Asked on Sep 19, 2013

Pet hair galore!! What do you do?

Andria
by Andria
We have three pugs. They probably should not be allowed on the furniture, but we love our dogs. We enjoy having them sit beside us. We have tried to NOT allow them on the furniture, but we are not the best at it.

We have dark brown, microfiber living room furniture and have 3 fawn colored pugs. They are heaving shedders. The hair really shows on our furniture and isn't easy to vacuum off. I have even tried to use the sticky paper rollers, but that doesn't work well.

What is the best way to control the dog hair on our furniture? We do work long hours from the house so we want quick and easy (doesn't everyone?).

We are needing to buy a hand vac for this purpose (along with stair cleaning and car vacuuming). I have posted a question about best hand vacs, also!!
  37 answers
  • DIANE DIANE on Sep 19, 2013
    I have a cat that sheds bad and I use a brush that I purchased that is micro fiber and used to remove hair from your clothes it works really well much better than a vac,I hAVE SEEN THEM AT WALMART BUT I GOT MINE AT BED BATH & Beyond
    • Andria Andria on Sep 19, 2013
      @DIANE Cat hair is different. It does wipe off. Pug hair is stiff and sort of sticks into the fabric. Wiping doesn't work to get it off.
  • S137 S137 on Sep 19, 2013
    I lived with two cats--one white and one black--for many years. I was never able to sit on my own furniture until I discovered the ultimate solution! Leather furniture. Pet hair vanishes with a quick dusting or a damp cloth. You can even take a deep breath and blow it off! For pet hair on carpet, I swear by my Dyson "Animal", by the way.
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    • S137 S137 on Sep 20, 2013
      Love my leather, also some vinyl upholstered pieces. Easy care. No dust mites. I also love my non-shedding dog. I will never again live with an animal that sheds.
  • Larose LoganOakes Larose LoganOakes on Sep 19, 2013
    One quick way of keeping the dogs off of the furniture is to roll out a roll of bubble wrap and tuck it in at the back and sides of the sofa! When you have company you can remove the bubble wrap and shake it outside to remove any and all dog hair.This makes it easier for you and the dogs. They don't like the sound that the bubble wrap makes. Hopefully they won't eat it. BTW I have two dogs(1 white and 1 black) and two long haired cats so I learned to turn all of my black clothes inide out when hanging them up or putting them away.This helps to control how much hair gets onto the clothes.I also use a Pet Zoom brush to brush the hair off of the furniture.It is the same brush that you would use to brush your dogs or cats. I bought a Bissell upright vacuum with a pet hair remover attachment and the attachment never worked very well so that was a bust. You really just have to learn how to live with the hair when all else fails. Best of luck!:)
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    • Larose LoganOakes Larose LoganOakes on Sep 19, 2013
      @Andria I like my dogs to sit with me too but she weighs 85 lbs and she thinks that she is a lap dog. Notttt!!!!!! That doesn't stop her from sitting with me, on me on the couch.LOL!:)
  • Kim Kim on Sep 19, 2013
    I just throw blankets over the furniture. Once a week I take them off an wash them. when company is coming over just remove them.
    • Andria Andria on Sep 19, 2013
      @Kim I have thought about that. I would have to find blankets I like for this purpose. I would want them to look nice.
  • Andria Andria on Sep 19, 2013
    Thanks for the answers, but I'm still hoping for more ideas.
  • Christy D. Christy D. on Sep 19, 2013
    We have the same problem with our golden. She's a heavy shedder as well and it is a constant struggle to clean it up. I found king sized sheets that I liked and keep it on the furniture until company comes over. I hope someone does reply with some helpful tips (that we haven't already tried) because I could use them as well. I have to sweep several times a day just to keep up with the hair on the floor.
  • Andria Andria on Sep 19, 2013
    Christy D, I could stand to sweep several times a day; however, I just don't have the time. I work long hours!
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Sep 19, 2013
    I have leather furniture in one room and my animals
  • Andria Andria on Sep 19, 2013
    S137,I will have to remember what you said when I have to purchase new furniture! Is leather usually more modern looking? We prefer a more rustic or country look (goes with the house). I know of the Fly Lady!! I have never really purchased her products, but have read her stuff. I am overwhelmed by the emails I receive from her. I only purchased her book and the Fly Manual pages years ago.
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    • Andria Andria on Sep 20, 2013
      @Cheri Fettes Thanks, I am going to take a look!!!
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Sep 19, 2013
    I some how posted above but wasn't finished, but any how my animals haven't even hurt it. But I have another room with upholstered furniture I have a canister vacuum and it cleans great I use the brush attachment to clean the couch and chair, I have a customer I not only vacuum hers but they have a sponge made to pickup animal hair or use a slightly damp microfiber cloth and rub across the couch not wet wet but damp.
