How to Get Dog Hair Out of Carpet: 10 Best Practices

We love our fur babies and treat them like family. As much as we enjoy the companionship, loyalty, and affection from our sweet pups, dogs leave their mark in places besides our hearts – namely, shedding hair on the carpets.

Removing dog hair from your carpet and furniture is an inevitable part of being a pet owner. Luckily, there are many affordable options of how to get dog hair out of carpet using ingredients or tools you already have.

Check out the 10 hacks below to find the best method for you and your pooch:

1. Baking Soda

Baking soda is a versatile item in your pantry. Widely used in cooking and cleaning, baking soda also helps loosen pet hair from your carpet. Just sprinkle a light coating over your rug and let it sit for several minutes, then thoroughly vacuum the area. The result is a clean and deodorized carpet. 

2. Lint Roller

A lint roller is an indispensable tool for pet hair removal from clothing, furniture, and carpet. The best and cheapest lint rollers are the ones with disposable sticky sheets.

Run the lint roller over the affected surface and marvel at the results! When the roller paper is no longer sticky, peel it off and repeat the process with a fresh sheet. 

3. Rubber Squeegee

A squeegee is great at pulling pet hair from carpeting. Pulling the squeegee across the carpet creates friction between the rubber material and the carpet fabric, pulling pet hair off the rug and onto the rubber blade like a magnet.

Choose a squeegee with a long handle to avoid strain on your back and knees. Work the squeegee on your carpet the way you would clean a window – work with long strokes, pulling the squeegee toward you.

The rubber will extract pet fur from the carpet in large clumps. Continue working the carpet in sections until the squeegee comes up clean. 

A post-squeegee vacuuming will eliminate any remaining fur balls and suck up pet hair from the rug. 

4. Rubber or Latex Gloves

Rubber and latex gloves provide an inexpensive, chemical-free way to clean your carpet. Once again, it’s the friction of the rubber material that works magic in drawing fur from the carpet fibers in a few easy steps:

• Put on the gloves and immerse your hands in water
• Rub your hands over the area that requires attention, rubbing in one direction to collect lumps of fur.
• After disposing of the collected hair, plunge your hands in a tub of warm water to remove any remaining hair from the gloves

5. Hairbrush

A generic human hairbrush will retrieve hair from hard-to-reach areas such as stairs, corners, and nooks between furniture. Brushes with stiff metal bristles work best for this endeavor. Do not use a hairbrush on furniture and textiles -the bristles may cause damage to certain types of fabric.

6. Carpet Rake

Also known as a dog hair carpet brush, this handy tool resembles a child-size rake or upright broom. Its tiny teeth work wonders in excavating pet hair embedded in carpet fibers. The carpet rake has a long handle – an added benefit that helps prevent back and knee strain.

7. Pet Hair Vacuum Cleaner

Many standard home vacuum cleaners are ineffective at removing pet hair from carpet fibers. Depending on the carpet pile height and breed of dog, pet hair easily knots up in the bristles of the vacuum brush, constricting the movement of the roller and potentially damaging the mechanism. 

The good news is that Dyson, Shark, and Bissell all carry vacuum cleaners specifically designed for pet hair removal. Don’t sit around and wonder how to get dog hair out of carpet. These top-rated vacuums have the proper suction and bristles to extract animal fur. 

8. Choose Low Maintenance Furnishing and Décor for Your Home 

Many pet lovers choose furniture and décor that are easy to clean and resistant to pet hair. Pet and human air, dander, dust, and allergens easily embed themself in carpet fibers. By contrast, wooden, tile, or laminate flooring are easy to maintain and help keep your home dust and allergen-free. 

For examples of pet-friendly upholstery, consider leather/pleather, high-quality cotton, microfiber, denim, or canvas. For extra protection, give your furniture a spritzing of Scotch Guard. 

9. Brush Your Pets Regularly

One of the easiest methods of reducing pet hair and dander in your carpet and furniture is to de-shed and groom your pet at least twice per week.

Pet brushes and de-shedding gloves are readily available online and in stores and work wonders in eliminating the need for constant vacuuming and cleaning. Brushing your pet regularly also promotes bonding with your furry friend.

10. Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner

These DIY fixes will help keep your carpet in peak condition between professional cleanings, but these tips do not replace an annual deep cleaning with a professional carpet cleaning service.

Professional carpet cleaners do much more than getting dog hair out of the carpet. They employ professional-grade cleaning supplies and industrial strength equipment to obliterate pet hair, stains, odors, and allergens. 

If you require the services of carpet cleaning professionals in Green Valley, AZ, or the surrounding areas, call the experts at Steam Smart Pro.

Our team of cleaning professionals uses state-of-the-art cleaning equipment and eco-friendly chemicals to remove pet hair, allergens, and particulates embedded into the carpet fibers.

But that’s not all – we use a multi-step process of pre-treatment, disinfecting, and deodorizing that leaves your carpets clean, fresh, and sanitized.

Check out our blog page to learn how to maintain a carpet after professional cleaning and for other tips and tricks to keep your carpets looking great between cleanings.

Contact Us

Use these DIY tricks to learn how to get dog hair out of carpet between annual professional cleanings. 

If you live in Green Valley, AZ, contact the team at Steam Smart Pro for professional carpet cleaning. Be sure to ask us about our same-day service!

Call today at (520) 462-1183 to schedule a professional carpet cleaning by Steam Smart Pro to enhance the health of your home!

Author Bio:

Eric Bullard

The owner of Steam Smart Pro in Tucson, AZ, brings over 20 years of invaluable experience in the field of carpet, tile, and air duct cleaning. With a strong dedication to quality and a deep understanding of effective cleaning techniques, Eric consistently delivers outstanding results to his satisfied residential and commercial clients.