Let’s start off with this fact: I have 2 cats. And with 2 cats comes the acceptance of eating cat hair in every other bite of food for as long as these cats remain in our home. It’s a small sacrifice to make, but we do it for the love of our 4 legged fur children. =)
With that being said, I am constantly fighting the battle against the unwanted pet hair that plagues (or blesses, depends on how you feel about it) every single corner of our home. To keep up with all the orange fuzziness that seems to magically multiply hourly, I have changed my cleaning schedule dramatically. I vacuum the furniture and floors twice a week, occasionally 3 times if it’s needed. I used a lint roller (bought at Wal-Mart for $2-$3) on my clothing whenever I go out or wear black clothing. But it seemed like those 2 activities just weren’t enough to keep the hair under control in my house. (I can only imagine what the battle is like in the sleeper of a semi-truck!)
Never fear, Summer has found a few solutions to aide in all pet owners efforts against the static-filled hair!!!
Tip #1: Use dryer sheets with your laundry when you dry your clothes in a dryer. Not only do they smell great, but they reduce the amount of cat hair on your clothes and bedding. If you, as a trucker, are having issues with piles of fur on your seats or seat covers, rub a dryer sheet over the upholstered surface. This should make for much less static-filled pet hair on those high-traffic areas. =) Since the function of a dryer sheet is to reduce or eliminate static electricity build-up in dry clothing, it’s not too far-fetched to think that the same chemicals that cancel out the static will repel the pet hair. Pet hair uses a combination of static and 2 pointy ends to cling to surfaces. You can battle the static parts with a simple dryer sheet. And as an added benefit, you will have a better smelling load of laundry and fresh smelling surfaces in your truck. =)
Tip #2: To tackle the pointy ends of the cat hair, some people use lint rollers. My advice: forget lint rollers. They are over-priced and much less efficient than a normal roll of packing tape. A roll of packing tape can be used in place of a lint roller (lint roller = those sticky papered rolls on the end of a handle that pick up 10% of the pet hair when rolled over a surface multiple times). The packing tape doesn’t need to be high-grade or industrial sized or expensive. The cheapest packing tape roll will pick up just as much hair as the more expensive rolls. To use this amazing pet-hair-eliminator, pull a strand of the tape measured anywhere from 6 inches to 12 inches, and cut it from the roll while keeping ahold of both ends. Push the sticky side of the tape up against the upholstered surface that’s covered in hair, rip the tape off (while still keeping ahold of both ends), and repeat this on the rest of the upholstered surface. You can pick up so much hair (and other unwanted particles) using this method, sometimes better than a vacuum. Depending on how sticky the tape was when you pulled it off the roll, you could use the same piece of tape over an entire seat cover, or ½ of a twin sized bed. When the piece of tape becomes completely covered in pet hair and no longer sticks to surfaces, throw that piece away and grab another. Rolls of packing tape will last awhile in a truck, when you use them solely to clear out the pet hair. =)
Tip #3: Go to Walmart and buy a FURemover Mitt. The FURemover Mitt has one side of the glove covered in rubber bristles that remove pet hair from furniture, clothing, carpet, and other upholstered surfaces. When this mitt/glove is worn on the hand and rubbed over a surface, the little rubber bristles will grab the hairs, keeping them on the mitt even as you continue brush the rest of the surface with the mitt. The pet hair will come off easily when the rubber bristles are rinsed under running water. The pet hair can also be removed from the mitt using piece of packing tape, as explained in tip #2. The mitt is $2.99 in the upper Midwest, and the cardboard label that is attached to it gives you more cleaning/usage tips. The pet hair won’t fly around like it does with other rubber bristled brushes, it sticks to the rubber bristles extremely well. The mitt is small, so it’s a great addition to the compact area of a truck. I’ve been using it on my 6 piece sectional couch for a month now, and it’s just as wonderful as the packing tape. If you’d rather not shop at Walmart, they can be found in other stores, as well as on the internet. =)
And a quick reminder for pet owners, at home and on the road: remember to groom your pet regularly. Usually a simple brushing of their fur once a day keeps their skin healthy, which means less shedding of fur. Also, a healthy diet of nutritious food/treats will reduce shedding in most cats and dogs, but it will not eliminate it completely. If you own an animal with fur, you will be eating fur-covered food indefinitely. However, with the tips listed above, maybe you all won’t cough up as many hairballs… =)
With that being said, I am constantly fighting the battle against the unwanted pet hair that plagues (or blesses, depends on how you feel about it) every single corner of our home. To keep up with all the orange fuzziness that seems to magically multiply hourly, I have changed my cleaning schedule dramatically. I vacuum the furniture and floors twice a week, occasionally 3 times if it’s needed. I used a lint roller (bought at Wal-Mart for $2-$3) on my clothing whenever I go out or wear black clothing. But it seemed like those 2 activities just weren’t enough to keep the hair under control in my house. (I can only imagine what the battle is like in the sleeper of a semi-truck!)
