DIY

How to Keep Pet Hair from Taking Over Your Home

Let’s face it. Puppies and kittens are the cutest. However, the hair they leave behind definitely isn’t. As a devoted pet parent, you want your animal to have all the amenities necessary for comfort and health. This might include their own area in your home, but that won’t keep their fine hair or thick coats from shedding like crazy.

Our team at Merry Maids® loves animals large and small, but your furry family members can make an unintentional mess with their hair alone. To prepare for loved ones visiting during the holidays (and to keep your home pristine), we have some pet hair solutions to keep dander from taking over your home.

Groom Your Pet Daily

This piece of advice probably sounds like a way to put more pet hair inside your home. On the contrary, frequent grooming actually helps eliminate excessive shedding. Short-hair breeds should be brushed at least twice weekly to remove unshed hair from coats. Long-hair breeds may require grooming three or more times a week to reduce excess hair inside your home.

Grooming should be a staple activity in your pet’s health routine because it doesn’t just keep hair from taking over; it also keeps your furry friend’s hair from becoming matted and dirty.

Invest in An Air Purifier

Pet hair doesn’t just land on hard and soft surfaces; it can circulate through your air vents and build up in air ducts. You can take advantage of a simple pet hair solution by changing your air filters every three months without question. Your heating and cooling system will work more efficiently, with fewer pollutants and pet dander floating in the air.

Investing in an air purifier can be extremely effective for homeowners needing long-term options to reduce pet hair. Not only can you significantly decrease the amount of pet hair, but you can also improve your indoor air quality (IAQ). If you’re concerned about IAQ, contact our sister brand Indoor Science for IAQ services, including tests, monitoring, and improvements.

Try a Damp Rubber Glove

Counters and hard flooring are much easier to tackle when removing pet hair. Still, you can’t neglect soft surfaces, such as carpets and upholstery. The misconception is that a vacuum will get up everything and leave zero traces of pet hair. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Use a damp rubber glove to remove hidden hair in the carpet or upholstery fibers. While wearing the damp glove, run your hand over any soft surface to pick up pet hair that a vacuum may have left.

Train Your Pet to Stay Off of Furniture

Pet hair solutions can only help so much unless you implement lasting changes that reduce pet hair, like training your animal to stay off the furniture. Many training experts assert that domesticated animals will learn to stay off beds, couches, etc., when it’s not a habit in the first place. We recommend purchasing a comfy, cozy bed for your pet to lounge on and leave their unique scent. Your pet is less likely to take over furniture and leave behind hair when they have a designated space.

Create a Cleaning Schedule

Being a pet parent requires a more extensive cleaning routine than those without animals to remove animal waste and odors. Every cleaning schedule will be different depending on how often your animal sheds or you find hair. Typically, there are items you’ll want to clean daily, without question, and spaces you’ll need to clean daily or weekly.

You’ll want to focus on the following areas:

Under couches and large furniture pieces – Pet hair can end up under large, bulky furniture and accumulate there if you don’t move furniture while cleaning. Don’t neglect these areas, or pet hair could affect loved ones with allergies.
Bed linens and pillows – Beds and pillows are prime areas for your dog or cat to make their mark because they’re cushy and soft. You’ll need to wash bed linens at least once a week to kill bacteria, dust mites, and odors and remove pet hair.
Kitchen countertops – Even if your pet doesn’t spend much time in the kitchen, pet hair will find its way there. To keep your cooking space sanitary and pet hair-free, wipe surfaces daily and wash kitchen linens like hand towels once a week.

For Pet-Related Home Cleaning, Trust Merry Maids!

As we said, we love all animals, but we don’t want them filling your home with pet hair and dander. You can combat pet hair buildup with the help of our cleaning experts at Merry Maids. When there’s a merry mess, we’re the team you call!

Contact us for your free cleaning estimate, or make a pet parent’s day with a cleaning gift card for the holidays!