Like many dogs, Henry sheds like crazy. Fellow pet owners often message me asking how I manage to keep my home clean and free of dog hair. The honest answer? I don’t! Well, not completely, anyway. I love Henry more than anything in the world, and while the constant shedding can be a bit annoying, it’s part of having a pet. Someday, hopefully many years from now, I know I’d give anything to see Henry’s little tumbleweeds of fur rolling across the floor again. His hair is part of him, and I cherish every bit of it.
That said, I’m also a recovering Type A personality, so I do what I can to minimize the mess. I vacuum frequently (often daily), change our bed linens twice a week, and use a handful of tried-and-true tools to reduce pet hair on our furniture, rugs, and bedding.
If you're looking for ways to keep a clean home with pets, especially if you're dealing with stubborn dog hair on upholstery or carpets, I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite tools and techniques. These are the things that truly help me stay on top of the shedding and keep our home feeling fresh.
Whether you have a heavy shedder like Henry or just want to cut down on the fur buildup around your home, these pet hair removal tips will hopefully make a big difference.
This one is cute and functional. I hide these lint rollers behind things like chairs and beds so I can quickly grab them and touch up when needed. Having multiple around the house and quickly accessible makes this chore feel as effortless as possible. The sheets are so sticky, and what sets this apart from others like it is the sturdy metal handle. The plastic handles are so flimsy that they don't do as good a job as this metal-handled version!
3-Pack Tools
The tool in the middle with the teal handle changed my life. No exaggeration. It will change yours, too, if you have carpeted steps. No matter how much I vacuumed our steps, I always felt like hair would build up in the creases and sides. I use this tool about once a month because it takes a little extra time and effort, and we have two sets of steps in our home. I vacuum the steps a few times a week, but this tool removes the extra hair the vacuum can't pick up because of the steps' shape. You just run this in the crevices and near the edges, and it picks up the hair. If you ever notice hair piling up near the baseboards, this works there, too. It works SO well. I would only use it on tough carpeting because it's harsh. The other two tools are gentler for things like upholstery and work well.
I keep some sort of hair remover in every room so I can grab a tool and tidy whenever I have a few minutes. I even keep one in my nightstand drawer so I can use it every morning when I'm making the bed.
This is better for the environment and your wallet since you won't have to purchase refills. It's so easy to use, you just pull back on whatever surface, and it traps the hair. This is a must-have for me, but it's not perfect. I love it on upholstered furniture. I use this for maintenance, and then when I really want to make sure things are 'perfect', I go in with the disposable sticky lint roller. There is a reason this thing gets over 100k 5-star reviews, and it's one of those things where I believe the brand name is worth the slightly higher price tag. This is pretty gentle, but because it has a rubber part, I wouldn't use it on anything with beading or detailed embroidery.
Lint Roller Brush
This is very similar to the roller above, but it is a wand version and doesn't have a rubber part, so it's gentler. I use this on my 'fancier' fabrics, and because it's slimmer, it's easier to get around things like curved arms on chairs. I like this on bedding, too.
Mitt
This is very similar to the roller and the wand I shared, but I love the mitt format for quickness and ease. I think this is quicker than the other methods, particularly for our bed! Then I'll go in with the sticky lint roller to make sure everything else is picked up.
Car Tool
I keep this tool in my car. It is small and compact. It removes hair from carpeted areas in a vehicle SO well. With its shape, you can get into every nook and cranny. Sometimes, when my husband is driving, I use this, and it feels like I'm multitasking.
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