If you share your home with a dog or a cat, you share it with their hair too. It weaves into the couch, sticks to the back seat and turns up on your clothes five minutes after you leave the house. You can't stop a healthy pet from shedding, but you can make the clean-up quick. Here's what works.
1. Start with the coat, not the couch
Every hair you brush out is a hair that doesn't end up on the furniture. Most dogs and cats shed more in spring and autumn, when they swap coats. During those weeks, a few minutes of brushing several times a week makes a big difference. Brush outside or over a towel so the loose hair goes straight in the bin.
2. Sofas, cushions and beds
Vacuums often struggle with hair that has worked its way into fabric. A rubber or fabric pet hair glove works better: wipe in one direction and the hair rolls up into a clump you can pick off in one go. Our Pet Hair Remover Glove needs no sticky sheets and you can wash it and use it again.
For big areas like a whole couch or a bed, a reusable hair roller is faster. Roll it back and forth, then open the chamber and tip the hair in the bin. The Reusable Pet Hair Roller works on most upholstery and bedding.
Tip: throw a washable blanket over your pet's favourite spot. It catches most of the hair, and you just shake it outside and wash it.
3. Car seats
Car upholstery holds on to hair, and one beach trip can leave the back seat covered. The easiest fix is to stop it reaching the seat in the first place: a waterproof car seat hammock covers the back seat and footwell, and you simply take it out and shake it off. For hair that's already there, run a pet hair glove over the seat, then vacuum what comes loose.
4. Clothes
Keep a roller or a glove near the front door and give your clothes a quick once-over before you leave. In the wash, a good shake before the clothes go in and a clean of the lint filter afterwards stop the hair spreading to the rest of the load.
5. Floors
Hard floors are easiest with a vacuum or a damp microfibre mop, which picks up fine hair instead of pushing it around. On rugs, go over them slowly in two directions.
When shedding isn't normal
Seasonal shedding is normal. But bald patches, red or flaky skin, constant scratching or hair loss with weight change are worth a check-up with your vet.
Find all our hair and coat tools in the grooming range.
This guide is general information. If you're worried about your pet's health, talk to your vet.