The fix in 6 steps
Our pick for this:
FurZapper 2-Pack Laundry Pet Hair Remover
The catch: Shake the blanket out first. The discs catch a lot of what's left.
Wash pet stuff on its own and don't overload the drum, so hair has room to rinse away
Add about half a cup of white vinegar to the softener dispenser to loosen hair and cut static.
In this guide
Get the hair off before the water does
Furry hoodie headed for the wash? Washing it just moves the fur to the rest of the load. Six steps: hair off first, then wash and dry so it stays off:
- Shake it outside. A few hard snaps get the loose layer off.
- Tumble it dry, no heat, for about 10 minutes. The dryer loosens hair and the lint trap catches it.
- Clean the lint trap, then lint-roll anything still furry.
- Wash pet stuff on its own and don't overload the drum, so hair has room to rinse away. Add about half a cup of white vinegar to the softener dispenser to loosen hair and cut static.
- Toss in a FurZapper disc (see FurZapper disc at Amazon). It's sticky silicone, so hair clings to it instead of your jeans.
- Dry with a few wool dryer balls (see wool dryer balls at Amazon), which tumble between clothes so hair can fall out and static drops. Check the lint trap halfway on heavy loads.
In the washer
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- White vinegar in the rinse: about half a cup in the softener dispenser helps loosen hair and cut static.
- Don't overload. Clothes need room to move for hair to rinse away.
- Wash pet stuff on its own. Dog blankets, cat beds and the hoodie the cat sleeps on get their own load.
- Mesh bags for the worst items keep their hair from migrating to everything else.
- FurZapper discs go in the washer and the dryer. They're sticky silicone, so hair clings to them instead of your jeans. Peel the hair off between loads.
The catch with FurZapper: it won't get every hair, and you'll be cleaning the lint trap more often.
Couch hair is a different job. ChomChom vs FurZapper: which one goes where.
In the dryer
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- Wool dryer balls, a few per load, tumble between clothes so hair can fall out and static drops.
- Check the lint trap halfway on heavy loads. A full trap stops catching hair.
The catch with dryer balls: they help loosen hair but don't remove it on their own, and they take up some space in the drum. Skip them if you want hair pulled out in the wash too; that's the FurZapper's job.
Common mistakes: a dirty washer reloads you
Hair builds up in the machine and comes back out on the next load. Every so often:
Skip these
- Run an empty hot cycle with white vinegar.
- Wipe the rubber door seal on a front-loader. It's a hair museum.
- Clean the drain filter and the detergent drawer.
- Wipe the drum with a damp cloth.
Fabrics that fight back
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- Hair magnets: fleece, velvet, corduroy. Fine in a furry house, but they need the full routine every time.
- Easier: silk, satin and tight-weave cotton let hair slide off.
Hair is also on the couch? See getting pet hair off furniture. Washing the dog bed? See how to wash dog bedding.
Bottom line
In short
Dry-tumble, then wash with vinegar, then dry with balls or discs, and empty the lint trap more than seems reasonable. Black pants are survivable again.
