How To Control Dog Hair In The House

Admit it. You love your dog, but you don’t love all the hair they shed throughout your house. You know what I’m talking about…dog tumbleweeds that drift by on your floors. Or removing items fresh from the dryer, yet there’s still dog hair on them. I have three labradors, and was recently told by a new neighbor “Wow, your house doesn’t SEEM like you have three dogs!” With a few common sense tips on how to control dog hair in the house, your house won’t seem like you have dogs either, even though you do!

a word about shedding

Most dog breeds have some level of regular shedding, and this can vary depending on breed and coat type. It is important to know what is considered normal for your dog, so you are able to recognize when it’s excessive, which perhaps indicates an underlying problem.

For example, I have labs. As a double coated breed, I know that shedding is literally a way life with labs. And a couples times of year, as the seasons change, the shedding will increase tenfold as they fully blow their coats to make way for new ones. Yet, when I noticed that Ruby was suddenly going completely bald on her underside, I was able to recognize this as a problem, and contact her veterinarian.

So what is a dog mom to do when the shedding is normal, and your house is swimming in dog hair? The answer is not about stopping a dog from shedding. It’s about how to control the dog hair in the house when it is inevitably shed.

Nutrition for coat health

Good health starts with good nutrition and hydration. Make sure you are feeding your dog a high quality diet, and providing plentiful water to stay hydrated. In addition, adding a quality fish oil / Omega-3 supplement to your dog’s diet provides numerous, well-documented health benefits, only one of which is improvement to their skin and coat health.

Dogs with flaky skin and brittle coat are prone to more than normal shedding. Keeping your dog’s skin and coat in tip top shape helps to mitigate shedding excess. Consult with your veterinarian about which fish oil / Omega-3 supplement and dosage is bes

grooming routine

bathing

Regularly bathing your dog will help to remove loose hairs that are ready to shed. The more loose hair that comes off in the tub, the less that’s coming off throughout your home. I also use a Bodhi Dog Bath Brush to help remove and collect the loose hair. Excessive bathing of your dog can dry out their skin and coat, contributing to increased shedding, so don’t take it to the extreme. Personally, I bathe my dogs every two to three weeks.

blowing

I’ve let my dogs air dry for years when washed at home, but have recently added a SHELANDY Grooming Blower with Heater. The blower not only reduces dry time, but it helps to blow out the undercoat, and any loose hair, that is still hanging on after bath time. And best of all, my girls can now have that fluffy, ‘fresh from the professional groomer’ appearance at home.

Brushing

Brushing your dog regularly between baths is another excellent way to remove loose hair that’s just waiting to fall out and float all over your house. The Hartz Groomer’s Best Combo Brush is an excellent choice no matter your dog’s coat type. If your dog is a double coated breed like my labs, you may also benefit from an undercoat rake. The Oster Dog Rake was suggested to me by our groomer.

Housekeeping Routine

I was once told by a carpet cleaning professional that I should be vacuuming my house once per week for each person who was residing in the home. And that I should just go ahead and count my dogs as people. At the time, it was my husband, myself, and two labs, and four times per week seemed IMPOSSIBLE! But frequent vacuuming is critical when it comes to controlling dog hair in the house.

Automatic vacuuming

It was not until I added the iRobot Roomba 980 that I was able to accomplish the vacuuming frequency really necessary to to control dog hair in the house. At the time, it was the top model available (it’s now discontinued). The purchase was expensive, and I debated it for over a year, but I’ve had no regrets.

‘Dusty’ runs Monday through Friday, and my floors have never looked, or felt, better. Frequent use is absolutely necessary for Roomba success, especially when you have pets. The ‘conditioning process’ took about two weeks. My Roomba would fill quickly, and leave clumps of hair and debris if I wasn’t on top of my emptying game. A coworker encouraged me to stick it out as this was completely normal. He was right and soon enough Roomba was able to clean my whole house on one bin without a trace left behind.

The newer Roomba models offer a self-emptying dock. If making a new robotic vacuum purchase, a self-emptying option should be on your must-have features list. This would significantly improve the annoyances I experienced during the conditioning process. And while daily emptying is only a minor annoyance, it would certainly be convenient if my Roomba could could just take care of it!

