Cuddling with our furry friends – dogs and cats – is always welcome. It’s relaxing and reduces stress, depression, and anxiety. And your pup most likely loves the cuddle sessions too! However, you will have to deal with pet fur on your blanket, clothes, and other places in the house when the cuddling is over.
Pet hair is a nuisance, and what is worse, you can bet the fur will transfer to any surface that comes into contact with the fuzzy blanket. It is common for human and pet air to cling to blankets, clothes, and furniture. No matter how much you like your pet, it will always be an arduous task to remove dog hair from blankets.
We explore the best tips on how to remove dog hair from blankets including:
- Using loose hair removal tools like lint remover and rubber gloves
- Using your washing machine
- Spinning the blanket in the dryer
- Vacuuming the blanket
Some people opt to cover their beddings with a smooth material like a duvet cover to protect the blanket from pet hair. These covers are relatively simple to remove and toss in the washing machine. Others choose to replace blankets with quilts.
However, these solutions will not work for everyone. Plus, you can rely on easy cleaning methods to get dog hair off blankets in a washer or before washing. Also, there are methods to remove hair from blankets during and after the drying process. The easy blanket cleaning tips we discuss below will help you keep your blanket fur-free even after enjoying some cuddling with your pet.
How To Remove Dog Hair From Blankets Made Of Compact Fiber
Use the following steps to remove dog hair from wool blankets, cotton, or other compact material blankets.
Step 1: Use Simple Tools To Manually Remove Pet Hair
Rollers with disposable adhesive backing are a popular option to get the hair off blankets.
Using Lint Roller And Lint Brushes
- Begin by shaking the blanket to remove loose hair. Hang the blanket over a curtain rod, and brush and lint roll both sides of the blanket. You could also place the blanket horizontally on a supportive surface before using the lint roller. At this stage, you could use Velcro curlers, rubber gloves, or a rubber brush to extract the long loose top-coat fur from the blanket.
- Thereafter, use a lint brush. Make long sweeping motions on the blanket, from the top portion of the blanket moving downwards. Use short, rapid strokes when you need to focus on brushing certain areas. If the lint brush does not get the job done, use an extra sticky lint roller to get the last specks of hair off your blanket.
- Once the adhesive lint roller has enough covered hair, remove the strip and dispose of it away. Remove and dispose of hair caught by the brush also.
- Repeat the rolling motions using the lint roller or the brushes until you extract as much hair as possible.
Using Rubber Gloves
You can also use rubber gloves with sturdy nubs. The rubber nubs provide extra resistance when wiping hair off, allowing the gloves to pick up more pet hair.
- Lay the blanket on a firm, horizontal surface and wipe the hair across the blanket using rubber gloves. When you encounter strands of hair that resist dislodging from your blanket, wet the rubber gloves to increase the friction and grip hair. Stubborn hair clings better on wet rubber gloves.
- Remove the hair that collects on the rubber gloves and dispose of it in a garbage bag.
A squeegee, kitchen sponge, and microfiber will yield more or less the same results. For best results, look for knitted materials, synthetics like polyester, etc., or heavily-textured fabrics such as suede or brocade.
Using Sticky Tape
The standard household tape can make an excellent DIY solution for removing hair from blankets
- Wrap the ends of a spread-out tape and rub the sticky side on the blanket to pick up hair strands
Using Inflated Balloon
Rubbing a balloon on the blanket produces static energy that attracts the hair from the blanket. A balloon’s surface is excellent in producing static energy to remove hair from the blanket.
Using Rubber Soles
Using rubber soles of shoes and trainers to remove hair from blankets is often an unusual solution, but that works well. You will have to ensure the shoes you are using are very clean and free of any dirt.
- Rub the rubber soles of the boots over the blanket or wear the shoes and drag them over the blanket to remove the hair
- When rubbing clean rubber soles on the blanket, static energy is created and collects the hair at the end of the soles to pick with your hands and dispose of it in a garbage bag.
A rubber broom also works the same way as the rubber soles with similar results.
Step 2: How To Get Dog Hair off Blankets In Dryer
While you can use your dryer to remove pet hair from your blanket using a washing machine, using this idea with a healthy pinch of caution. Using your dryer in this manner will increase clogging issues. As such, it is best to remove as much hair as possible from the blanket before you take it to the dryer.
- Ensure you clean the lint trap before running the blanket in the dryer. You could use a vacuum cleaner to suck off-air strands that may have accumulated on the lint trap previously.
- Put the blanket into the dryer, set it to a low or no heat cycle, and set it in motion. The toppling action in the dryer will loosen the hair and make it easy to remove using other methods.
