Cat hair on the carpet, fur on the furniture, a closet adorned with feline fluff…it’s all old news for cat owners. Most of us count on the heavy artillery (the vacuum cleaner) as our primary tool in the war against anything covered in cat hair, but there are other options.
Start with prevention. Brushing your cat can make a big difference in the amount of fur that ends up on your surfaces, and grooming can be a lovely way to show affection to your feline friends. But, unsurprisingly, cats don’t share a single opinion about brushing: some love it and will purr like an electric motor at first stroke, and others will hate it so much that the sight of the brush will inspire them to hide under the brush. bed for a week. It’s a cat thing… so be realistic about it. If you and your cat enjoy the experience, go for it. But don’t dress up too much and keep in mind that since a certain amount of shedding is inevitable, you’re never going to win the battle with grooming alone.
Here are 16 ways to remove cat hair from floors, furniture, clothes, and more, without leaving the vacuum cleaner:
* Clean with a slightly damp sponge or cloth
* Go over the area with a lint roller
* Go over the area with a shower squeegee
* Review the area with a chamois
* Put on a rubber or latex glove and clean the area
* Brush with a rubber bristle broom
* Spray the area with baking soda before vacuuming. The baking soda will help loosen the hair from the fabric.
* Blow up a balloon and run across the fabric. Loose hairs will stick to the balloon.
* Spray area with fabric softener, then wipe or vacuum. The fabric softener will loosen the piles on the fabric.
* Pat the area with the sticky side of a wide tape, such as masking tape or packing tape.
* Clean the area with a fabric softener sheet.
* Clean the area with a nylon bath sponge.
* Clean the area with a lint mitt (available in the cleaning sections of supermarkets and discount stores).
* If the item can be put in the washing machine, add a cup of white vinegar to the water, and the hair will be washed.
* If the item can be dried in the clothes dryer, put it for about 15 minutes with a damp cloth
* To remove cat hair from a computer keyboard, go around, between, and under the keys with a small, inexpensive, fairly stiff brush (those sold in multipacks for kids or crafts are perfect).