I also suggest choosing the model with the best suction your money can buy. If purchasing today, I would choose the iRobot Roomba s9+ as it’s suction power is greater than my 980 model, and it has the added benefit of the self emptying dock.

UPDATE: I’ve purchased a new iRobot Roomba s9+ AND a Braava Jet m6 robotic mop! Stay tuned for my reviews on these new additions!

“FUR”THER UPDATE: While I’m long overdue for an in depth review, DO NOT purchase the iRobot Roomba s9+ as it was a total disaster! It has been replaced with a iRobot Roomba j8+ purchased from Costco, which has fulfilled my automatic vacuuming dreams. It was the Costco equivalent of the iRobot Roomba j7+, but with a longer battery life.

Manual Vacuuming

In addition to my iRobot Roomba 980, I also have a Dyson v8 Absolute cordless stick vacuum with an an assortment of accessories like the mini motorized tool. It’s important to mention that I rarely NEED my Dyson for flooring, but it’s critical for controlling dog hair in other areas of the house.

It’s easy to grab if someone tracks something in. I use it with a soft brush to clean blinds, fan blades, or baseboards. Also, to vacuum the dog beds, removing hair before and between laundering.

I also use the mini motorized tool on my comforter to remove dog hair before and between washing. The tool also quickly removes hair from upholstered furniture, and the car seat cover in my car. A couple times a month, I’ll hit all the area rugs with max suction (which uses more of your battery power).

Decor solutions

When it comes to decor and dog hair, I use a two-prong approach. First, you want to choose colors, patterns, and textures that disguise any dog hair on them in the first place. And second, you want to choose things that are durable, and easy to clean, or wash.

Flooring, fabric and upholstery

For disguising, your color palette may need to vary depending on the color of your dog’s coat. I have a wide range of coat colors to deal with, however. Most of my rugs are neutral grays and blues with mild patterns. I also have a few with bolder colors and patterns. This concept applies to rugs, hardwood flooring, upholstery for furniture, bedding, etc.

Once upon a time, I didn’t allow my dogs on the sofa. (Who was I?! 🤣). Then, I purchased a leather sofa, so my dogs could sit on the sofa. Leather furniture is by far the easiest to keep free of pet hair, though it still requires cleaning and conditioning. Other than leather, your best furniture upholstery options for dogs are synthetic fabrics. Synthetics, which includes microfiber, are made from materials like polyester, nylon, acrylic, or olefin. In general synthetic fabrics are durable, holding up well to paws and claws, and are easier to clean.

Dog beds and comforters should also be colored, textured, or patterned in a manner that hides dog hair. And made from durable fabrics that hold up well to being vacuumed, and washed, frequently.

dual purpose decor

My favorite decorative solution for dog hair is a cozy throw blanket. A beautiful blanket that goes with your decor does double duty as an ‘undercover’ furniture cover when your pup wants to snuggle on the sofa, or in your bed. It not only collects hair that would otherwise be on your furniture, but provides added protection from claws, dirt, or drool. You can then shake them outdoors to eliminate as much dog hair as possible, and toss them in the wash.

Laundry solutions

You love your dog, but you don’t love walking out the door wearing dog hair all over your clothes. Get yourself a collection of lint rollers. My go-to choice is the Scotch-Brite lint roller. They’re affordable, so I can keep one in my laundry room, my bedroom, and also in my car. A refill multi-pack is also available, allowing you to reuse the roller handle.

In spite of your best efforts to remove dog hair in advance of washing, there’s always going to be some that makes into your wash cycle. What’s a dog mom to do? Prior to washing, throw your load into the dryer FIRST. A 10 minute air cycle (no heat) softens fabrics, releasing dog hair to be collected in your dryer’s lint trap.

Another option is to add a half cup of white vinegar to your washer’s rinse cycle, using the fabric softener dispenser. Vinegar acts as a natural fabric softener, preventing static, and thus preventing dog hairs from clinging to your clothes and linens.

Dog Hair, Don’t Care

Sharing your home with a dog doesn’t mean you have to let dog hair overrun your life. Following these common sense tips to manage dog hair will keep your home (nearly) dog hair free!