Best way to pick up dog hair on tile floors

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If you have cats or dogs (or both!), I hope for your sake you’ve got a leather sofa, because we all know that pet hair clings to fabric tighter than a squirrel with a nut in the dead of winter. Luckily there are some easy ways to get rid of hair. One big takeaway: Static electricity and low humidity make already annoying pet hair that much worse. Mitigate these two factors, and fur will remain more friend than foe.

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

How to Clean Pet Hair from Furniture

  • Remove pet hair from upholstery and fabric with dampened rubber gloves by running your hand over the surface to attract hair. Simply rinse off the glove when it’s covered with hair and repeat as needed. If you don’t have rubber gloves handy, try a slightly wet sponge instead. I like this method because it doesn’t use up lots of tape needlessly. (A dry rubber glove will remove pet hair, too, so you can stash the glove under your couch cushions for quick touch-ups.)
  • Or, lightly spray a mix of water and fabric softener onto your upholstered furniture, then wipe off.
  • To remove pet hair from wooden furniture, use a soft cloth and furniture polish or anti-static dusting spray. The spray will eliminate the electric charge, making removal easier and lessening the likelihood that the hair will re-stick.

(Image credit: Esteban Cortez)

How to Clean Pet Hair Off Floors

  • For carpet, scrape a pumice stone gently along the surface. Any hair will gather right up (plus your carpet won’t suffer from rough, dry skin this winter). I’ve also used a FURminator on my rugs, which, when used lightly, scrapes up the hair but doesn’t damage the carpet.
  • On hardwood, laminate, or other bare floors, use an electrostatic or microfiber dry mop; vacuums tend to blow the hair around versus corral it in one spot.
  • When vacuuming your carpet, go over areas twice and alternate directions to loosen stubborn hairs. If pet hair is a problem for you, it’s worth investing in a specialty pet vacuum with extra strong suction power and a good HEPA filter. We had a panel in the Apartment Therapy studio test to find the best pet hair vacuum (office dogs for the win!), and they overwhelmingly chose the Dyson Cyclone V10.

How to Remove Pet Hair From Clothes

  • Keep one of those lint rollers right beside your door for a quick hair removal session before you leave to meet friends or go to work. Our pick for the best lint brush for pet hair is OXO’s Furlifter.
  • For larger quantities of hair, try throwing your clothes in the dryer, along with a dryer sheet for 10 minutes. Or, use a spikey dryer ball for a chemical-free solution. The movement and softener loosens hair, which winds up in the lint trap. Adding a liquid water softener to the washer helps too.

How to Control Pet Hair on Your Pets Themselves

  • Brushing (or better yet, FURminating) about two days a week dramatically cuts down on the amount of fur tumbleweeds rolling through your living room.
  • And then, I’ve never tried this, but I’ve heard that putting a stocking or thin sock over the vacuum hose and then vacuuming your dog or cat does wonders. My dog would be traumatized for life and never look at me again, but I’m curious as to whether or not others have tried it. Let us know in the comments.

And then, as always, let us know what else works for you!

Re-edited from a post originally published 1.30.2014 – TW

  1. Home & Garden
  2. Cleaning
  3. Floor Cleaning Tips

By

Jennifer L. Betts

Jennifer worked for five years as a housekeeper in a large hotel chain. In that capacity, she learned how to clean just about anything.

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Professional Cleaner

Updated February 16, 2022

Best way to pick up dog hair on tile floors

Every dog owner with hardwood floors has wondered how to keep hardwood floors clean of dog hair, but the answer isn't always a simple one. However, a regular routine of pet grooming and floor cleaning can minimize hair problems no matter what type of dog you have.

Pet Vacuum Cleaner

Best way to pick up dog hair on tile floors

Pet hair can be a big problem on hardwood floors. It's excellent at evading the vacuum cleaner no matter how well you sweep the floor. A pet vacuum cleaner can come in handy. These vacuums are convenient because they are designed for sucking up pet hair.

  1. Vacuum the floor with a pet vacuum or high suction vacuum without beaters.
  2. Use the attachments to get all the dog hair out of the corners and crevices.

Rubber Broom

Rather than a regular broom, grab a rubber one. Rubber loves to attract pet hair. Therefore, a broom with rubber bristles can be your hardwood floor's best friend.

  1. Sweep the floor as usual.
  2. Run the broom along the wall to ensure you get trapped hair on the trim.
  3. Rinse the broom when done to remove stuck hair.

Damp Microfiber Mop

Best way to pick up dog hair on tile floors

Don't have a pet vacuum? No need to worry. Microfiber mops are a perfect alternative. These mops use a charge to quickly trap dog hair. And, they can trap pet hair quickly and easily.

  1. Attach the microfiber pad to the mop.
  2. Dampen it.
  3. Mop up the floor.
  4. Wash and dry the cloth before the next use.

Swiffer Floor Cleaner

Best way to pick up dog hair on tile floors

Hardwood can be hard to get clean. If you don't have a lot of time, try using a Swiffer floor cleaner or similar system. Like the microfiber mop, it uses static electricity to get the hairs onto the pad. But all you have to do is throw it away when you are done.

