the current version of our favorite Hoover Linx. I have both, even though we have no pets. It picks up human hair like a champ! This Evolve version has very strong suction, 3 options (hard floor, carpet, and suction only. Weighs less than 9 lbs when you lift it; feels like 2 lbs when you recline it and start vacuuming. Really lightweight with excellent run time. Ratings and reviews from pet owners are exceptional. For the money, this would be my #1 go-to for keeping pet hair at bay. 

This vacuum is so easy to use because it is lightweight (did I already say that?), using it is effortless, but very very effective. The only downside I see is that it is noisier than it’s Hoover Linx cousin. But really, who cares, if this is going to keep the pet hair problem under control on a daily basis (it definitely will)?

 


Pet Hair full-size vacuum

Frequent vacuuming is the most reasonable way to pick up pet hair from large areas. But even our favorite Shark Navigator Pro Lift-Away vacuum can’t guarantee that it will remove all pet hair from the carpet. That’s because, by its nature, a typical vacuum rolls over the carpet creating static electricity. That can make the pet hair dig down and hold on tightly to the carpet fibers before the vacuum makes a return pickup pass.

When this happens every time you vacuum, it may appear that the vacuum got it all, but don’t count on it.

The Shark Navigator Zero-M Pet Pro is quite ingenious in that it has a “self-cleaning” brush roll that delivers nonstop hair removal. I’ve had this machine for more than a year and use it quite regularly. It really does pick up hair before it can get beat into the carpet. I do own this vacuum (I do have quite a stable of vacuums!) and it’s my go-to option when I want to super deep-clean carpet, especially the one at the front door entry.

If you have multiple pets and a super-challenging problem, you might consider investing in this vacuum. However, before you do, consider other less expensive ways you can control by removing—not burying—the pet hair problem. Like a carpet rake.

 

 

First published: 9-9-20; Revised & Updated 4-12-22


 

Everyday Cheapskate participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon-affiliated sites.

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

More from Everyday Cheapskate

Amazon Big Spring Sale Teaser with Question Marks
important documents every family should keep stack desk home office bright
DIY muffin liner homemade tulip baking lavender cutting board shadows
quick dinner recipe italian cheesy meatball bake casserole dish
chalkboard with hot deals march 2024 piece of chalk best deals
newspaper headline daily news man reading with coffee mug
Unrecognizable woman cleaning with vinegar
BKF cleaning a Stainless surface


Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Commenting Guidelines



Caught yourself reading all the way 'til the end? Why not share with a friend.

13 replies
  1. Dawn says:

    red you advice about pet hair have a long hair large black cat he sheds so much even with brushing here is another tip use dryer fabric sheets either new or used clean in a circular manner and hair will cling to sheet I save all my dryer sheets for his window ledge seat and my white chairs try it works great and cheep or free with the used ones

    Love you advice colums they make a lot of sense do you have a book i can buy?

    keep up the good work.

    Reply
  2. Marcia says:

    How can I get into the archives here? I need a new carpet cleaner and you’ve recommended a few. I’d appreciate being able to get information posted in the past. Many thanks!! ❤️

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      EverydayCheapskate.com … look to the top menu bar on any page. Click on “Articles” Or Click on “Archives”. Or on any page look at right end of that menu bar to see an orange search icon. Click on it. Opens search field. Type in any keyword such as … “vacuum”

      Reply
  3. Terri Walton says:

    Hi Mary, thanks for all the great suggestions! We have 6 cats (cue the Crazy Cat Lady jokes 😉 ) and we have a Chom Chom roller that’s a lifesaver. I just wanted to say that if you spend the money on one, be sure to read the directions. It’s not exactly like a pet hair brush — you have to use a scrubbing motion back and forth for it to work correctly. It’s most useful on larger stationary things, like furniture. I use it to de-hair the towels we put in all the cat beds before I throw them in the washer. If you don’t “get” the back-and-forth motion it seems like the Chom Chom doesn’t work, but once you get it, that thing is great!

    Reply
  4. Jenni says:

    Has anyone tried the little sticky discs that go in the laundry?
    They are supposed to be reusable after picking the fur off.
    Mary? Anyone?

    Reply
    • Linda J Wilson says:

      I have them. They do help. We have 3 cats and one is a super shedder. These help (I also use fabric softener and don’t over dry) especially with black T-shirts. I use both (they came in a two pack) at the same time. Another tool in the furminator arsenal LOL!

      Reply
  5. Mindy Sames says:

    You questioned how pet hair gets on the car headliner? Well, try a great dane 🙂
    When we ask the car wash guys to please detail the headliner, we usually get a strange look.

    Reply
  6. Lei Marchand-Jacques says:

    I wonder if you would have a solution for a problem my sister has. She bought a new pair of leather birkenstock sandals, and the first time that she wore them, a dog urinated on her shoe, how can she get the smell out of them?

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *