Defluff my life

May 18, 2016 11:15 AM

I have a dog. He is shedding. A lot. I use lint rollers to get most of the hairs off my clothes but the blankets I use to protect the furniture are really covered in hair. What's the most effortless way to get it off them? Surely there is something more straightforward than lint rollers or try to hoover them. (I am brushing the dog and the floors frequently.)
posted by roolya_boolya to Pets & Animals (23 answers total)

What kind of dog? Are you able to brush him with a furminator? (I know it's a pain but the annual coat blowing is just part of the whole dog thing!)
posted by DarlingBri at 11:20 AM on May 18, 2016 [5 favorites]

Your easiest solution might be to wash or shake out the blankets periodically. However, when I had a double-coated dog who shed a lot, I found a light spray of Static Guard followed by a very slightly damp sponge gathered up most of the loose fur so that it could be plucked off pretty easily.
posted by DrGail at 11:26 AM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Are the blankets machine-washable? If so, that's going to be the easiest way to de-fur them. If they aren't, then I would get them dry cleaned.

FWIW, when I started supplementing my lab's food with fish oil, his shedding decreased noticeable and quickly.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 11:28 AM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You can just put the covers in the dryer (on "no heat" setting and the hair will end up in the lint filter.
posted by mmf at 11:41 AM on May 18, 2016 [5 favorites]

Best answer: I have a pet hair wand. It's shaped kind of like a big hair brush, but instead of bristles it has weirdly snatch-y cloth embedded in each side. It clears pet hair off of furniture and blankets like a boss. I can't find a stand-alone wand for sale, but these are mitts made of the same fabric.
posted by carsonb at 11:43 AM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Seconding a damp sponge.
posted by purple_bird at 11:48 AM on May 18, 2016

Seconding carsonb... This is the thing: Magik Lint Brush. They are super great. Sweep one direction, and they pick up pet hair very effectively. Wipe your hand across it in the other direction, and the hair comes out in a nice clump, easily.
posted by BrashTech at 11:49 AM on May 18, 2016

Response by poster: I am shaking out and washing the blankets but still the hair sticks to them. Unfortunately I don't have a dryer but maybe this is a good reason to get one. (I have a furminator and the dog is a husky. At this time of year no matter how much I brush him it just keeps coming.)

Many thank for the suggestions - I will be trying them all!
posted by roolya_boolya at 11:55 AM on May 18, 2016

Don't use fleece blankets: the hair gets embedded in them and it's impossible to remove. Try to find throws with a tighter weave. (I stopped buying fleece jackets the year I got my first Shepherd.)

You can wash and groom the dog more frequently; use different grooming tools; vacuum more regularly; use tools to remove the hair; or just give up and match the blankets to the dog so the hair doesn't show up.

But there is no sure-fire way to keep dog hair out of everything. Especially not with a husky.
posted by suelac at 11:58 AM on May 18, 2016

Oh, and the dryer won't help: if the hair is interwoven into the blanket weave, the dryer won't remove it.
posted by suelac at 11:58 AM on May 18, 2016

Best answer: Oh, can I empathize with this problem. "More brushing" generally seems to be the best solution, but with some dogs you could brush them all day long and there'd still be fur everywhere. Just yesterday, I ordered this in hopes of improving our couch and car situation. I can't vouch for it personally (yet!), but based on the reviews, it looks promising. I'll probably forget to check back in here, but feel free to MeMail me around the end of the month if you want to know how it worked out.
posted by cellar door at 12:04 PM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

This mitt works as well as a sticky lint roller; lt's the same as an old-fashioned lint brush made of directional velvet, and you just remove fur by stroking it in the opposite direction (which is a bit distasteful as it's an unpleasant clump of fur and dust, but it's not that bad). It's better than a velvet lint brush because it's machine washable.

Pet hair DOES NOT STICK to the Ikea Soderhamn couch upholstered in Samsta Dark Grey microfibre fabric (the other colours are a different texture of fabric so they won't have this property).
posted by pseudostrabismus at 12:40 PM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

I buy blankets that give up the fur to the dryer (microfiber is good, as is that super-soft acrylic that's fuzzy like a stuffed animal, so are sheets or duvet covers; anything with an identifiable weave you can stick a toothpick through is bad, as is fleece and flannel-ish knit), but they have to be washed and dried with fabric softener to really get it out.

