This Is the Easiest Way to Get Pet Hair Out of Your Laundry—No Expensive Products Required

Table of Contents

Key Points

• Use a lint roller to remove pet hair from your laundry before it's washed.
• Add white vinegar to your wash load to loosen stubborn hair and reduce static.
• Dryer balls and sheets are both effective in removing pet hair during the dry cycle.

As much as we love our furry friends, it's no secret that pet hair is notoriously challenging to clean. There’s nothing as frustrating as pulling your laundry out of the dryer, only to find it (still) covered in your dog or cat's fur.

Fortunately, professional cleaners have developed solutions to this common problem. While you’ll never be fully rid of pet hair as long as you share a home with your beloved furry friends, there are ways you can reduce the amount of it hitching a ride through your wash and dry cycles.

We spoke to Aminah Vieria, cleaning professional and Head of Marketing and Innovation at InspireClean Cleaning Services, and she shared the industry’s best tips for banishing pet hair from your laundry for good.

Meet the Expert

Aminah Vieria is the Head of Marketing and Innovation at InspireClean, a professional cleaning company servicing several regions across Southwestern Ontario, Canada.

Before the Wash

Removing pet hair from your laundry starts before your clothes even hit the washing machine.

“Start by giving anything covered in their hair a good shake outside, or brushing your laundry with a lint roller before it goes in the washer,” Vieria says.

If you find that a lint roller isn’t doing the trick, there are a couple of other clever things you can try. For example, a damp microfiber cloth can often pick up loose hair that a lint roller isn’t catching.

You can also try gently moistening your hands and using your palms to rub the stuck pet hair out of the fibers of your clothes. Similarly, a damp rubber glove can also do the trick.

Do your best here, but don’t try to get every last hair out. Focus on removing as much loose hair as possible, and let the wash and dry cycle handle the rest.

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In the Wash

When it comes to the wash cycle, there’s no fancy wash product or complicated technique professional cleaners are hiding from us.

Vieria says that white vinegar is all you need to help remove pet hair from your clothes in the wash. She suggests adding ½ cup of white vinegar to your washing drum to help loosen pet hair from your clothes’ fibers and reduce the static that makes the fur cling to the clothes.

Vieria also recommends using the pre-rinse or pre-wash cycle on your machine, as it can help flush away hair before the main wash begins.

If you are washing particularly hairy items, such as a pet bed, a favorite blanket, or the sweater you wore when you last cuddled with them, consider washing them in a separate load to prevent transferring the fur to your other clothes.

Also, avoid using hot water in your washer when trying to remove pet hair from your laundry, as the heat can set the hair deeper into the fabric.

In the Dryer

There are several strategies you can use during the dry cycle to remove the last of the pet hair from your laundry.

First, Vieria recommends running the items through a brief no-heat or air-only cycle, which can help dislodge stubborn hair. Then, consider using dryer balls or dryer sheets (especially those explicitly formulated for removing pet hair) in your dryer to help loosen hair and reduce static.

Laundry that can’t be put in the dryer should be hung to dry, and any remaining pet hair should be tackled once again with a lint roller, microfiber cloth, or damp rubber glove.

After the Dryer

While there’s no avoiding pet hair if you have pets at home, there are certain things you can do to help reduce the amount of it on the laundry that matters the most to you.

While these tips and tricks are practical, we know the extra work is likely unrealistic for every load of laundry you do. Here are a few additional ways to help keep pet hair out of your laundry.

• Make sure the most fur-covered items are going in a separate load. This includes your pet’s items, the clothes you wear frequently around the house, and so on.
• Consider storing the clothing you hope to keep hair-free inside out after washing to prevent it from attracting pet hair before you wear it again. Then, it’ll be completely hair-free once you’re ready to wear it.
• The key here is to remove the items as soon as you get home (i.e., before you receive hugs and snuggles from your furry friends).
• Maintain your pet’s grooming routine to prevent excessive shedding, which can become entangled in your laundry. This means regular brushing or trips to the groomer, depending on your pet. Spring is an especially important time to groom your furry pets as they shed their extra winter fur.

Read the original article on The Spruce