Pets – the beloved creatures we allow into our lives to serve as a source of love, comfort, and safety. However, bringing an animal into your family tends to result in an open invitation to not just your house, but your car, as well. Between dog parks, vet visits, and road trips, your animal is in and out of your vehicle more often than you might think. These excursions leave behind a smattering of hair on your seats, on the floor, in the cupholders…the list goes on. But when the time comes to clean your car, the hair is all but impossible to remove with a simple swipe of the vacuum.
At Car Spa, we’ve seen it all. Here’s some advice on how to effortlessly get pet hair out of your car, starting with how to vacuum dog hair from your car.
How to Vacuum Dog Hair From Your Car: Step-By-Step Instructions
To vacuum dog hair from your car, you will need the following items:
- Vacuum (either handheld or with a nozzle attachment)
- Dryer sheets
- Lint roller
- Run the vacuum through your car to remove all the loose hair you can. Many modern vacuums come with upholstery attachments designed specifically for pet hair removal. However, if you do not have these handy, your nozzle attachment will work just fine.
- After vacuuming, gently rub a dryer sheet along any exposed upholstery. This will not only break the status keeping the hair stuck to the fabric but also provide a delightful scent that will eliminate any residual pet odor.
- Follow up by rolling the lint remover brush over the upholstery until all the hair is removed, tossing roll papers that are no longer sticky as you go. Keep in mind that pet supply stores offer similar hair removal tools that may be worth looking into.
Other Options for Cleaning Pet Hair Out of Your Car
Wondering how to clean up dog hair from your car with alternative techniques? We’ve got you covered:
Duct Tape or Sticky Tape
Don’t have a vacuum cleaner or lint roller handy? You can still get rid of the worst of the pet hair with sticky tape; a tried-and-true method for picking up bits that will do a fine job lifting fur and bits out of your upholstery. For best results, wind the tape around your hands and fingers — sticky side out — and pat down the upholstery to collect hair. Since it’s around your hands, it’s easy to reach those tight, awkward crevices. While this may be effective, it’s hardly the most glamorous method; make sure you have anti-bacterial hand gel at the ready.
Velcro Hair Curlers
Unconventional? Maybe. Great in a pinch? You bet! Lint rollers and tape have a finite amount of stickiness, however, velcro curlers’ prolonged tips make them surprisingly good at lifting hairs and won’t need to be constantly replaced.
Rubber Gloves and Water
Creative as it is simple, using rubber gloves and water is an easy method to give a go. Put on a pair of rubber gloves, wet them a bit with water, and then run your hands over the carpet. Hairs should cling to the gloves, leaving the carpets appearing fresher. Your mileage may vary depending on what type of hair your pet has.
Fabric Softener
Mix a couple tablespoons of fabric softener with water in a spray bottle. Apply the mixture onto paper towels, and use them to wipe up your dog’s hair. The loosened hairs can be vacuumed or simply brushed off when the solution dries. The best part? It will leave your car smelling fresh!
Since fabric softener is designed to be used on — you guessed it — fabrics, damage is unlikely. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry; before applying fabric softener in your car, test a small portion of your vehicle’s fabric to ensure it won’t stain.
Balloons
Inflatable balloons can be used to get rid of loose hair covering your seats and carpet. Use the static electricity created by rubbing a balloon on another surface to attract errant strands. While arguably a far cry from the first method you should test out, balloons can be used as a last resort or even as a fun way of getting your kids involved in cleaning dog hair from your car.
Preventing Dog Hair From Plaguing Your Car
If you’re sick of dog hair in your car, make sure you’re doing everything you can to prevent the problem from happening.
- Brush your pet: It’s a good idea to brush your pet before letting them in the vehicle, ensuring any loose hair is removed beforehand and minimizing the amount of pet hair that enters your car.
- Invest in seat covers: Save yourself some time, and top off your clean seats with a towel or canvas set cover made specifically to fit in your vehicle. They span onto the head rests between the front and back seats, providing a hammock-like shield against pet hair and dirt; this is much easier to clean and maintain than hair-covered upholstery.
Tired of Having Dog Hair In Your Car? Turn to the Pros!
Our specialists know it better than anyone; keeping your car clean — both its interior and exterior — is a time-consuming task that requires specialized equipment, tools, and expertise. Feel like your car is overdue for a clean-up? Bring it into one of our Car Spa locations, and we’ll make sure to take good care of you and your vehicle. For more information about places to get your car detailed or getting a car wash in Houston, TX, get in touch with us today!
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