Owning a four-legged friend means your home will always be filled with unconditional love, endless entertainment and unfortunately, a whole lot of pet hair. Households with dogs and cats will be more than familiar with fur covering every piece of furniture at home.
While it's just part of owning a pet, it is always good to know the best tips and tricks to get rid of it, in case you fancy a deep clean or have guests visiting. Ray Jones, sofa expert at interiors retailer ScS has shared five simple cleaning hacks that will banish pet hair and have your sofa back to new in no time.
Wipe it with tumble dryer sheets
A clever way to get rid of dog hair and leave your sofa smelling gorgeous is by wiping it down with a tumble dryer sheet - which costs as little as 4p each.
"Running a tumble dryer sheet over your sofa can help trap pet hair thanks to the static, absorbing, qualities of the sheets," Ray said.
"What's great about this hack is that, as well as removing the hair and any dust build up, you're also leaving a lightly scented trail behind so your sofa feels extra fresh."
Rub it with a rubber glove
Another hack involves a trusty rubber glove, which most households will have under their kitchen sink.
"Pop on a rubber glove, slightly dampen it with water and then rub it over the surface of your sofa," Ray explained.
"It may not be as thorough as a hoover, but you'll be amazed at how much fur you do pick up.
"This also works with a rubber squeegee or just a damp sponge, just make sure you rub in different directions to pick up all the hairs.
"Just be careful not to use too much water as this will result in soaking the sofa and could take a while to dry whilst also leaving water marks."
Get the vacuum out
If your dog has extra long and fuzzy fur, you may need to get the vacuum out for a quick whizz around.
"When cleaning the carpet or furniture, use a hoover that is specifically designed for picking up pet hair and work it in multiple directions to loosen any stubborn hairs," Ray advised.
"Don't forget to take off the base cushions, arms and sides to really give your sofa the clean it needs to remove fur."
Go over it with a lint roller
They're great for freshening up clothes and just as useful for cleaning up at home.
"Lint rollers particularly come in handy when try to remove unwanted pet hair," Ray said.
"Run it over your sofa and rip off the sections that get clogged with hair, just as you would with your clothes.
"Lint rollers tend to be more effective at getting rid of fur on larger surfaces (e.g. your seat cushions and the back of your sofa) because of their chunky design.
"If you don't have a lint roller to hand you can also do this with some sticky tape for a similar effect.
"We recommend using parcel or duct tape for maximum efficiency, just be careful not to be too aggressive and risk damaging the fabric of the sofa."
Run a sports sock over it
It's always worth keeping old clothes and socks for cleaning - even odd socks.
"If you slightly dampen a sports sock, turn it inside out and then put it over your hand, you can pick animal hair off unwanted surfaces," Ray said.
"Sports socks work better than normal socks because they're thicker. Again, go easy on the water; you don't want to end up with a soggy sofa!"
Ray added: "Removing pet hair from sofas can be an unpleasant job but is quick and easy with the right knowhow.
"If you want to completely avoid getting hair on your sofa it's best to cover the areas your pet likes best with a blanket as a preventive measure.
"That way all you need to do is bundle the blanket up and give it a wash to remove any unwanted hair."
Do you have a clever cleaning hack to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