  • Marieanne Honsberger Marieanne Honsberger on Sep 19, 2013
    we have leather furniture as well, just a few marks from claws :) a good leather cleaner works wonders. I also use sheets on our back room couch with an old blanket under it. Sheets get bleached weekly blankets help keep the dirty wet feet from soaking onto the cushions. Love my animals :)
  • Z Z on Sep 19, 2013
    Andria I've had a Dyson Animal and though I loved it, at just before the five year warranty was up the belt broke and I had to send it in since Dyson seals their vaccuums because of theft of design. When it was sent it was believed that they would add new brushes. They did not so it's virtually worthless other than on hard floors. I wasn't going to pay that kind of money again so for a hundred and fifty I bought a Bissell that was made for animal hair. Both my son and I feel it's better than the Dyson every was and we can change the belt when it breaks! It has a special attachment for the hose that has what appears to be a silcone blade that grabs the hair and lifts it right off furniture. And yes cat hair weaves it way into woven fabric too. A couple other ideas are wearing latex gloves and wiping to loosen the hair and then vacuuming it. Or do the same using the pet hair remover sponges. Ofcourse these last two are not an easy task. They take muscle and hard rubbing. Personally I'd go with the Bissell made for animal hair.
  • Z Z on Sep 19, 2013
    Oh and I see those double sided silicone bushes at WM each time I buy kitty littler. I have one, but rarely use it since I use the sponge or vacuum. The sponge is usually less expensive if you purchase it as "screen cleaner" then as a pet sponge. Same exact thing.
  • Gra232171 Gra232171 on Sep 19, 2013
    We vacuum our lab every other day and he loves it. just a plain canister vacuum and only takes a few minutes. that helps a lot.
  • Margie  Newman Margie Newman on Sep 19, 2013
    We have several kitties; hate the hair but love the kitties!!! Pledge makes a pet hair remover.....it is wonderful!!! Use it exactly as instructions; when the top fills with hair you can take it apart carefully, empty, reuse it. I have microfiber furniture(dark brown) so I bought some of those cuddly throws that are available everywhere, wash every 7-10 days........they work great also!!!
    • Babby Blair Babby Blair on Sep 21, 2013
      @Margie Newman I have one of those also and LOVE it. I wonder if they still make them. I wanted to get another and couldn't find one.
  • Andria Andria on Sep 19, 2013
    Thanks, Margie. I did try the Pledge pet hair remover. It did not work at all. I hated it. Like I stated before, cat hair is much finer than Pug hair. It will "wipe" off. The Pug hair will stick in the fabric.
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    • Margie  Newman Margie Newman on Sep 22, 2013
      @Andria Some of my kitties have hair that stick in the fiber; when this happens I just maneuver the motion of the cleaner;it takes a bit but you get it out!!! Good Luck!!! Margie
  • Andria Andria on Sep 19, 2013
    I have heard of people who do this. Our one Pug is scared to death of the vacuum. She goes crazy when you go near the vacuum. She also freaks about the hairdryer.
    • Larose LoganOakes Larose LoganOakes on Sep 21, 2013
      @Andria My larger dog has very sensitive hearing so I cannot use the vacuum when she is in the house. I have to put her outside in order to vacuum. She also hates the sound of running water?? I don't know what is up with this crazy dog of mine but we love her anyway!:)
  • Andria Andria on Sep 20, 2013
    Becky, Thanks! I will certainly take a look
  • Nancy Nancy on Sep 20, 2013
    get a pair of cheap yellow rubber gloves. Put them on and rake up the hair. It works great!
  • Pam Kaiser Pam Kaiser on Sep 20, 2013
    I have two cats. Tried lots of things, one of my favorites is a damp sponge. Rub it over upholstery and it rolls the hair up.
    • Vicki Lehman Vicki Lehman on Sep 21, 2013
      @Pam Kaiser This is the main way we clean our cat's fur off our furniture--it works great!!!
  • Karen Simon Karen Simon on Sep 20, 2013
    @Andria We have 3 dogs, 2 blonde,1 black. Our dogs don't get on the couch but we still used to have hair all over it. I got tired of spending hours cleaning it off so bought something called a pet cover. It's really easy to put on and take off ( you can put it in the washer) and has cut down on all that hair.
  • Shari Shari on Sep 20, 2013
    My daughter has 2 cats, 2 dogs and a chocolate brown microfiber sofa and chair. She has the same problem with pet hair on her furniture. I found her a chocolate brown flat bed sheet at the thrift store for a couple dollars but that doesn't stay in place very well so I'm thinking about ordering her these covers to try. Don't know what kind of quality they are but they certainly aren't a bad price. http://www.ltdcommodities.com/For-the-Home/Furniture/Furniture%2BCovers/Quilted-Sueded-Furniture-Covers/prod320980.jmp?sorted=Y&navAction=push&fm=leftnav&categoryId=cat51874&navCount=0 They would be easy to pull off if company came over and throwing them in the washer every week or two would sure be a lot easier than trying to keep the furniture vacuumed regularly.
