To help you keep your dog well groomed, do try our Moult Stoppa, which goes a long was to de-shedding. We also have a full array of grooming equipment, as well as dog beds for your dog to lie comfortably, which will help to prevent hairs on the chairs. We also have just about anything you need for your dog, cat and the small critters, including top quality toys to suit all dogs, bowls, carriers and so much more. Do have a look at our sale and special offers, as well as our Clearance Section, to pick up some great deals. www.mcmac.co.za and contact us if you have any questions.
Some simple tips for preventing and removing dog hair in the home and car
by Scotty Valadao - www.friendsofthedog.co.za - Canine Behaviourist
by Scotty Valadao - www.friendsofthedog.co.za - Canine Behaviourist
I doubt if there is even one dog owner that has not been irritated with dog in the home at some time or other, especially when visitors are due - the hairs seem to float around and can land on all sort of surfaces, in addition to the floor, and some of them seem determined to stay there!
Of course prevention is always better than cure, so do as much of this as you can, both in the car and in the home.
Grooming
Giving your dog a good daily brush (outside of course), will go a long way to keeping down the amount of dog hairs, and do bear in mind the changes of season when there is more hair than normal. Also, something that some owners may not know, is that when our dogs are stressed/excited, they tend to shed more. Nobody knows exactly why this happens, but it is not an uncommon event - some dogs may shed more with the excitement of going in the car for a ride and walk, and other dogs may shed more before a show for example. I have been to many clients where the owners were totally embarrassed about the amount of hair on the carpet (especially Labs), and assured me that they had brushed the carpet that morning!
Make sure that the grooming equipment you use is the best available and can assist with de-shedding your dog.
Vacuuming
Give your home a regular vacuum and remember to empty the bag when finished and keep your machine in tip top condition. The most effective method seems to be to vacuum the whole carpet in one direction, then go over it in the opposite direction - that way you are vacuuming both sides of the pile.
Nowadays, there are vacuum cleaners specifically designed to target pet hairs, while others have attachments that you can use to vacuum over your dog for stray hairs after grooming. If you do decide on this option, please make sure your desensitize your dog to the noise of the vacuum and the attachment before trying.
Chairs, Sofa, Car Seats
One of the best ways I have used to clean the above, is to mix 2 to 4 teaspoons of fabric softener with water in a spray bottle. Spray onto the surface, then wipe with a paper towel which will help to loosen hair that seems determined to stick around, and only vacuum after this. Really does cut down on the amount of work involved.
What can also be useful where small areas are concerned, especially those hard to reach areas in a car, is to use good old fashioned duct tape. The wider ones are better and just wind the duct tape around your hand and, using your palm, get stuck into those hard to reach areas. Personally, I find that duct tape picks up more hair, and lasts longer than the rolled type hair and fluff removal options for sale.
Another item you can try is good old fashioned rubber gloves, and especially the one's that do not have a smooth palm area. Dampen the palm area either with water, or with the fabric softener method above, and then, going in one direction at a time, sweep your hand over the surface and the loose hairs tend to stick to the gloves. Remove the hair, then dampen the glove again before doing another area.
Furniture, Car Dashboards, Skirting Boards etc
One of my favourite things to use for this is the dryer sheets and you just tear off one at a time, and they can also be used on upholstery by the way. They can also be used to get dog hair off clothes and nowadays they are sold specifically to remove pet hairs from items. As with the suggestions above, I find that if you slightly dampen the dryer sheets, they are much more effective at removing the hair.
On car carpets, where the rubber brush is far too big to be of any assistance, try a small window cleaning squeezy, dampened first to help to pick up hairs before vacuuming.
One method that a friend suggested, which I must say I have not yet tried, is to use a balloon. The reason for this is that by using a balloon, you are using static electricity, and the theory is that as you rub the balloon over the surface, the dog hairs attach to the balloon, and then you simply remove the hair as it gathers and repeat until the area is free of hair.
Carpets and Flooring
In addition to using your vacuum, the one thing I always use is the rubber brush that has rubber spikes on one side and on the other side a squeegee that could be used for taking water off windows. I have purchased several of them over the years, and I find that the one that is available at Verimark has the best results. This is ideal to use if you just don't have time to get the vacuum out. The rubber spikes pull the hair out of the carpet pile very effectively, and the window cleaner side can be used for ordinary flooring. If I am giving a real spring to the carpet, I will first use the rubber brush, then vacuum and then shampoo. By the way, before shampooing, you can sprinkle on some baking soda over the carpet, and let it sit for a while before shampooing - really helpful to prevent doggy smelling carpets.
A simple mop, slightly dampened, can also work wonders on flooring getting any hairs that were left over after using the window wiper section of the brush mentioned above.
Giving your carpet a regular shampoo, especially using a sponge and carpet product, will not only have your carpet smelling nice, the sponge tends to pick up any hairs that were not removed by vacuuming - just ensure that you only use the actual foam from the shampoo product so that you don't get the carpet actually wet. Carpets can take ages to dry, especially in inclement weather, and can leave the carpet smelling more 'doggy' than previously. At one stage we had 4 dogs in the home, 3 of which were Labs. After vacuuming, I went over the carpet with a sponge to wash it, and was really surprised at how many more hairs were picked up, and, I have a good vacuum cleaner.
