No matter how often you sweep and vacuum, removing pet hair from carpeting can seem like a never-ending task.
We share the methods that do remove pet hair – and others that don’t.
Methods that don’t work
There are many “hacks” online that are neither practical nor effective at removing pet hair from a large carpet.
These methods might work on a small surface but they won’t help you keep your carpets hair-free.
Damp-hand method
Running a damp hand over a carpet can pick up hair but not enough to make this painstaking method worthwhile. Also, you end up with a hand full of wet pet hair.
Balloon trick
A balloon can pick up small amounts of hair due to static but it’s an impractical way to clean a large carpet.
Sprinkling baking soda
Sprinkling baking soda over a carpet before vacuuming helps remove smells but it won’t help remove pet hair.
Sticky tape method
Tape wrapped around your hand with the sticky side out picks up pet hair on small areas. However, this method is too labour intensive and a waste of sticky tape to use on a large carpet.
Effective methods of removing pet hair from carpeting
These are the most effective and practical methods of removing pet hair from carpeting.
Vacuuming
A decent vacuum cleaner will pick up most pet hair from a carpet. Vacuum in all directions, including diagonally, to pick up all the hair. Vacuum more slowly than usual and put the suction on maximum.
Rubber squeegee or broom
A rubber squeegee collects pet hair into clumps that are easy to pick up or vacuum up. The rubber grips hair well, so it pulls out hairs that are deep in the carpet fibres. A rubber broom with a squeegee edge and rubber bristles also works.
Carpet rakes
Carpet rakes use thin metal or plastic needles to pick up pet hair or other dirt from carpets. They work very well on pet hair, but you’ll need to stop occasionally to remove the matted hair from the bristles.
Pet hair vacuum cleaners
There are vacuum cleaners designed specifically to deal with excess pet hair. They usually have advanced filters to deal with allergens, powerful suction to pick up as much hair as possible and special attachments or brushes to get the pet hair out of tricky areas.
Removing pet hair from furniture
Before tackling pet hair on furniture, vacuum or sweep the floors first.
Use an electrostatic duster (sometimes known as a magic duster) to remove hair from upholstered and non-upholstered furniture such as glass and wood. The electrostatic charge created by the duster should pick up hairs, even on upholstery.
You can also vacuum upholstery, use a lint roller or wrap masking tape around your hand and dab the hair to lift it off.
How Chelsea Cleaning can help remove pet hair from carpeting
If you have pets, it’s important to have your carpets, curtains and upholstery deep-cleaned a few times a year. This will also remove pet dander, along with unwanted creatures – like dust mites and bed bugs – that feed on it.
