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Removing Pet Hair |
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-- Baby Boomers -- Family - -- Green -- Home and Auto -- -- In Critical Condition -- Lifestyle -- -- Just Starting Out -- Money -- |
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Removing Pet Hair
Love the Pet, Hate the Hair I have two cats, and I am having trouble getting the cat hair off the carpets. I have tried vacuuming it with three different vacuum cleaners, but it just sits there. I have low-pile rugs. Dampened Sponge Mop Removes Pet Hair After a thorough vacuuming of the rugs, I use a barely dampened sponge mop on low-pile rugs to remove cat hair. I keep this mop for only this purpose so I'm not transferring soap residue and soil to the rug. For upholstered furniture, I use a regular (again, clean) kitchen sponge. These sponges are cheaper than the ones sold especially for this purpose and they work. The fur rolls up into clumps that make it easy to pick them off. Put on the Rubber Glove To get pet hair off carpet, clothes, etc., try using a rubber glove. It's a great pet hair and lint remover. Squeegee Removes Pet Hair Try using a squeegee that is long enough to use like a push broom. Anything that is rubber should get the pet hair up! I use a rubber glove to get pet hair off of clothing and the back of the couch where my cat likes to lay! Use Lint Removal Brush My best tool for removing cat hair is one of those lint removal brushes. Mine has a red "napped" fabric on it, with an arrow to direct which way to brush to remove lint. To clean the brush, simply brush in the reverse direction on a scrap of fabric you can throw out. Occasionally, you can find these brushes in Wal-Mart with the laundry products. This Vacuum is a Winner The Dyson "Animal" model vacuum that we recently purchased is the best thing to get up pet hair. My husband is practically able to reconstruct another cat from the amount of fur he pulls from our upholstery, hardwood floors, and flat pile carpet. We waited until Linens & Things had a 20% coupon, plus free shipping for online purchases. Be sure to get the "Animal" model because it comes with a turbo tool specifically made for getting fur out. Put a Rubber Bristle Broom to Work I found a rubber bristle push broom at CVS pharmacy. The rubber bristles roll up the hair in a pile and you can pick up the rolled hair by hand to throw it away. Static Guard Solution Spray Static Guard lightly over carpet, wait a few minutes, and then vacuum as usual. Sprinkle Carpets with Baking Soda Sprinkling baking soda over rugs helps loosen pet hair. Let a light coat of baking soda sit just a bit, and then vacuum. It deodorizes as well! Use a Horse Shedding Blade I use a horse shedding blade on my rug before vacuuming and it does a fantastic job. It pulls the hair without ripping the carpet fibers. Unusual, but Effective Ideas I have found two unusual, but effective ways to lift pet hair from carpets and furniture. For large clumps of hair, purchase cloth gardening gloves with plastic "nubs" on the fingers and palms. These nubs will catch the hair as you rub your hand over the furniture or across the floor. Keep a trashcan at your elbow, and as your hand gets full, simply pick the hair off the glove and throw it away. For small amounts of hair, or for short hair that's hard to see, use static electricity. Inflate a balloon and rub it across the carpet. The static on the balloon's surface will pick up the pet hair, and it will stick to the balloon. Once you use a "side" of the ballon, switch to a clean side or you'll just keep transferring the hair back to the carpet. Mist with Water and Fabric Softener Mix a little bit of fabric softener with water and spray (mist) on carpet. Allow to dry. Misting will dry quickly. Do not over spray and "drench" the carpet. After the carpet is dry, go back over with your vacuum cleaner. If you enjoyed this article you might also want to check out:
Do you have a time or money saving idea that wasn't included in this article? Please send it to tips @stretcher.com. We get the best ideas from our readers! Other Articles to Stretch Your Day and Your Dollar Why I Like Vinegar Invasion of the Little Ants Doggie Don't Shoestring Solutions to Organization Problems
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