  • Christine Christine on Sep 20, 2013
    I do not have dogs but my friend does. She learned somewhere to keep dogs off the furniture: Take a normal metal measuring tape and stretch it out across the couch, near the front. Maybe 3 inches from the front from what I see at her place. Voila. the dogs do not get on the couch. She also has another measuring tape on her chair, same thing. She just leaves them there.
  • Christine Christine on Sep 20, 2013
    Oh, and for removing pet hair from furniture, they have out now those sticky rollers like the ones advertised on TV under the brand name Sticky Buddy. It's not like the rollers where you peel off the paper. The roll is made of a material that is very sticky when dry, but not sticky when wet. So you roll the couch, and the hair sticks very well to it, and then rinse it under the tap and the hair comes right off. Or dunk it in a sink full of water like in the ad.
  • Karen Simon Karen Simon on Sep 21, 2013
    @Andria I got mine at a local store that is kind of like a small Walmart. I looked it up online on the Walmart site, it's actually called a couch pet protector.
  • Andria Andria on Sep 21, 2013
    :)
  • Babby Blair Babby Blair on Sep 21, 2013
    there is also an attachment you can get for your vacuum cleaner that works pretty good. I find that when I am a better house keeper it also helps. lol If I vacuum every week and give them a bath every 2 weeks it REALLY makes a difference. I slack off in the summer with all the activities but as soon as I get back to the regular routine it makes a huge difference. I think the regular baths helps. helps wash out all the dead hair.
  • Mary B Mary B on Sep 21, 2013
    I put on my rubber gloves, and get them damp....then just wipe over the cushions and you will be amazed at how much pet hair comes away! Good luck, pets are worth the bother don't you think!
  • Andria Andria on Sep 21, 2013
    Larose, I have no idea why Lolo does this. The other pugs are not bothered by it. She will bark at a vacuum that isn't even running. She acts like that over the hairdryer, also.
  • Andria Andria on Sep 21, 2013
    Thanks, Larose. I will check them out!
  • Andria Andria on Sep 21, 2013
    Yes, Mary, they are worth the bother! :)
  • Angela Angela on Sep 21, 2013
    My mother-in-law shaves her pug once or twice a year. She isn't shaved bald, just thinned to help with shedding, and it DOES help. The dog still looks normal. In fact, you can't tell she's been groomed unless you touch her and then you realize the hair isn't as thick.
  • Pat Huntley Pat Huntley on Sep 22, 2013
    The least expensive and super effective way to remove pet hair - put on your rubber gloves (the ones you use to protect your hands; not disposables); start from one end and rub your gloved hand along the surface. All the hair, and dirt, rolls up so you can just pick it up and put it in the trash. Fluffs the nap on your furniture too. We have 4 dogs and 4 cats and I do this once a week or so.
  • Jeanette Jeanette on Sep 22, 2013
    Dampen a sponge and sweep it over the fabric. Pull the hair off of the sponge frequently. I have also just used my dampened hand. Wide masking tape will work, but it does take more time and more effort than the sponge or hand. I have cats and a dog.
  • Bonnie Lewenza Bonnie Lewenza on Sep 23, 2013
    I have every pet gadget known to man as I can't stand hair on my furnishings. I have a large red mitt that I use that is made works great, and I have a rubber broom that pulls even the smallest of hair out of the furniture. Oh did I mention I have a all whit cat and a mostly white dog with dark wine furniture....yeah what was I thinking. Then I have my vacuum which you need to get the dander out. But the one thing that I would not give up for nothing is my fantastic steamer, when I pull that out I mean business, it takes every speck of hair off and sanitizes the furniture.
  • Liliana Wells Liliana Wells on Sep 27, 2013
    I love my Dyson Vacuum cleaner model DC33. Among the attachments is a special brush for pet air. See their website for more info. In a pinch you can use packing tape reverse wound around your hand and pat the cushions to pick up the dogs' hair. Good luck
  • Lynn R Lynn R on Mar 19, 2016
    We also have pugs 5 of them and boxers. Pugs tend to throw hair sorta like a porcupine throws their quills when they get excited happy or play. I always keep sheets on the furniture and I have a Dyson Vac with the furniture attachments. It's been a life saver and a back saver. Dyson is pricey but I went on eBay got a brand new one for a fraction of the price. As far as keeping a pug off the furniture that's not going to happen because they love their humans and have to be right with them all the time. I seen some one else say they shave their pug I never heard of that or tried it. Some of my pugs have much thicker hair then others and those shed worse. I also notice some dog foods cause our dogs to shed a lot worse so we stay away from those foods. Also trying to bath them more often during the heavy shedding seasons helps some. Good luck