We love our dogs, sometimes, more than people! Who can go past their irresistible wet nosed kisses, excited wagging tails and luscious soft coats?
Dogs are part of the family…and families travel together. From short trips to the shop, park or beach….through to longer day trips or vacations. The memories we make with our dogs last a lifetime. Unfortunately, so does the dog hair that is strewn across the carpet and wedged into every tiny crevice of your car upholstery.
Cleaning dog hair off your seats and carpets can require time, persistence and a great deal of patience. It can be difficult and tiresome. But it needs to be done, and the clumps of fur not only make a mess in your car, they can also pose a health risk to you and your family, especially people with weaker respiratory systems or allergies.
So we’ve put together a few quick tricks to make dog hair removal much easier and to protect your car upholstery from dog related accidents and incidents.
5 Tips To Remove Dog Hair Like A Pro
Tip 1: Balloon Static
Static electricity attracts pet hair, so simply blow up a balloon and make some static then rub the balloon across the surface of your car upholstery and watch the hair start sticking to the balloon. You can remove the dog hair from the balloon or just inflate another and keep going until you are finished.
Tip 2: Rubber Gloves
Using a pair of household rubber gloves you can either dip the glove in water or use a spray bottle with a fine mist of water over the surface then sweep vigorously with your gloved hand to collect dog hair on your fingertips.
Tip 3: Packing Tape
Wrap a wide strip of packing tape around your hand with the sticky surface facing out and then press it lightly against the fur covered surfaces in your car. The dog hair will adhere to the sticky side of the tape. When one surface of the tape is covered in dog hair you can move the strip of tape sideways so you have a new sticky area to use.
Tip 4: Fabric Softener
Use a spray bottle to mix a few teaspoons of fabric softener with water and spray lightly on your upholstery before wiping it with a paper towel to collect dog hair, especially from creases in fabric. Once finished, leave your upholstery to dry and then vacuum up any remaining pet hair.
Tip 5: Lint Roller
Effective for picking up stray hairs, just press it against the carpet or seat surface to lift away the dog hair. Simply pull the hair from the roller and continue to run through the car to pick up the loose dog hair.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Brush Before You Drive – Giving your dog’s coat a good brush out before getting into the car is one simple way you can reduce the hassle of spending hours on your knees with tweezers trying to remove dog hair. An extra brushing will remove a lot of the excess fur that would otherwise end up wedged deep in your carpet.
Use Old Blankets or Sheets – Covering your seats with an old blanket or sheet is a cost-free way to protect your car upholstery and carpets. You may still need to remove any excess hair before washing to keep it from clogging your washer or dryer and make sure you take them out to dry if you have had wet dog in the car so any moisture isn’t absorbed into your seats or carpets.
Get a Dog Seat Cover – Simple to use and easy to clean, dog seat covers for cars are available for bucket seats, rear car seats or trunks of larger vehicles and can be used flat or as a hammock for your dog in the rear seat. You only need to shake out the seat cover after each trip to instantly get rid of the hair, dirt or sand and since they are usually waterproof, they can be easily washed or hosed down for a deep clean.
Depending on the breed of dog you have, along with the type and texture of your dog’s coat and how much it sheds, you may need to try out all of the tips above to remove dog hair from your car seats and carpet completely. Some dog hair is relatively easy to clean with just a vacuum while other breeds seem to lodge deeper and become harder to remove. Solutions to removing dog hair that work for one person may not work for you but hopefully these tips will help keep your car dog hair free.