To help to prevent hair on furniture, beds and on car seats, invest in car seat covers for your car, and throws for the furniture. Just make sure that these can be easily washed, and give them a good shake outside (away from the house) before washing. The car seat one's are normally a good quality material, and can be laid on the floor next to the car and vacuumed, and then given a wipe - don't forget to check the seats underneath for more dog hairs, especially if you have a dog such as one of mine, that believes that he should give himself a rub under the car seat!
If you have any further ideal for prevention and removing dog hair, please let us know and we will share them with our readers - [email protected] . Happy cleaning guys!
Of course prevention is always better than cure, so do as much of this as you can, both in the car and in the home.
Grooming
Giving your dog a good daily brush (outside of course), will go a long way to keeping down the amount of dog hairs, and do bear in mind the changes of season when there is more hair than normal. Also, something that some owners may not know, is that when our dogs are stressed/excited, they tend to shed more. Nobody knows exactly why this happens, but it is not an uncommon event - some dogs may shed more with the excitement of going in the car for a ride and walk, and other dogs may shed more before a show for example. I have been to many clients where the owners were totally embarrassed about the amount of hair on the carpet (especially Labs), and assured me that they had brushed the carpet that morning!
Make sure that the grooming equipment you use is the best available and can assist with de-shedding your dog.
Vacuuming
Give your home a regular vacuum and remember to empty the bag when finished and keep your machine in tip top condition. The most effective method seems to be to vacuum the whole carpet in one direction, then go over it in the opposite direction - that way you are vacuuming both sides of the pile.
Nowadays, there are vacuum cleaners specifically designed to target pet hairs, while others have attachments that you can use to vacuum over your dog for stray hairs after grooming. If you do decide on this option, please make sure your desensitize your dog to the noise of the vacuum and the attachment before trying.
Chairs, Sofa, Car Seats
One of the best ways I have used to clean the above, is to mix 2 to 4 teaspoons of fabric softener with water in a spray bottle. Spray onto the surface, then wipe with a paper towel which will help to loosen hair that seems determined to stick around, and only vacuum after this. Really does cut down on the amount of work involved.
What can also be useful where small areas are concerned, especially those hard to reach areas in a car, is to use good old fashioned duct tape. The wider ones are better and just wind the duct tape around your hand and, using your palm, get stuck into those hard to reach areas. Personally, I find that duct tape picks up more hair, and lasts longer than the rolled type hair and fluff removal options for sale.
Another item you can try is good old fashioned rubber gloves, and especially the one's that do not have a smooth palm area. Dampen the palm area either with water, or with the fabric softener method above, and then, going in one direction at a time, sweep your hand over the surface and the loose hairs tend to stick to the gloves. Remove the hair, then dampen the glove again before doing another area.
Furniture, Car Dashboards, Skirting Boards etc
One of my favourite things to use for this is the dryer sheets and you just tear off one at a time, and they can also be used on upholstery by the way. They can also be used to get dog hair off clothes and nowadays they are sold specifically to remove pet hairs from items. As with the suggestions above, I find that if you slightly dampen the dryer sheets, they are much more effective at removing the hair.
On car carpets, where the rubber brush is far too big to be of any assistance, try a small window cleaning squeezy, dampened first to help to pick up hairs before vacuuming.
One method that a friend suggested, which I must say I have not yet tried, is to use a balloon. The reason for this is that by using a balloon, you are using static electricity, and the theory is that as you rub the balloon over the surface, the dog hairs attach to the balloon, and then you simply remove the hair as it gathers and repeat until the area is free of hair.
Carpets and Flooring
In addition to using your vacuum, the one thing I always use is the rubber brush that has rubber spikes on one side and on the other side a squeegee that could be used for taking water off windows. I have purchased several of them over the years, and I find that the one that is available at Verimark has the best results. This is ideal to use if you just don't have time to get the vacuum out. The rubber spikes pull the hair out of the carpet pile very effectively, and the window cleaner side can be used for ordinary flooring. If I am giving a real spring to the carpet, I will first use the rubber brush, then vacuum and then shampoo. By the way, before shampooing, you can sprinkle on some baking soda over the carpet, and let it sit for a while before shampooing - really helpful to prevent doggy smelling carpets.
A simple mop, slightly dampened, can also work wonders on flooring getting any hairs that were left over after using the window wiper section of the brush mentioned above.
Giving your carpet a regular shampoo, especially using a sponge and carpet product, will not only have your carpet smelling nice, the sponge tends to pick up any hairs that were not removed by vacuuming - just ensure that you only use the actual foam from the shampoo product so that you don't get the carpet actually wet. Carpets can take ages to dry, especially in inclement weather, and can leave the carpet smelling more 'doggy' than previously. At one stage we had 4 dogs in the home, 3 of which were Labs. After vacuuming, I went over the carpet with a sponge to wash it, and was really surprised at how many more hairs were picked up, and, I have a good vacuum cleaner.
To help to prevent hair on furniture, beds and on car seats, invest in car seat covers for your car, and throws for the furniture. Just make sure that these can be easily washed, and give them a good shake outside (away from the house) before washing. The car seat one's are normally a good quality material, and can be laid on the floor next to the car and vacuumed, and then given a wipe - don't forget to check the seats underneath for more dog hairs, especially if you have a dog such as one of mine, that believes that he should give himself a rub under the car seat!
If you have any further ideal for prevention and removing dog hair, please let us know and we will share them with our readers - [email protected] . Happy cleaning guys!
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