By Ella Woods
Dog hair can easily coat your clothing, floors, and furniture.
Cleaning that hair up can be frustrating and time-consuming. But there are some tricks and tips you can use to help control dog hair in your home.
Grooming and healthy diets can reduce shedding. A good vacuum and other cleaning tricks can help you keep your home hair-free.
Groom your dog
One of the best ways to control dog hair is to remove it at the source. Use good grooming practices to keep your dog clean with regular baths and daily brushing.
Choose a brush that suits your dog’s coat. For most dogs, a simple wire brush works best. If your dog has long hair, take care to ensure you break up any tangles without pulling your dog’s coat.
If you have a dog with an undercoat, consider using tools like an undercoat rake to pull out loose hair.
Try a pet brushing mitt. if your dog is skittish about being brushed. Your dog will think he’s getting some extra petting.
If your dog doesn’t mind the sound of the vacuum, you can use a tool like the Furminator Vaccum Accessory, which removes hair and cleans it up at the same time.
Feed your dog a healthy diet
Make sure your dog’s food is high in protein, healthy fats, and Omega oils. This helps keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy, which reduces loose hair and shedding.
You also can add raw flaxseed oil or Ultra Oil, a blend of omega-3, 7, and 9 fatty acids from hemp oil, flaxseed oil, and fish oil from sardines and anchovies, to your dog’s food. Before changing your dog’s diet, talk to your vet about the best options for your dog.
Clean up dog hair
Furniture
1. Upholstery or fabric furniture. Rub a damp rubber glove on furniture. The dog hair will accumulate on the rubber glove. Rinse the glove to remove the hair and repeat until the furniture is clean. You can also use a damp sponge instead of a rubber glove. Upholstery also can be cleaned using a mixture of water and fabric softener. Spray this mixture on the furniture and wipe until it’s clean. Consider investing in furniture covers or throws to protect your furniture from dog hair.
2. Wooden furniture. Use a soft cloth and furniture polish. You can also use anti-static dusting spray instead of furniture polish to remove dog hair.
Bedding
Consider covering bedding with blankets or towels to keep dog hair off your sheets and pillows. If you end up with dog hair on your sheets or pillows, rub a dryer sheet over bedding to remove dog hair. Consider using a scented dryer sheet to remove any dog odors. Do not use these dryer sheets with any other clothing items.
Floor
Use an electrostatic or microfiber dust mop to pick up dog hair on hardwood floors. Avoid using a vacuum because that likely will cause the hair to fly in the air and cling to other items. Instead, use a damp mop.
Carpet
Vacuum carpet or rugs daily to remove pet hair, dust, dirt, and smaller microscopic allergens. To clean the carpet, vacuum it a couple of times in alternating directions. This is important to remove stubborn hair.
Another alternative is to spray the carpet with water. Use a damp sponge to mop the carpet gently. The hair will clump on the rug, and you can easily pick up dog hair. Some people scrape the carpet with a pumice stone to gather the hair from the carpet.
To reduce hair visibility, consider getting a carpet that matches the color of your dog.
You also should consider investing in a vacuum that’s designed to clean up pet hair and spend the money to occasionally have your carpets professionally cleaned.
Clothes
Lint rollers are excellent at removing dog hair from clothes. To remove pet hair from clothes in the washing machine, consider using washing machine balls that help pull the hair off your clothes.
You also can place clothes in the dryer (either wet or dry) for at least 10 minutes with a dryer sheet so the hair will wind up in the lint trap. Be sure to clean the lint trap often.
Regular vet checkups
Some health problems led to excessive shedding in dogs. These include Cushing’s disease, fungal infections, allergies, hormonal imbalances, and immune disorders.
Regular checkups will ensure that your dog is healthy doesn’t suffer from any conditions that produce abnormal shedding.
Ella Woods is a stay-at-home- mother and wife who writes in her free time so she won’t go crazy! She shares her experiences on her blog, Housinghere.com.