  1. Put a pad on the Swiffer.
  2. Sweep the floor.
  3. Use the pad to get under tables and chairs.
  4. Throw the pad away.

Tips for How to Keep Hardwood Floors Clean of Dog Hair

No matter how you to try to minimize shedding, some dog hair will inevitably accumulate on your hardwood floors. If you know how to clean hardwood floors properly with vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping, you can clean up that hair more easily. These additional steps can ensure you clean up as much pet hair as possible.

Use Vacuum Rather Than Broom

Instead of sweeping with a flicking motion that can spread pet hair, opt to vacuum your floor with a hardwood floor attachment or hard flooring setting. This will eliminate most hair, and you can buy a simple, lightweight vacuum for this daily cleaning instead of a heavy-duty machine. Robotic vacuums can also be effective in cleaning up dog hair.

Dust Regularly

Best way to pick up dog hair on tile floors

Be sure to clean beneath furniture and in corners where pet hair can accumulate. For stubborn areas, a slightly damp terry cloth mop can be effective or use a dry dust sweeper.

Reseal Floor

If your dog's hair is snagging on parts of the hardwood floor when you try to clean it, the sealer coat may be thin or uneven. Reapply sealer in the affected area until you achieve a smooth, even coat with no sharp edges to catch hair. It may be necessary to strip the floor before applying a new sealer, but a well-applied layer of sealer can last several years.

Dryer Sheet Hack

Pet hair stuck to your trim and the legs of chairs can be particularly annoying and hard to remove. A dryer sheet can come in handy. They create a barrier so that the pet hair doesn't get attracted to these places.

  1. Wet a dryer sheet.
  2. Wipe down the wall trim, legs, and other areas pet hair sticks.
  3. Repeat once a week.

Minimizing the Appearance of Dog Hair

It can be impossible to capture every dog's hair when you clean your hardwood floor, even with dedicated cleanings. There are ways, however, to minimize the appearance of dog hair to the point where it is hardly noticeable, and to clean the rest of your home to remove excess hair that could get on your hardwood floors. Grooming will reduce shedding.

Quality Air Filters

Use good quality air filters throughout your home and on your vacuum to catch floating hair. This will also help minimize other dust particles, decreasing the need for frequent cleaning.

Regularly Clean

Keep all carpets, rugs, and furniture as clean of dog hair as possible around your home, since it is easy to spread on clothing, shoes, or linens. A rubber sweeper, strong vacuum, or specialized pet hair removers can all be effective to help minimize pet hair throughout your home.

Stain Floors Similar Color to Pet's Fur

If you have the option, consider choosing a color of hardwood flooring stain that is close to the color of your pet's hair. This will help the hair blend in so it is not as easily seen if you can't clean it up as frequently.

Minimize Shedding

The easiest way to keep your hardwood floors clean of dog hair is to minimize the amount of hair your pets will shed. While every dog sheds and even short hair can quickly add up on a hardwood floor, there are tricks that can make the hair more manageable.

Groom Dog Regularly

Groom your dog regularly with baths and frequent brushing using a good quality brush that will remove more loose fur. Not only is this a great opportunity to minimize shed hair, but it can become a bonding time between you and your pet as well.

Get Dog Trimmed

Best way to pick up dog hair on tile floors

Keep your pet's fur properly trimmed to minimize loose hair and additional shedding. At the same time, however, avoid shaving the hair entirely as this robs your dog of the necessary insulation to protect their skin.

Train Dog

If possible, depending on the layout of your home, train your dog to stay off the hardwood floors. This can be an easy matter if the hardwood flooring is confined to one area.

Use Quality Pet Food

Feed your dog a quality brand of food with plenty of protein to promote a healthy coat. This will ensure less shed hair from loose or damaged fur.

Control Fleas

Control fleas carefully. A pet that scratches frequently will loosen hair and shed more easily.

Best Way to Clean Dog Hair off Wood Floors

Pet hair can be notoriously difficult to clean, but knowing how to keep hardwood floors clean of dog hair can help you enjoy both your best friend and clean, shiny floors without inconvenience. Now that you know what to do, grab your broom or mop and get to work.

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What picks up dog hair from the floor?

Use Pet Hair Vacuum Cleaner Using a pet hair Vacuum Cleaner is the best way to pick up dog hair on hardwood floors. You can use different types of vacuum cleaner like a handheld, upright canister or robotic vacuums.

How do you pick up hair from a tile floor?

Sweep hair from any type of floor with a rubber squeegee broom..
Rubber brooms are more effective at picking up hair than a regular broom and can be used on vinyl, hardwood, stone, ceramic, and linoleum floors..
For uneven stone floors and ceramic tiled floors with lots of grout lines, use a bristled rubber broom..

What's the best way to sweep up dog hair?

Dryer sheets (sometimes slightly dampened), pumice stones, lint rollers, and duct tape all work wonders for removing hair from various fabric surfaces. Dryer sheets are great for carpet and furniture, pumice stones on carpet and lint rollers or duct tape on, well, just about anything.

Does Swiffer pick up dog hair?

Adopting a New Pet It's true, excess pet hair can be annoying. But Swiffer Sweeper traps and locks pet hair. That's a lot less time spent worrying about pet hair, and lot more time left for belly rubs.