Pet Fur & Grime

Written by Ruby Night

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Owning a pet comes with so many benefits, particularly the addition of a loyal companion to your family. But it also entails messes. Pets will naturally be messy and inevitably require cleaning. However, cleaning up after your pet does not need to be a very taxing activity. Knowing how to efficiently clean up after your pet and prevent messes in the first place will ensure an easy and minimal stress lifestyle. 

 

Most pets will have fur and will shed. The amount of fur and shedding varies by animal, particularly within dog breeds. This may be a factor to consider when looking to adopt a pet. However, regardless of how much your dog sheds, it can be cleaned! Cleaning up your dog’s fur will vary by the surface that you are cleaning. In this guide, you’ll find instructions and advice on how to clean pet grime and fur from various surfaces. Additionally, there will be advice on how to minimize the smell and noticeability of pet grime. In the next section of this article, find advice on how to minimize the amount of pet fur & grime accumulating on your surfaces in the first place. Preventative action is the best route to take. 

Preventing Pet Fur & Grime 

Though pet hair and grime can be irritating, you can take preventative measures to limit the amount of clean-up you have to do. For example, brushing your pets can significantly reduce the amount of hair they shed. Consider brushing your pet at least once a week to reduce the pet hair around your house. As for pet grime and accidents, see our articles on potty training your pets and establishing a potty schedule to avoid accidents! 

Cleaning Different Surfaces 

Pet grime and fur can affect many different kinds of surfaces commonly found within households. In this guide, there will be instructions on how to clean the following common surfaces: upholstery, carpet, hard surfaces, and machine washable items. 

 

Upholstery 

One of the most common places for pet fur and grime to get stuck is couches and armchairs or other upholstery within a household. This can be a big source of annoyance, not to mention an eyesore. However, it can be really easy to remove! With a pair of rubber gloves and some water, you can remove a significant amount of pet fur from upholstery. If you don’t have rubber gloves, a sponge or cloth can also work. Additionally, try using a lint roller on more durable furniture for a quick clean. If you’re finding that the strategies above are not fully removing the fur from your furniture, try adding a small amount of fabric softener to a spray bottle of water. Spraying this on your upholstery and allowing it to sit for a few minutes will cause the remaining fur to rise to the surface. If your upholstery has been stained by pet grime or your pet had an accident on your upholstery, don’t fret. Spraying upholstery with enzyme cleaners for urine is a great way to remove the urine and its smell from your furniture. However, if you’re still finding the smell of urine within your upholstery or any other surfaces mentioned in this guide, it may be a good idea to invest in an air freshener like the Alen Air Purifier.  The Alen Air Purifier is also a great option for those with allergies to pet hair! It can minimize the effects and heavily increase your comfort around the house! 

Carpet 

Any pet owner with a carpet will know that it quickly becomes a harbor for loose pet hairs and grime. Regularly vacuuming your carpets can prevent pet hair from building up in your carpet, but it may not get out all the heavy build-ups of hair deep within your carpet. If this is the case, consider investing in a specialty vacuum designed to permeate your carpet and remove those stubborn hairs. A great option to consider is the Dyson vacuum, a highly reviewed vacuum for handling pet hair. Furthermore, cleaning up your pet’s hair on your flooring does not need to be a taxing activity! It is a great idea to invest in a robotic vacuum to clean up for you! A Neabot robot vacuum is a great option for a robotic vacuum that does the work for you! You can spend the time you spent cleaning up after your pets playing with them instead! If not all of the pet hair is being removed by your vacuum, look to the fabric softener technique in the Upholstery section. For pet grime such as dirt and accidents, spray-on carpet cleaners are a great option. For wet messes like urine, feces, and mud a carpet shampoor that uses water and soap to dilute and suction action to remove the mess from your carpet may be the best bet. Try Bissell products made with pets in mind!

Hard Surfaces 

Though hard surfaces are more resistant to accumulating pet fur and grime than other surfaces, you may still notice a build-up! For wooden furniture items, consider using furniture polish and make sure to regularly dust. For hardwood floors, it is a good idea to polish and seal to ensure that fur and grime have a tough time sticking. Additionally, dry mopping is one of the best techniques to remove built-up pet hair or grime. 

Machine Washable Items 

Pet hair on clothing can be very unflattering and is often a source of annoyance for many pet owners. A lint roller is a quick and easy fix to accumulating pet hair on clothing. Additionally, for both clothes and other machine-washable items, try investing in dryer balls designed to remove pet hair in the dryer or simply dryer sheets! For machine-washable items that your pet has had an accident on, consider enzyme cleaners! Soaking your items in enzyme cleaners before washing them is a great way to add extra strength to removing urine.

 

Every pet will inevitably cause a mess at one point or another, so don’t get upset at your pet! Positive reinforcement is the best way to train your dog and make sure they know when they do a good job. Additionally, cleaning does not have to be a hassle! As detailed above, there are many steps and strategies you can take to make sure you are cleaning up after your pet as efficiently and smoothly as possible!

 

Reference List

[1] University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Pet exposure may reduce allergy and obesity: Research shows having a dog early in life may alter gut bacteria in immune-boosting ways.

[2] Apartment Therapy How to Remove Pet Hair Everywhere From Furniture Floors and More

[3] Quick and Dirty Tips 5 Quick and Easy Ways to remove Pet Hair

[4] Dogington Post How to Remove Dog Hair from just about Anywhere

[5] Bedwetting Store Buyers Guide to Removing Stains

[6] Alen

[7] Neabot

[8] Dyson