- Add dryer sheets or dryer balls to the dryer drum to separate any remaining hair strands from the blanket. The dyer sheets/ dryer balls release-static build-up making it easy to remove hair using a lint roller or a lint brush, or vacuum cleaner
- When dry, hang the blanket over the shower curtain rod to redo vacuum cleaning to eliminate any strands on the blanket. Remember to remove hair from the dryer and leave the door open for the chambers’ moisture to evaporate. That way, you will fight mold formation
Step 3: How To Get Dog Hair Off Blankets In Washer
Note: Follow the washing instruction labeled for each type of blanket.
A good place to start is to buy a quality washing machine. If you need a washing machine that can handle pet hair in your blankets and clothes, this Electrolux Titanium Front Load Laundry Pair on Amazon will meet your needs perfectly.
- Once you have put the blanket in the washer, add a liquid fabric softener and 1 cup of white vinegar to the load. Do not put the blanket in the washer together with lint-producing clothes, e.g., Towels or sweaters. Vinegar works to soften the fur and aids in reduce static energy build-up between the fur and the blanket. Doing this makes it easy to remove hair and smells from the blanket.
- Make sure you keep the lint trap clean all along and after the wash cycle. After washing, check for hair in the washer drum.
- Extra rinse the washer to make sure you have removed all the hair from the washer.
How To Get Dog Hair Out Of Fleece Blankets Or Any Other Loose Material
Many homeowners find it challenging or impossible to get dog hair out of fleece blankets, especially if dealing with the king-size polyester type. Spinning a fleece blanket in a dryer or washing machine does not seem to do the trick. You still end with pet hair lodged in the blanket when the washing and/or drying cycle is complete.
For some reason, dog and cat hair love sticking onto the fleece. Fleece fibers seem to suck in fur more than other fabric types, and for a good reason. Pet hair sticks to fleece readily and easily because there is higher static build-up with synthetic materials such as polyester and acrylic.
The following is a series of steps you can follow to remove hair from fleece in a simple manner.
Step 1: Using Simple Tools To Manually Remove Pet Hair
Using Squeegees On Fleece Blankets
Rubber squeegees are commonly used to clean windows. Homeowners can also use this common tool to get rid of hair from fleece blankets quickly. The rubber-edged blade of squeegee scraps and cleans fabric surfaces to remove hair.
- You will need to get a squeegee with a long handle to help you grip the tool firmly in your hands
- Move the squeegee back and forth across the fleece blanket. The rubber end of the squeegee will loosen the hair from the blanket.
- Pick the hair clumps that accumulate on the scrapping end of the squeegee and dispose of them in a garbage bag.
- Repeat the sweeping motion until all hair is gone.
The rubber-edged side of a squeegee is suitable for the removal of trapped hair in fabric. The smooth surface of a squeegee will produce more friction than a pair of gloves. A squeegee, it is estimated, can remove up to 95% of hair strands from a fleece blanket in the first wipe.
Using Rubber Gloves And Rubber Soles On Fleece Blankets
You can do more with rubber gloves than just cleaning the dishes. Rubber gloves effectively remove hair and lint from blankets because rubber is a material with high friction capabilities.
- Lay the blanket on a table or a horizontal surface and wipe off the hair across the blanket using the best rubber gloves for removing pet hair from fleece.
- When you use dampen rubber gloves, swipe from one side to the other to remove hair from the surface of the blanket. The high friction caused by rubber loosens the hair trapped in the blanket, allowing it to fall off. Water also helps the rubber glove to grip on hair more firmly.
Similarly, we can use rubber soles for this same purpose because of the high friction the soles produce. To use rubber soles,
- Wear your rubber sole shoes and drag your feet on the fleece blanket lying horizontally.
- Hair clumps will amass together, and you can lift the hair and dispose of it in a garbage bag.
Using Lint Roller On Fleecs Blankets
A lint roller is useful in working on fleece blankets, just like working on clothes. All you have to do is make rolling motions with the lint roller’s rolling end firmly in contact with the blanket.
- Begin by shaking the hair off the blanket while standing outdoor or on a garbage bag
- Remove the strip to expose the adhesive side of the lint roller. Then, use the lint roller on a blanket that is lying on a firm, supporting surface.
- Repeat the rolling motions until all hair is gone
However, you might find the efficacy of lint rollers quite limited to remove hair from the blanket. You could use Velcro curlers for the same purpose if you do not have lint rollers.
Using Rubber Broom/Brush On Fleece
A rubber brush is an ideal option when dealing with stubborn hair trapped in fleece blankets and other loose surfaced materials such as your carpet.
