Spring shedding season just so happens to occur during spring cleaning season. For many of you (like our German Shepherd owners out there), sweeping up clumps of pet fur can seem like a losing battle. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can win the fight against pet fur!
To make your life easier, we rounded up clever tricks our experts and editors use to reduce the pet fur in their home. If you have a secret for tackling your pet’s fur, please share it in the comments below.
1. Launder her bedding frequently.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but if your pet spends a
lot of time in one place, a lot of fur is going to pile up in that place. Your
pet’s bed is one of those places. Be honest: How many times have you washed your dog or cat's bed? Never? Consider getting a pet bed that has washable
slipcovers you can throw in the laundry. While you’re at it, it’s not a
bad idea to buy more than one slipcover so you can have a few in rotation. If your furniture is her favorite resting spot, you may want to cover it with machine-washable
slip covers, too.
2. Groom, groom and then groom some more.
Don’t wait until your pet
looks dirty or unkempt to groom him. Bathe and brush him on a regular basis. Grooming doesn't just help make your animal smell and look better, it also helps get rid of hair that’s about to
shed. So instead of ending up on your furniture or as dust bunnies under the
couch, you should find it on his hairbrush or in the bath drain. Dr. Marty Becker says there are even brushes that do double duty — you can use them them like a regular brush and also during
a bath to help loosen and remove fur. The more you groom your pet, the less you'll have to vacuum up loose fur.
3. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner (or two).
Speaking of vacuuming, when you're dealing with pet fur overload, a good vacuum can make
all the difference. Look for a high-quality vacuum cleaner that has
pet-cleaning attachments and consider whether you want to deal with bags and cords, as there are great bagless and cordless vacuums available. One
of our editors, who owns a Lab mix who sheds like there’s no tomorrow, swears
by her robotic vacuum cleaner, which automatically vacuums her house with the push of a button.
4. Get her to rock cool T-shirts.
Many of you may scoff at the idea of putting an article of
clothing on your Persian cat, but what if we told you that a T-shirt can be
functional and not just fashionable? A T-shirt or a specially fitted shirt can
help contain your pet’s fur on her body instead of falling to the floor. Keep
in mind that this trick only works if you pet will tolerate clothing, so if she
doesn’t, don’t force it.
5. Don’t forget to look in unlikely places.
Under the fridge, in the air vents, stuck to lampshades…
some of the places you’d never think about can be magnets for pet hair. If you really want to deep-clean your home, you’ll have to look
beyond your furniture and bed as places where fur flies.
6. Wear rubber gloves.
Gather up the loose fur you’re finding all over house by
donning a pair of rubber gloves and running them over furniture and all those
odd places we mentioned before. If you’re wondering, yes, it’s the same kind of
glove you would use to wash dishes or scrub the bathroom. After you’ve
collected the fur, if you find that it's difficult to get all the hair off the gloves, toss them in the dryer for a few minutes and examine
the lint trap. Prepare to be amazed at how much comes off of them.
