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It might surprise you, but dogs have hair and fur, and when it’s not sitting on your dog looking pretty, it sheds and create a big, hairy mess. Especially when it gets warmer, many breeds will start to release layers of their coats, leaving behind for you a giant fur ball present!
Your furniture, your clothes, your rugs, and, yes, your car, where you shepherd your pal to and fro their favorite dog park, will get their own layer of fur if you aren’t careful. Fortunately, there are myriad ways of getting dog hair out of the car. Let’s explore some of them!
How to Get Dog Hair Out of the Car: Hacks and Products That Help Get the Job Done
Invest in a Decent Vacuum
The first, most obvious, but most inconvenient, way of getting rid of dog hair in your car is with a vacuum. You can use a smaller handheld like one of those Dirt Devils or the Shark Rocket Corded Vacuum, which we rated as the Best Handheld in our massive smackdown that pitted it against the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser.
Any of these can help get dog hair out of the car, but the major downside, of course, is that you need a plug nearby to use it. A cordless dust buster such as The Black and Decker Slim Nozzle Hand Vac will solve that problem; depending on how much hair we are talking about exactly. Probably not the best tool for an all-out assault on dog hair everywhere in the car, but something to consider for the smaller jobs, and hard to reach places in your car.
Don’t forget that most car washes have industrial-strength vacuum cleaners available for you to pay to use, or that employees will use as part of a professional car wash service.
Good Things Come in Ugly Packages
The ingeniously named device (gadget, doodad, I am not sure what you would call this invention) is made of 90% foamed recycled glass, “the same stuff you put in your curbside recycling box,” its makers say.
It looks just like a balled-up, gray wad of trash, but it is apparently it gets dog hair out of the car like a miracle worker. (The tag line is literally, “It’s Not Pretty, But It Works!”)
They claim that it does a better job than a vacuum. Upsides: no batteries or cords or anything else needed, just your arm strength and you shall see swift removal of hair.
Downsides: gets worn out after a while, won’t also suck up crumbs and other debris that come into the car from dog park visits, and can be damaging to non-fabric materials.
Detail King posted a video showing just how effective the Fur-Zoff is, especially when combined with a bottle of diluted liquid fabric softener. Watch: (it’s strangely soothing).
Behold the Power of Friction
A couple of products that rely on sticky properties to pick up dog hair—albeit, in slightly different forms—are available.
The Pick It Up Mitt—which you put on and rub along the fabric and collect hair—is made of 80% polyester and 20% polyamide mix which creates a friction that attracts pet hair.
Lint rollers, essentially just a roll of sticky-side-up tape, are another option for lighter fur-pick up jobs.
If all this seems too complicated, there’s always ye olde standby: duct tape. Strong, cheap, it’ll do just about anything you need in a pinch. Same idea as the lint brush—but wrapped around your hands instead of a roller. One downside is that you’ll get a little dirty while you clean up the fur.
Do It Yourself: Remedies and Hacks
Some people recommend using some old-fashioned household tricks to remove dog hair, including wetting a pair of rubber gloves (you know, the kind you clean the dishes with), and scraping the upholstery in the opposite direction.
Likewise, a similar methodology can be employed using a balloon which is a great conductor of static electricity. Blow one up and rub along the upholstery until hair attaches to it. It’ll be like conducting a science experiment in your car.
Another strange but true homemade remedy is using Velcro hair curlers (yes, weirdly, they still make ’em). The sticky properties apparently never wane and can be simply rolled over the upholstery to pick up the stray hairs. (You’ll have to contend later with getting the hairs out of the Velcro rollers).
Consider the Proactive Method
One way to avoid cleaning dog hair all the time is to be proactive.
Prevent hair buildup by regularly grooming your dog and consider investing in seat covers like Barksbar’s waterproof seat covers which can be easily removed, washed, and will protect your car’s seats. Win, win.
Further Reading
If you live with dogs, you live with their hair, it’s a reality of #doglife we understand all too well! For more ideas and tips about how to deal with it, check out one of the articles below.