Huskies are pretty smart, and with enough dedication you could train him to get vacuumed. (When I was a kid, I had a friend whose mom taught all new pets to be vacuumed, and the cats would yell at you if you got the vacuum out and didn't do them too, or if you didn't do it for long enough.)
posted by Lyn Never at 12:42 PM on May 18, 2016 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Oops, link to Soderhamn couch with Samsta upholstery here. I believe the Samsta Dark Yellow colour might also have the non-stick texture, but the Finnsta White and Turquoise options are textured and they will definitely hold fur, so choose wisely. I have 2 floofy sheddy cats and this sofa never requires more than a quick swipe with my hand to knock off any fur that ends up on it, as the fur doesn't cling. Also the fabric is washable, and that sofa is wide and comfy enough to sleep on- better than an air mattress if you need a guest bed.

To make things even better, I use a quilted throw blanket made of slippery material that fur also doesn't stick to. When I got rid of all the fur-magnet fabrics in my home, my life got way better. Now I test potential new fabrics in the store by wiping them on my fur-covered jeans. If fur sticks to the item, it does not come home with me!
posted by pseudostrabismus at 12:57 PM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

A friend recommended a Fur Zoff to me; I was skeptical but it really works. It's an artificial pumice made of recycled plastic, and it the bee's knees at removing dog fur from car upholstery, dog beds and sturdy textiles. The Fur Zoff decreases the cleaning time of my car's interior by more than half (my dogs go nearly everywhere with me.)
posted by workerant at 2:19 PM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

I am shaking out and washing the blankets but still the hair sticks to them. Unfortunately I don't have a dryer but maybe this is a good reason to get one.

OK, without a dryer you actually have to hang them out on a line and beat them, with a broom, before washing. But if it makes a difference to you dryer calculations, you can run the dryer on low or zero heat to remove dog hair and it is effective.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:10 PM on May 18, 2016

As a husky owner I second the use of a dryer and a light blanket or even an old cotton bed sheet.
posted by ITravelMontana at 4:14 PM on May 18, 2016

Dryer. Throw in a wet washcloth and a fabric softener sheet on a low heat setting. Clean out the lint trap every 10 minutes until it stops getting full. Then wash them. I also have two sets of throw blankets so that as soon as one set goes in the wash, the second set can be put on right away and there is no 'uncovered ' couch time.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 6:34 PM on May 18, 2016

As the owner of a Great Pyrenees, I second the idea of vacuuming the dog. I am seconding it so hard that my "2" key is broken. Dyson makes some pretty dang good vacuums, that are advertised specifically for their hair-collecting powers, and pet-grooming attachments are available.

And she loves it.
posted by BrunoLatourFanclub at 10:12 PM on May 18, 2016

I agree about washing and drying. It's probably the cheapest and easiest option. I've beat blankets on the line with a broom but nothing seems to REALLY get the hair out except laundering. I have a couple blankets so when it gets too hairy, I can throw a new one on and then launder the other at my leisure.
posted by ReluctantViking at 5:30 AM on May 19, 2016

Best answer: just read you don't have a dryer - that is my go to for blankets, throw pillows and even couch and chair cushions.

if there is a laundry mat close, try the dryer on no heat to see if works for you before you invest in a dryer.
posted by domino at 7:19 AM on May 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Do you have a roomba? Our roomba reduced the overall clutter and flutter of hair by quite a bit.
posted by RolandOfEld at 5:36 PM on May 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

If you do get a dryer I put 2 tennis balls in with the blankets which helps a ton but don't do a full dry cycle because every 20 minutes or so you will need to clean the filter. Also, many people consider a furminator to be bad for your animals coat. It is amazing how much hair can be removed but lots of people say that it just tears the coat instead of getting to the actual undercoat. Many people prefer a stripper for a dog with a heavy undercoat. Look into it and decide what is best for you!
posted by futz at 9:24 PM on May 20, 2016