If you like taking your furry friend for car rides, but hate having to deal with the fur that they leave behind, don’t worry! There are a dozen easy ways to take care of all that fur, and we get into each of them in more detail.
The 12 Ways to Get Pet Hair Out of Your Car
1. Prevent It From Getting in the Car in the First Place
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There are two easy ways to do this: groom your pet regularly and protect your seats.
If you stay on top of your pet’s grooming, there will be less hair that’s capable of getting in your cabin. This has the bonus of keeping your house cleaner (and your pet happier).
Grooming only goes so far, though. Install seat covers that will prevent the hair from reaching your actual seats. Most covers are removable and washable as well, so you can take care of the mess easily.
2. Vacuum
Sometimes the most effective solutions are also the most obvious. A high-powered vacuum cleaner is likely to be the easiest way to get large quantities of pet hair out of your car. This is especially true if you use the wand attachment to dig into crevices and corners.
An upright vacuum is going to be more powerful than a handheld model, and they make vacuums that are specifically designed for removing pet hair. Failing that, car washes and gas stations may have powerful industrial models that you can use (for a price, of course).
3. Rubber Gloves
Put on a pair of rubber gloves, and rub your hands over the seats. This can cause the hair to come up in clumps, making it easier to pick up and remove. Just be sure to sweep your hands in the same direction every time, or else you’ll undo all the good you did.
4. Fabric Softener
There are chemicals inside fabric softener that help loosen up hair, so spraying some on your seats could help stubborn hair come free. You don’t want to spray pure fabric softener on your seats, though, so mix about 2–3 tablespoons of the stuff with water in a spray bottle before using it. This method works especially well when paired with rubber gloves.
5. Duct Tape
You should have duct tape in your garage or trunk already, so grab the nearest roll and get to work. Turn it inside out or wrap it around your hand, and use the sticky side to pick up loose bits of hair.
This method is good for picking up stray hairs, but you’ll go through a large amount of tape if you use it for large piles of fur. You’re better off using a vacuum or rubber gloves first, and then switching to tape once most of the heavy lifting has been done.
6. Lint Roller
This method works on the same principle as duct tape. Grab a lint roller and move it over your seats, simple as that.
As with the duct tape, you should only do this once most of the big piles have been collected. Otherwise, you’ll wear out your lint roller.
7. Velcro Hair Curlers
If you have Velcro hair curlers handy, you can roll them around on the upholstery. They’re an even better version of duct tape because unlike the tape, they won’t lose their adhesiveness over time. You may even consider keeping a set in your trunk. Just be sure to keep them separate from your regular hair curlers.
8. Balloons
Surprisingly enough, balloons can be an effective way to get pet hair out of your car.
If you’ve ever rubbed a balloon on your shirt and then used it to lift your hair, then you already know how this works. Rubbing a blown-up balloon over your car’s upholstery should generate enough static electricity to get loose fur out. This likely won’t work for the deeply-embedded stuff, though.
9. Pumice Stone
A pumice stone is perfect for getting hair out of the carpet in your car. The abrasive nature of the stone helps lift the hair out, making it easy to vacuum up afterward. The stone will also be more effective if you spray fabric softener on the carpet first.
Wipe the stone in one direction along the carpet (going back and forth will just lift hair out and then push it back in again). You can rinse it off if it gets dirty during the cleaning process, as a dirty stone will be less effective.
There are pumice stones that are specifically designed for pet hair removal, or you could just buy a regular one at your nearest big box store.
10. Squeegee
If you drag the rubber blade of a squeegee over your car’s upholstery, it should herd all the loose pet hair into a neat little pile that’s easy to collect. Again, this won’t do much for stubborn hair, but it’s a good way to pick up large amounts of fur quickly.
11. Wire Brush
Once you’ve gotten the lion’s share of your little lion’s fur collected, you can gently scrape a wire brush over the fabric to loosen any strands that were left behind. Be gentle, though, as you don’t want to damage the upholstery.
12. Pay a Professional
This is the easiest option on this list, but it’ll cost you. Professional cleaners may have access to tools that you don’t, allowing them to really get in there and leave your car spotless.
You won’t be able to brag about all the elbow grease you used to clean your car, but you’ll have a beautiful interior without breaking a sweat.
Keep Your Car Clean Without Leaving Your Buddy Behind
By following the tips in this guide, you can enjoy a pet hair-free car. You won’t have to tell your pet “no” when they beg to go along for a ride, and you won’t have to be embarrassed by the condition of your cabin.
There’s one more option that we forgot: you can always buy a convertible, put the top down, and drive really fast to blow all the fur! Just make sure your pet is securely fastened first.
- You may also find this interesting: 10 Easy Ways to Remove Pet Hair From Laundry
Featured Image Credit: PorporLing, Shutterstock
