by Nomi Berger
Does cat hair dominate your world? If so, consider the following seven steps to remedy the situation.
- Use a lint roller: Roll it back and forth and up and down on your clothing and watch your kitty’s hair disappear. Should your lint roller be empty, however, use either masking tape or packing tape. Simply apply a strip to your clothes, sticky side down, peel it off and with it your cat’s hair. Repeat the process as many times as necessary.
- Use a vacuum cleaner with a pet hair remover attachment: Many vacuum cleaners are not only equipped with special brushes to remove hair from furniture and carpets but are reasonably priced.
- Use a cat hair remover glove: This specially designed glove, with its rubberized surface, is best for rapid clean-ups of smaller surfaces. Simply rub the glove across the object in question – from an accent table or sofa cushion to a bed pillow – and presto!
- Use white vinegar: If your clothes or bedding are heavily encrusted with cat hair, add one half cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washing machine. The vinegar will effectively loosen these hairs from the fabric fibers. And to combat the vinegar’s acrid smell, add a natural floral sachet (lavender is the most popular) rather than a dryer sheet to your dryer to give your laundry a light, clean scent.
- Use your dryer before your washer: Run your soiled items through the dryer on heat mode before putting them into the washing machine. The tumbling action of the dryer will loosen the cat hairs and trap them in the lint filter. Remember to clean the filter before putting in a fresh load of laundry since a clogged filter not only decreases the machine’s efficiency but it can start a fire.
- Use a carpet rake or rubber broom: If you have low-pile carpets in your home, either one will work wonders when it comes to removing the cat hair that regular vacuum cleaners may leave behind.
- Use a damp cloth or sponge: Excellent for removing cat hair from furniture, rub a dampened cloth or sponge over the surface and the offending cat hairs will form easily removable clumps or blobs.
