Usually, I try to vacuum the house to remove pet fur from my living space while my dog is at doggie daycare. The vacuum is her enemy; but fluffs of fur lining the stairs, floors, and even my clothes are my nemesis.

Combating cat and dog shedding is almost a daily effort.

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Almost. The trouble is my dog’s not at daycare every day, and sometimes I’m at work when she is. Yet, the fight goes on and often I must clean pet fur with my dog barking and lunging at the vacuum cleaner like it’s an evil beast from which she must guard the entire house. The struggle is real.

Fortunately, she doesn’t feel the same way about the washer and dryer, so at least I get to do laundry without the drama. So, let’s start with laundry, then look at other cleaning and grooming ways to keep flying fur at bay.

Here are some effective strategies to help remove pet fur from your clothes and living space.

How to remove pet fur from clothes

If you have pets, fur on clothes is a given. I have three cats in all the colours (black, torti, and orange) and a black and white dog, so no matter what I wear, pet fur will be visible. I know I’m putting a lot of fur-covered clothing in the washing machine. I must have a good dryer filter, because it’s always filled with both laundry lint and plenty of fur.

I’d never considered laundering clothes any differently than I have been until FurZapper (affiliate link) sent me a set of FurZappers – circular rubber discs with cutouts (that look a bit like Scrubby Daddy) in colours: one yellow and one green. (Find FurZapper in Canada here).

The idea is to throw one in the washing machine with your clothes – it doesn’t matter which – and toss the other one in the dryer with the same load of clothes. Simple.

The idea is the FurZapper will capture pet fur during both the wash and drying cycles, preventing pet hair from clinging to your clothes once washed and dried. Then simply rinse the fur off both discs – if necessary.

FurZapper Review

Using the FurZapper is easy – select one colour for the wash and one colour for the dryer. Add them to the machines. Note that the company recommends you use one per pet. So, according to the product instructions, I should have used four. I used one.

The discs held up in the wash and dry and did not get damaged, but in my case, there wasn’t a lot of fur sticking to either, so there wasn’t much to rinse off. Instead, the discs are designed to send the fur down the drain in the wash and into the filter in the dryer.

After using one in the wash and one in the dryer, I had no fur on the clothes but a lot of fur in the dryer’s lint trap. This was especially true after I washed and dried the throws I use to cover the furniture – everything is draped with a blanket, thanks to three sets of feline front claws in the house.

How to Clean Pet Fur from Your Home

• Vacuum Cleaners: Ultimately, vacuuming your home a lot (I need to do more), even if your crazy spaniel snaps at the machine. Invest in a high-quality vacuum cleaner designed for pet hair. I love my Dyson Stowaway I’ve used for years, but owning a Dyson Cyclone V10 animal cordless vacuum (affiliate link) is a life goal.
• Lint Rollers and Pet Hair Removers: If you have pets, you have fur on your clothes. One trip I learned from likely the Martha Stewart magazine was to use a ribbon and tie a lint roller (affiliate link) on the door handle where you can find it quickly – especially when heading to work.  
• Microfibre Cloths: For hard surfaces, use a slightly damp microfiber cloth (affiliate link) to wipe away fur. Microfibre attracts and holds onto pet hair better than traditional dusters. Side note: I also use a microfibre cloth hanging beside the back door for wiping wet paws after a backyard bathroom break.

Regular Dog Grooming to Combat Shedding

The most proactive way to manage shedding is through regular grooming. Personally, I love the job my groomer does of washing, fluffing, and de-shedding. But that can get pricey.

Brushing your dog yourself several times a week can significantly reduce the amount of loose fur – plus, groomers love it. Groomer suggests brushing a dog three times a week is a good number, but I have to admit, I don’t get near to that frequency. I usually brush after each bath with quality dog bath products about two or three times a month.

The Neakasa Deshedding Tool

However, I do like my Neakasa Pro Grooming Kit, which I discovered at SuperZoo and was sent a product to write an honest product review (my Neakasa Grooming Kit product review). Admittedly, for me, it hasn’t replaced a professional groomer entirely, but I love the combing and shedding tool that actually vacuums fur into a canister while brushing or combing.

The Neakasa Grooming Kit – and dog dryer – works well on my spaniel (and there’s a Neakasa Father’s Day sale on now), but I’m still getting my orange cat used to it. Until I do, I’m combatting orange fur all over my house and clothes, those washing tools like the FurZapper are helping.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria. Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!