Get Rid of Pet Hair: 5 Easy Ways for Dog and Cat Owners
Dreame Editorial Team
|
We all love our pets, but it's safe to say we don't love their hair shedding everywhere in our homes. Whether it’s long golden retriever strands or fine cat fluff, shedding can quickly become overwhelming. It clings to couches, carpets, clothes, and for allergy sufferers, it’s more than annoying; it’s uncomfortable.
The good news? With the right mix of tools, habits, and smart cleaning tech, staying on top of pet hair is totally doable.
Here’s a useful guide to getting rid of pet hair and reclaiming a clean, healthy, and fur-free home.
Why Timely Removal of Pet Hair Matters
Pet hair buildup can cause:
Make your home feel dusty and dirty
Damage vacuum filters over time
Trigger allergies and asthma
Studies show 6 in 10 households in the United States have furry pets, and some 10–20% of the global population suffers from dog- and cat-hair-related allergies, so discomfort can be very real. It isn’t just the hair itself—it is also the dander from dogs and cats.
For the sake of home and health, pet owners can remove dog and cat hair through a range of efforts. Routine cleaning is a good baseline to start from.
How Often Should You Vacuum with Pets?
It depends on:
The number and type of pets
Shedding seasons (typically spring and fall)
Whether you have allergy or asthma sufferers at home
Heavy shedders like German Shepherds or Golden Retrievers may require daily cleaning during peak shedding seasons. Cats can pose a different challenge than dogs because of their hair characteristics and unique habits, but you can learn “How to Choose a Vacuum for Cat Hair and Litter" to make cleaning easier.
Daily Maintenance Strategies
To effectively prevent excessive dog and cat shedding, regular brushing is a good start, catching it before it lands all over the furniture and carpet. And don't forget adhesive lint rollers—they're super handy for quick touch-ups to remove dog and cat hair from clothes and upholstery.
Deshedding routines for dogs and cats typically involve regular brushing with specialized tools to remove the loose undercoat and reduce the amount of hair shed around the home.
Consistent deshedding not only keeps your house cleaner but also promotes a healthier coat and skin for your dog or cat by preventing matting and improving air circulation.
Pet Hair Removal Tools & Products
Specialized deshedding tools for dogs include:
Rakes that reach deep into the undercoat and remove loose hair without damaging the topcoat.
Slicker brushes and grooming gloves can help with surface tangles and gentle fur removal.
High-velocity dryers are often used by professionals after bathing to blow out loose undercoat hair. The process can also include a bath using specialized deshedding shampoo and conditioner. Bath frequency depends on the breed and shedding patterns, with heavily shedding dogs often needing one every 4–6 weeks.
Cats, too, benefit from reduced amounts of undercoat hair, leading to less shedding around your home, fewer hairballs, and a healthier, more comfortable coat. Special cat grooming tools reach into the undercoat to pull out loose, dead hair that's just waiting to fall onto your furniture, while grooming gloves gather loose fur as you simply pet your cat.
Dreame Take Look for a vacuum that actually lifts embedded pet hair, like the Dreame H14 Pro Wet and Dry Vacuum. It has powerful suction, edge-to-edge cleaning, and built-in intelligence for smarter, easier, and more thorough cleaning.
Woolen pet dryer balls are another element in the arsenal. Designed to circulate in a clothes dryer alongside laundry, they assist in gathering stray pet hair from clothing.
Pet hair removal brooms, often made with rubber or electrostatic bristles, also help by gathering stubborn fur from various surfaces, including carpets and hard floors. Unlike traditional brooms, they attract and collect hair rather than scatter it.
High-Tech Help for Pet Hair Control
Manual tools help, but smart tech keeps fur under control 24/7. Here’s some tech to consider:
Cordless vacuums like the Dreame Z30 make it easy to clean furniture, stairs, and corners and keep them fur-free.
The Dreame X50 Ultra Robot Vacuum vacuums and mops on schedule, even when you're not home. Learn more about picking the right robot vacuum using this guide: “Robot Vacuums and Pets: What You Need to Know.”
An air purifier like the AirPursue PM10 captures airborne pet dander and hair, so you breathe easier.
How to Get Rid of Pet Hair in Specific Areas
In addition to general cleaning, there are actions you can take to remove dog and cat hair from specific home areas and personal items:
Carpet
Pet hair, dander, and odor in your carpet are common as long as pets stay indoors, but there are effective methods of eliminating them. You'll want to use a combination of methods, starting with a good pet-specific vacuum cleaner along with tools like rubber gloves, squeegees, or even a damp cloth to lift those stubborn embedded hairs.
For more info, check out this guide on “5 Ways To Remove Pet Hair And Smells From Carpet.”
Furniture
Another challenge is keeping furniture clear from dog and cat hair, but there are solutions for that too. Try using a damp rubber glove, an adhesive lint roller, or simply vacuuming with an upholstery attachment.
Couches
The couch is often a favorite spot for dogs and cats, too. Some of the simple methods mentioned earlier help by gripping and gathering the hair into easy-to-remove clumps.
Laundry and Washing Machine
Not surprisingly, the washing machine ends up with a lot of pet hair. You can pre-treat items with a lint roller or by shaking them out and using a pet hair remover ball or a cup of white vinegar in the wash cycle.
Clothes
We love to interact with our cats and dogs, but that often means hair left on our clothing. A lint roller is your best friend for quick touch-ups; for stubborn hair, put on a damp rubber glove and run your hand over the fabric.
Inside the Car
Our motor vehicle is also often a repository for our pets’ hair as we bring them with us on errands, trips, or to the vet. A car-specific vacuum with good attachments can hit all those nooks and crannies.
⭐Extra read: How to Keep Dog Hair Out of Your Pool: 8 Expert Tips for a Clean Swim.
What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Pet Hair?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but a combo of the right tools and routines is key.
Quick hacks:
Keep lint rollers by the door and couch.
Groom pets before guests arrive.
Use air purifiers in bedrooms and living areas.
Let a robot vacuum run daily when you're out.
Pro-tip Explore more pet-related cleaning tips by reading “Things Every Dog Owner Should Know About Vacuums
Final Thoughts: Let the Fur Stay with Pets, Not the Couch
Pets fill our lives with immense joy, but dog and cat hair can test our patience. For people with allergies, it can stretch far beyond just annoyance.
But it doesn't have to be a big battle. With the right tools, like Dreame’s high-powered vacuums, smart robots, and sleek air purifiers, you’ll spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your pets.
Read our series for pet owners
How to Keep Your House Clean With Pets Around
Robot Vacuums and Pets: What You Need to Know Robot Vacuums for Pet Hair in 2025
Get Rid of Pet Hair: 5 Easy Ways for Dog and Cat Owners How to Get Pet Hair Out of a Car
5 Ways To Remove Pet Hair And Smells From Carpet
How to Choose a Vacuum for Cat Hair and Litter
9 Surprising Things Every Dog Owner Should Know About Vacuums