Static charge in brush bristles, the brush’s texture makes rolls hair like a tumbleweed and gets caught in the brush.
Using Kitchen Sponge On Fleece
The nondescript kitchen sponge is one of the best home remedies to remove pet hair from clothes and blankets. You can opt to use it either dry or wet sponge to remove hair from the fleece blanket.
- Select a kitchen sponge that you are no longer using and sweep over the fleece blanket that is lying horizontally on a dining table or the floor and start working
- Use the kitchen sponge’s abrasive side to loosen trapped strands of hair.
- Remove the hair that accumulates on the sponge using your hand and disposes of it accordingly.
However, you might find it quite difficult and tedious to remove hair from a king-sized fleece blanket. This precisely why you need other methods.
Step 2: Using a Vacuum Cleaner To Get Dog Hair Out of Fleece Blanket
There are types of vacuum cleaners designed with pet hair cleaning in mind. Owing to their design, you can use them to clean pet hair from the blankets as well. With the help of an appropriate vacuum cleaner attachment for hair removal, you can dislodge and extract pet fur from your blanket with much ease. Additionally, vacuum cleaners are safe to use of various types of fabric, including fleece.
The main advantage of using vacuum cleaners is that they are easy to use and less time-consuming than other methods to get off hair from the blanket. It may take less than 10 minutes or so to complete working on a single task.
Keep in mind that you need a spinning attachment for upholstery attached to the vacuum cleaner.
The attachment resembles a miniature rug attachment with an electric beater bar inside.
If the vacuum does not remove all the hair stands, you can always use your washing machine. However, ensure you remove as much hair as possible before washing the blanket.
There are many different models of vacuum cleaners available in the market. Make sure you settle on the ideal vacuum cleaner for this task.
Step 3: Removing Pet Hair In A Dryer Without Damaging The Machine
First and foremost, ensure you have a high performance dryer that can take on some pet hair like the Electrolux Titanium Front Load Laundry Pair. There are dryers that cannot withstand even the slightest pet.
- Before washing, put the blanket into the dryer drum and run a full dry cycle. Set the temperature to low or no heat at all.
- Add a few dryer sheets to the dryer to deal with a static build-up that attracts hair to the fleece blanket.
- Shake the hair off the blanket or use a fabric rubber brush to remove the loosened hair on the blanket. Remember to clean the lint trap midway and after the drying cycle
The dryer sheets provide static electricity to remove the hair from fleece. All you need to do is rub the dryer sheets on the fabric blanket to remove the hair.
Step 4: Removing Hair Out Of Fleece Blanket In Your Washing Machine The Right Way
Removing hair out of a fleece blanket in a washing machine is not time-consuming because you can be doing other things while the wash cycle is running. You will need to have exhausted other methods to remove hair from fleece blankets before using the washing machine if you want impeccable results.
- Set water temperature between cold and mild, mainly because you are dealing with fleece.
- Once washing is complete, run the dryer blanket for about 70 minutes or air it to dry in a well-ventilated room for about two days.
Tips On How Prevent Dog Hair From Getting On Your Blanket
The best method of dealing with hair on blankets is adopting a preventive approach by keeping hair off fleece blankets. They are long term solutions and may include:
- Groom your dog or cat often – Grooming your cat or dog often reduces the amount of fur on your fleece blankets and clothing. Grooming means you comb the dog or cat every week using the right kind of brush to keep loose dog hair out of your house. Sometimes grooming your dog may require feeding it a well-supplemented diet. Hair fall in dogs or pets, in general, may be caused by an unbalanced diet or only lousy health in the pet. Additionally, you could select a dog breed that shed less hair for a pet
- Proper storage of fleece – Keep the fleece blanket away from the reach of your pet. Hair sticks on the fleece blanket because we allow our dogs and cats to lay and rub on the blanket
- Use covers – Covers are ideal for protecting dog hair from reaching on to the blankets, duvet, or even furniture. Covers are also easier to wash compared to fleece blankets and other blankets. Covering your furniture with a dog cover can prevent hair from clinging to your couch.
- You could consider replacing fabric in the house with materials that require less time to remove hair. If you choose this option, avoid fabrics like corduroy, velvet, and velour. Hair quickly falls of shiny materials like leather, satin making it easy to clean hair in your home.
- Vacuum out the carpet regularly – It is important to sweep the floors and remove pet hair before the hair finds its way to our blankets and furniture.
Conclusion
Between manual removal of pet hair from your blanket and using your washing machines and dryer, you have ample solutions to keep your bed fur-free. For the best solution, use multiple tools and methods. A multifaceted approach will ensure you remove pet hair from beddings to the last strand.