Never fear, Summer has found a few solutions to aide in all pet owners efforts against the static-filled hair!!!
Tip #1: Use dryer sheets with your laundry when you dry your clothes in a dryer. Not only do they smell great, but they reduce the amount of cat hair on your clothes and bedding. If you, as a trucker, are having issues with piles of fur on your seats or seat covers, rub a dryer sheet over the upholstered surface. This should make for much less static-filled pet hair on those high-traffic areas. =) Since the function of a dryer sheet is to reduce or eliminate static electricity build-up in dry clothing, it’s not too far-fetched to think that the same chemicals that cancel out the static will repel the pet hair. Pet hair uses a combination of static and 2 pointy ends to cling to surfaces. You can battle the static parts with a simple dryer sheet. And as an added benefit, you will have a better smelling load of laundry and fresh smelling surfaces in your truck. =)
Tip #2: To tackle the pointy ends of the cat hair, some people use lint rollers. My advice: forget lint rollers. They are over-priced and much less efficient than a normal roll of packing tape. A roll of packing tape can be used in place of a lint roller (lint roller = those sticky papered rolls on the end of a handle that pick up 10% of the pet hair when rolled over a surface multiple times). The packing tape doesn’t need to be high-grade or industrial sized or expensive. The cheapest packing tape roll will pick up just as much hair as the more expensive rolls. To use this amazing pet-hair-eliminator, pull a strand of the tape measured anywhere from 6 inches to 12 inches, and cut it from the roll while keeping ahold of both ends. Push the sticky side of the tape up against the upholstered surface that’s covered in hair, rip the tape off (while still keeping ahold of both ends), and repeat this on the rest of the upholstered surface. You can pick up so much hair (and other unwanted particles) using this method, sometimes better than a vacuum. Depending on how sticky the tape was when you pulled it off the roll, you could use the same piece of tape over an entire seat cover, or ½ of a twin sized bed. When the piece of tape becomes completely covered in pet hair and no longer sticks to surfaces, throw that piece away and grab another. Rolls of packing tape will last awhile in a truck, when you use them solely to clear out the pet hair. =)
Tip #3: Go to Walmart and buy a FURemover Mitt. The FURemover Mitt has one side of the glove covered in rubber bristles that remove pet hair from furniture, clothing, carpet, and other upholstered surfaces. When this mitt/glove is worn on the hand and rubbed over a surface, the little rubber bristles will grab the hairs, keeping them on the mitt even as you continue brush the rest of the surface with the mitt. The pet hair will come off easily when the rubber bristles are rinsed under running water. The pet hair can also be removed from the mitt using piece of packing tape, as explained in tip #2. The mitt is $2.99 in the upper Midwest, and the cardboard label that is attached to it gives you more cleaning/usage tips. The pet hair won’t fly around like it does with other rubber bristled brushes, it sticks to the rubber bristles extremely well. The mitt is small, so it’s a great addition to the compact area of a truck. I’ve been using it on my 6 piece sectional couch for a month now, and it’s just as wonderful as the packing tape. If you’d rather not shop at Walmart, they can be found in other stores, as well as on the internet. =)
And a quick reminder for pet owners, at home and on the road: remember to groom your pet regularly. Usually a simple brushing of their fur once a day keeps their skin healthy, which means less shedding of fur. Also, a healthy diet of nutritious food/treats will reduce shedding in most cats and dogs, but it will not eliminate it completely. If you own an animal with fur, you will be eating fur-covered food indefinitely. However, with the tips listed above, maybe you all won’t cough up as many hairballs… =)
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