Figuring out how to get dog hair out of carpet is something that most pet owners struggle with. Depending on the type of fur that your pet has and the type of carpet in your home, this job may be easier said than done.
Regular vacuuming is the best way to prevent dog hair from building up on your carpets, but it won't remove all the hair. When the fur becomes embedded in the fibers of the carpet it can be difficult to remove.
Shed dog hair is one of the small inconveniences that we deal with as part of the pooch package. After decades of pet ownership, I've finally found a few tried and true methods that work when learning how to get dog hair out of carpet.
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How To Get Dog Hair Out of Carpet
How to vacuum dog hair from carpeting
If you are dead set on vacuuming the dog hair out of your carpet, there are a couple of tricks to make it easier. You can pick up a sponge mop at any department store for just a few dollars. It has a long sponge-covered head at the end of the mop instead of a traditional mop head.
A sponge mop will be one of your most effective tools when learning how to get dog hair out of carpet. Make sure the mop head is clean, and spray it LIGHTLY with water.
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As you run the mop head over the carpet you'll notice the dog hair beginning to clump. You should be able to pick up most of it with your fingers. After you've mopped the entire floor, use your vacuum to clean up the remaining dog hair.
You can also use liquid fabric softener to loosen hair that is embedded in your carpets. Gather the following supplies:
- an empty spray bottle
- water
- liquid fabric softener
- vacuum
Fill the spray bottle with one part fabric softener to 3 parts water. LIGHTLY spray the carpet you want to clean. You don't want to saturate the rug. A light mist that will just moisten the top of the carpet is perfect.
Le the carpet dry completely, and then vacuum. The fabric softener will loosen the hair that is stuck in the fibers of the carpet and allow the vacuum to suck it up.
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“Combing” dog hair out of carpet
When discussing how to get dog hair out of carpet, one of the most popular method used is “combing.” This is the practice of using an object to brush the carpeting and pull out embedded dog hair.
In my video guide, you'll see that I use a Kong Zoom Groom brush to comb the dog hair out of the throw rugs in our home. It works wonderfully! The trick is the material that the brush is made of.
In order to comb hair out of your carpets, you'll need a tool made of a rubber-like material. The hair sticks to the rubber and will be pulled out of your carpet very easily.
Other tools that will work to comb dog hair out of carpet include:
- a squeegee
- rubber gloves
- a grooming glove
- carpet rakes or rubber brooms
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Preventative measures
Learning how to get dog hair out of carpet is as much about the preventative measures as the cleaning process. If you take the time to vacuum your home regularly, it will prevent a lot of the fur from becoming embedded in the carpet.
When your dog sheds hair, it falls lightly onto the top of the carpet. The foot traffic in your home pushes those shed hairs down into the carpeting. Frequent vacuuming will help to suck up some of that hair before it has the chance to work it's way down into the carpet fibers.
We'll never be able to completely stop our pet's from shedding, but reducing the amount of hair they shed is a great preventative measure.
Brushing your dog regularly is the best thing that you can do to reduce the amount of hair he sheds. Of course, “regularly” is used very loosely, as the frequency of brushing will be based on your dog's coat.
If you have a thick or double-coated breed that sheds excessively, you should be brushing him daily to remove loose hair. If your dog is just a mild shedder, you can probably get away with brushing him every other day or every three days.
Just remember, the more often you brush him and the more hair you remove from his coat, the less hair you'll have to remove from your carpets.
If you're looking for tips on how to stop your dog from shedding, you can check out my video guide on the subject. In it I explain different ways to reduce the amount of hair your pet sheds and some tips for keeping shed hair out of your home.
FULL GUIDE: How To Stop Dogs From Shedding – Step-By-Step Instructions
