Superb Dog EditorOver the years, dogs have become a bigger part of our daily lives, and we incorporate them into many aspects of our lifestyles. Many of us don’t even think of leaving the house without bringing our dogs along for the ride.
But there is one major disadvantage of taking your dog anywhere by car — and that’s their excessive shedding.
There are several methods you can use to remove dog hair from a car including lint rollers, dryer sheets, and even velcro curlers. Keeping your dog well groomed can also minimize the amount of loose dog hair on your cars interior surfaces.
Here are seven of the best and most creative dog hair extraction methods.
Stray dog hair can be very frustrating to clean up. Dog hair is very fine, so it can get stuck between your car seats, in hard-to-see nooks and crannies, and can even become embedded into your carpeted floors.
Overall, it has the potential to ruin the look, feel and smell of your car. Therefore, removing dog hair from these surfaces is very important. Though it may seem like an extremely time-consuming task, it truly doesn’t have to be.
Why Is It Important to Remove Dog Hair From Your Car Interior?
It’s important to remove dog hair as quickly as possible to prevent it from embedding itself into your upholstery and transferring any dirt or residue from it to your car interior surfaces.
The main reason dog hair adheres to the interior of your car is because of generated static electricity. It causes pet hair to stick to available fabric rather than plastic or metallic surfaces.
Consequences of Not Removing Dog Hair
If you don’t remove dog hair from your car, it can result in any of the following situations:
- Poor hygiene due to an accumulation of dirt, germs, and contaminants on the pet hair. Pet hair is relatively sticky and can absorb dirt, contaminants, and moisture vapors which will worsen the hygiene of the car.
- Allergies affecting either yourself or the passengers in your car.
- A lower quality interior appearance.
Top Tips to Prevent Pet Hair From Sticking to Car Interior
To prevent these situations from occurring, there are several things you can do to stop your dog’s hair from getting all over your seats. Our top two tips for preventing dog hair on car seats are:
Seat Covers
Tip 1: Purchase a pet seat cover for your car. These are removable, washable, and are generally good at preventing things like dog hair and dirt from embedding themselves into your car seats.
If you don’t want to purchase a pet seat, you can use a large blanket in its place. This will provide efficient cover for your car, and can also double as a cozy makeshift bed for your pet.
Brush Your Dog
Tip 2: Depending on their breed, dogs can shed their coat fairly often. It’s often a good idea to brush your dog’s fur before you leave the house. It doesn’t take too long and should reduce the amount of hair that your dog may leave on your car seats.
7 Methods To Remove Pet Hair from Car
Lint Roller
Typically used to get rid of excess material and hair on clothing, this is one of the most common methods of removing the surface layer of pet hair from any type of upholstery. It is quick, easy, and inexpensive.
Lint rollers work best on fresh pet hairs that have only just reached your car’s surfaces, so it’s a good idea to keep one in your car and use it frequently.
You can also use it to remove pet hair from your own clothes, even if your dog isn’t with you at the time. This can save you the embarrassment of showing up for a meeting or date covered in dog fur.
To see immediate results, simply run the roller over your car seats in the areas where it is necessary. Keep in mind that a lint roller isn’t the best tool to use for those hard-to-reach areas. We recommend giving your seats a quick vacuum to gather the remaining pet hair when you get back home.
Because lint rollers are relatively inexpensive, you can tear off the used section of the roller frequently to get better results. A fresh adhesive surface will pick up much more dog fur than one that has been used.
Pet Hair Cleaning Brush
You can purchase these brushes in pet stores or online. These wire brushes feature hard and narrow-spaced bristles that will help you to pick up the majority of stray dog hairs that reside in your car.
Unfortunately, the fine bristles of pet cleaning brushes have the potential to damage the delicate upholstery. They can even lead to scratches on different surfaces in your car.
If you choose to use this method, it may be in your best interest to gently rub a softer brush on the intended area. By doing this, you’ll achieve your desired results without risking damage to your’s car interior.
After you’ve gathered the dog hair into a pile, either dispose of it in a trash bag or use a vacuum cleaner to remove the remainder.
Vacuum Cleaner
This may be the most obvious choice on this list, but hear us out. Some of your dog’s hair may be so deeply rooted within your car seats that a simple run-over with a lint roller or a specially-designed pet brush won’t achieve its intended effect. That’s when you need to utilize your vacuum cleaner.
Standard household vacuum cleaners usually come with powerful attachable tools for you to access those hard-to-reach places. Handheld vacuums will also do the job.
One thing you need to keep in mind is to use a lifting motion rather than scrubbing the carpet with the plastic end. Not only does this ensure less wear to your carpet or upholstery, but it also means that you’ll be able to draw more loose hairs from between the carpet fibers.
Duct Tape
Duct Tape is a great alternative if you don’t have a lint roller on hand. It is quick and effective, especially in the removal of pet hair from your carpet flooring and car seats.
We’d recommend wrapping the sticky back of the tape around your hand and then, using your hand like a lint roller, gently picking up hair fibers wherever you can. Once the hair has been removed from your upholstery, remove the duct tape and throw it away. It is as simple as that.
You can use any tape for this, but it may be better to use duct tape or packing tape. Both of these products are much stickier than Scotch tape, are available in larger surface widths, and will help you to get the job done in a much more efficient way.
Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets have anti-static properties that make them the perfect solution for removing dog hair from a car.
All you need to do is run a fresh, unused dryer sheet over the interior of your car – namely the seats, flooring, and your console – to pick up excess dog hair.
There’s no need for water or any additional cleaning equipment, making this one of the most straightforward methods on this list. Remember to dispose of the dryer sheet after use — and don’t let your dog eat them, as that can create serious health issues.
Velcro Curlers
This method is perfect if you want to venture outside the box. The best part? It’s also super easy.
Velcro Curlers are known to bend, making it easier to clean those hard-to-reach corners. Each curler features many tiny yet sturdy bristles. Simply roll your hair curlers over the intended area, and you’ll see instant results.
Just bear in mind that this may be a more effective method for removing dog hair from your car floor, instead of your upholstery. This is because the fabric of your seats can be quite delicate.
As a result, there’s a risk of the rollers snagging on your upholstery. If you still want to use this method, try out a small section of your seats in a less noticeable area first.
Rubber Gloves and Water
This solution is highly efficient. All you need for this method is a pair of rubber gloves and a bucket of water. Quickly wet your gloves with a little water and then run your hands over the intended area.
If you turn your gloves over and find that the hairs have stuck to the gloves, your car should have already begun to look much cleaner.
This method is more hygienic than using tape and is much more convenient than using a vacuum cleaner. With this method, you may experience mixed results depending on the type of dog that you have.
Summary
Removing dog hair from a car is a simpler process than it may initially seem. All of the cleaning methods are relatively straightforward and won’t take too much time.
Though some methods may be more effective at eliminating dog hair from a car than others, you will still see results regardless of how you choose to clean!
