Clean Dog Hair for Good | How to Clean Up After Your Dog

The new year is here and with it those shiny resolutions. Being a dog owner, maybe one of your resolutions is literally a shiny one - to keep your house clean from all the dog hair that Fido sheds!

Let’s face it, dog hair everywhere is a fact of ownership. I think most of us would agree though that it's a small price to pay for the joy and companionship our dogs provide us. Those furballs flitting across the floor can be managed with little effort if you give the following tips a go.

Simple Tips to Reduce Dog Hair

Develop a new habit for the new year. Start brushing your pet regularly and you will definitely notice a decrease in dog hair in your home. Regular grooming sessions don’t have to turn into a day at the spa, and depending on your pet’s coat, may only take a few minutes. Brushing removes loose hairs so when your dog scratches or shakes himself, there’s less hair to fall on the floors and furniture. Plus, regular grooming gives you the chance to inspect your pet’s coat and skin for signs of irritation or allergic reactions.

Speaking of floors and furniture, you can keep dog hair at bay, but, just like grooming, it needs to be done regularly for the best results. (I know, I know, those of you who abhor housecleaning are cringing right now.) If you fall into that category and you can afford it, I’d recommend either 1) hiring a cleaning person to clean your house, or 2) investing in a robot vacuum. In addition to freeing you from vacuuming, robot vacuums provide tremendous entertainment for your pets.

For the rest of us, here are a few tips to reduce dog hair on floors and furniture.

An electrostatic dust mop (like a Swiffer) works wonders on bare floors. Mop these floors prior to vacuuming to pick up the majority of hairs and then run the vacuum. Why do this in two steps? You avoid having dog hair blown everywhere by the vacuum’s exhaust because most will have already been collected by the mop.

Try sprinkling baking soda on carpets before vacuuming. The baking soda loosens hairs and deodorizes too.

Wood, laminate, and glass surfaces are like magnets for dog hair. To remove hair from them use a microfiber cloth lightly dampened with water. The key word here is ‘lightly’; the cloth should be barely damp. If it’s too wet, it will just smear the hairs and dust around.

Wipe down hairy upholstery with a lightly dampened sponge or a tool with an edge, for example, a squeegee you’d use for cleaning a bathroom shower. This picks up the dog hair and is reusable so you avoid going through a lot of lint roller paper.

Don't resign yourself to dog hair everywhere. Make this a dog hair-free year!