Having to constantly remove cat hair from your clothes is one of the downsides of owning a cat.
What is the best way to remove cat hair from clothes? It can be frustrating trying to get rid of all those tiny stray hairs.
Cat hair on cats looks gorgeous but on clothes cat hair is not a good look.
A gorgeous, fluffy adorableness of a cat that belonged to a family member had a favorite outside chair. He ruled that chair. If anyone accidentally sat on that chair, oh my goodness, the cat hair. Not to mention the poor people who had allergies to cat hair.
Here are the six best ways to remove cat hair from clothes.
Most of these I have tried.
I will indicate where I have or haven’t personally used the method.
The Best Way To Remove Cat Hair From Clothes
1. Lint Roller Brush To Remove Cat Hair From Clothes
A lint roller brush is a handheld tool used to easily remove pet hair, lint, dust, and other small fibers from clothing, upholstery, and other materials.
It typically consists of a roll of one-sided adhesive paper on a spindle, mounted on a handle. The user rolls the adhesive side of the paper over the surface to be cleaned, picking up lint and removing pet hair.
A lint roller brush is the obvious best and easiest choice to remove cat hair from clothes but it is for a very good reason and that is because it works and as positive note, doesn’t need batteries.
A lint roller brush is easy to use to remove cat hair from clothes, it’s a lint trap and it is always there in the cupboard, just waiting. Just peel those sticky sheets of paper away, when the first round of paper is full of cat hair.
The thing is, to remove cat hair from clothes, it is the very stickiness of the product that makes it work so well.
As a bonus, any other bits of fluff and debris are also picked up. The kids can use this also to remove cat hair from their clothes as it is so easy to use.
To remove cat hair, simply roll the lint roller over the surface of the fabric, backwards and forwards or anywhere there is cat hair.
The sticky surface will grab onto the hair, removing it from the fabric of your clothes.
The cat hair is now trapped on the sticky paper of the lint roller and your clothing is cat hair free.
When using the lint roller brush, if you can remove the clothing, it does make it easier but sometimes we are just about to dash out the door and there just isn’t time.
It’s still easy to do a few quick swipes done the arms and front of your garment to remove the bulk of the cat hair. Just do the best you can or ask someone else to help.
Handy tip: I always have a couple of spare rolls of sticky paper. The last thing you want to do is skimp on using the paper. Once the stickiness on the paper is gone, it’s gone.
Just move on to the next fresh paper. Having a few rolls of spare paper means that you won’t be Mr Grinch when you are using the lint roller brush.
Over the years I have had various lint rollers. I can’t say that I noticed a marked difference between different brands. For me, it is definitely what is convenient to buy. Can I get it at the supermarket or Amazon? That’s it. The cost is pretty negligible.
2. Packing Tape or Similar To Remove Cat Hair From Clothes
This sticky tape is always my standby method to remove pet hair from clothes, if the lint roller brush has gone MIA. Packing tape is incredibly sticky. It performs the same function as the lint roller brush in that its very stickiness is what makes it work.
Packing tape is often brown in color or sometimes clear and transparent. It doesn’t matter which one you choose or already have at home.
Wrap a piece of tape around your hand, sticky side out, and then pat the area on your clothing, where the cat hair is located. The hair will stick to the tape, making it easy to remove. Use a slight rocking motion with your hand over the cat hair.
A new piece of tape will be needed to replace the tape when it loses its stickiness.
It has a bit of a nuisance factor compared to using the lint roller brush, however, I found that once I had established a good method of wrapping the tape around my hand it was pretty easy.
In an emergency, I have used masking tape to remove pet hair but it doesn’t work as well. It is not as sticky and the width of the masking tape is usually narrower than packing tape, meaning that more tape is needed. Duct tape can also be used. Often it is a matter of scouting around your home to see what you already have.
