A bunch of thick, beautiful hair is a wonderful thing to behold, as long as it's on your head. If it's on your sofa, then it's not so great. In fact, most would call it gross. That's why it makes sense to remove hair off your couch as soon as you find it. Unfortunately, if you're a pet owner, then you already know picking it up by hand isn't that easy. A little research discovered a lot of new ways to remove that gnarly hair!
Though manual removal can be good in small doses, there are other, faster methods to get hair off a couch. The best methods include:
- Using a roller brush
- Vacuuming your couch
- Rubbing the couch down with damp rubber gloves
- Using a squeegee to get rid of pet hair
- Rubbing the area with dryer sheets
Which option works best with your sofa can change based on the type of hair that you're lifting, how much of the stuff you have, and the material of your couch. Let's take a look at each option a little closer.
Hair Removal Methods For Your Couch
There are several different types of hair that you can find yourself picking up: human hair, pet hair, and fabric "hair" from those clothes you really should throw out. We're going to make things easy by showing which method works best in each situation.
Use A Roller Brush
Roller brushes have been the go-to for removing pet hair, regular hair, and almost everything else from clothing. Heck, if you have a grey comforter that's a hair magnet, you probably also can use it on this, too. Unsurprisingly, roller brushes are great for couches of all types and are fairly effective at picking up hair.
Just peel off a new layer of sticky tape, roll the brush against the hairy area, and you'll see great results. This works to remove all types of debris, especially hair.
Click here to get lint roller brushes from Amazon.
Vacuum Your Couch
When you're faced with a ton of hair of all types, the tried and true method is to use a hand vacuum to pick up the stuff. If you use a vacuum, be aware that certain types of hair can clog the filters and wreck the brush. So if you want to use this, make sure that you make a point of cleaning things out as soon as you notice your vacuum struggling. Even so, it's a hyper-effective method and is worth noting.
Vacuuming your couch can also do double-duty. If you want to deodorize your sofa while you remove hair, sprinkle some baking soda on it, let it sit for half an hour, then vacuum everything up.
Click here to get a handheld vacuum from Amazon.
The Damp Rubber Glove Trick
If you have a couch that's been covered in cat hair or fine dog fur, you might be able to get it off with a super easy, super cheap trick. As it turns out, rubber has a way of making hair (and fur) cling to it. One of the easiest ways to remove pet hair is to dampen a pair of rubber gloves and start rubbing your couch.
As you run your hands over the couch, you'll see chunks of fur start to cling to your gloves. Once you're done, just toss out the fur chunks and give your gloves a rinse. If you don't want to use your dish gloves, that's okay. They have specialized gloves for this too.
Click here to get pet hair gloves from Amazon.
Squeegee It Out
Squeegees operate in a similar style to rubber gloves when it comes to hair removal. However, this tends to be a method that works best on thinner hair like cat hair. To use a squeegee as a hair remover, run it up and down the sofa as you would a window. The rubber part of the squeegee will start to grab the hair, pulling it away from the sofa.
Like with the glove trick, you can also wet the squeegee to get a better clean. If you have seats in your car that are covered by pet hair, this is a good go-to method.
Click here to get a heavy-duty squeegee from Amazon.
Use Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets are an amazing go-to for microfiber sofas, fabric sofas, and other sofas that involve laundry-friendly materials. Unlike squeegees and rubber gloves, dryer sheets can pick up anything. This treatment also offers up a nice, clean scent after you're done. Overall, you couldn't ask for a better way to pick up hair in a pinch.
To get the best possible results, it's best to buy dryer sheets that are specifically made to help guard against pet hair. A close second would be to get sheets that have a nice lavender scent, simply because it's so nice to relax on a scented couch.
Click here to get dryer sheets from Amazon.
Preventative Questions
With pet hair, it's pretty clear that prevention is the best way to avoid having to toil away at pet hair removal day after day. The most obvious solution is to train your pets to stop sitting on your couch, but that's not always a popular decision. After all, who doesn't love snuggling on the couch with their favorite pup or kitten?
In lieu of being able to say no to those big puppy dog eyes begging for a spot on the couch, these questions can help you prep your couch for a more pet-friendly time.
What Dog Breeds Don't Shed?
If you want to avoid getting a dog that sheds, you're in luck. There are tons of breeds that don't shed, including hairless breeds like Chinese Cresteds. We'd suggest looking into a Bichon Frise, Poodles, Labradoodles, and Cockapoos, just to name a few. When in doubt, ask a breeder about how heavy the dog's shedding load is.
What Is The Best Upholstery Material For Pets?
Without a doubt, the best material for a couch's upholstery in a pet-friendly home is microfiber, also known as microsuede. This material is famous for being resilient against stains, easy to clean, and remarkably cozy. Even though microfiber towels are known for being absorbent, this upholstery doesn't absorb odors. Even when it does, a quick baking soda/vacuum session will make the smell go away.
A close runner up to microfiber would be canvas. Canvas couches may not be as common (or as snuggly) but they are incredibly durable. In fact, most canvas is marked as heavy-duty. Since canvas is easy to clean, you also don't have to worry about pet stains.
What Color Couch Shows Dog Hair The Least?
Many owners don't feel like cleaning up pet hair all the time. If you'd rather go the "camouflage" route, then avoid light colored couches at all cost. Instead, try to find a sofa color that somewhat matches your pet's fur color. For example, if you have a white cat, go for a light grey couch. If you have a chocolate lab, try to go for a tawny microsuede sofa. Black cat owners, on the other hand, should get a dark grey or black sofa.
In Closing
If you have a home filled with pets, it's easy to feel overwhelmed when you have to pick up all their hair. It's normal, but thankfully, getting rid of all the hair on a couch doesn't have to be a hassle.
There are a plethora of tools that make removing fur from a couch a cinch. Whether you choose a lint roller, a hand vacuum, or even a dryer sheet doesn't matter. What matters is that you're working smart, rather than hard. As long as you choose the right method for your sofa, you should be able to see fabulous results in a matter of minutes.
If you want to know even more about keeping your couch and other upholstery clean, check out the following posts:
How To Clean A Leather Couch [3 Steps]
How To Clean An Ottoman Or Pouf [Cleaning Method By Fabric Type]