3. Damp Cloth or Damp Sponge To Remove Cat Hair From Clothes
To remove cat hair from clothes using a sponge, first of all dampen the cloth or very lightly wet the sponge and then run it over the area where the cat hair is. Don’t rub, rather move the damp sponge across the fabric, discarding the cat hair that is picked up as you go.
The dampness of the sponge will help to loosen the pet hair from fabric. You may need to do this a few times to get all of the pet hair, but it should come off relatively easily.
The great thing about the damp sponge or damp cloth method to remove cat hair, is that it can be done anywhere. For example, you get to work and horror of horror when you visit the bathroom you notice the cat hair on your clothes that wasn’t evident in the half light when you left for your home for work.
Be resourceful and find a cloth that you can dampen to remove the remaining pet hair. A sponge works best but that may not always be readily available.
The sponge shown below to remove cat hair is used dry. I have not used this sponge however I definitely like the look of it. It is versatile, budget priced and being able to use it dry is a bonus. I am thinking, one for home, one in the car and one at work, just to cover all bases.
4. Lint Brush To Remove Cat Hair From Clothes
A lint brush is not the same as like a lint roller, although they perform the same function of removing pet hair from clothes. These brushes are a bit of a blast from the past but they work. My local supermarket has them for sale.
To use a lint brush for removing pet hair or cat hair, drag the surface of the brush over the affected part of clothing that is covered in loose hair.
The lint brush will pick up the excess hair and other bits of fluff. If you need to go over the same area, go in the same direction.
If you go in the reverse direction using the lint brush, the debris will be deposited back onto the clothing. This is actually how you remove the debris from the brush.
Once you have done this a couple of times it becomes straightforward. You can also remove the hair by just pulling at it and it will all come together easily for removal.
There is an arrow on the handle of the brush to indicate the correct direction.
A useful idea is to have one of these brushes in your desk at work. Any loose hair that shows up on your work clothes can be whisked away in seconds. The lint brush also works wonders for getting rid of lint an dust – essential for black clothing to look smart.
This is my lint brush. It is very similar to the one above from Amazon.
My lint brush has a button on the handle. When the button on the handle is depressed, the brush becomes magic and the head of the brush whizzes and swivels around so that it is now in the opposite direction.
It is now ready to remove the hair and debris from the brush. I am including this information just in case you come across a brush like mine that has a button on the handle.
Kitty cat maintenance will also help towards grooming and will reduce shedding, lessening the general amount of fur or hair. Let’s face it, we all need a bit of care, grooming and maintenance to look at our best.
5. Pet Fur Removal Pick It Up Mitt
I don’t have one of these. I do own the glove that is designed to be used on your pet to remove hair from your cat. I don’t own the glove/mitt that is used to remove pet hair from clothing and upholstered furniture.
This product has excellent reviews online. One cat owner also used it to remove cat hair from the cat tree. A mitt is very easy to use so that gives this product a tick from me. Another cat owner used it on her velvet-covered furniture. Many people used the mitt daily.
It can be used for cat and dog hair removal. This pet hair removal mitt has a spongy backing which gives the mitt a bit more substance than if it was just a thin fabric.
Get rid of pet hair by giving your cat a massage which helps to remove some of the cat hair that would normally accumulate around the home.
6. Use The Clothes Dryer To Remove Cat Hair From Clothes
Place the cat hair covered clothes in the dryer and set the dryer to the “air only – no heat” setting and run it for a few minutes.
This will help to loosen any embedded stubborn pet hair. Next, put your clothes in the dryer on the “low” setting and add a fabric softener dryer sheet.
As the clothes tumble, the dryer sheet will help to loosen the cat fur on the clothes and prevent it from re-attaching to the fabric. After 10-15 minutes, your clothes should be free of cat hair.
Don’t forget to empty the dryer’s lint trap when you have finished to remove pet hair.
Removing cat hair from clothes was the focus of this article however some of these methods such as the mitt, the sticky lint roller and the dry sponge can also be used on fabric couches, soft furnishings, pet bedding and wherever else pet hair settles in your home.
