If you’re a cat owner, you know that cat hair seems to mysteriously end up on all of your clothes. One of the downsides of owning a cat is having to constantly remove their hair from your clothes. And it’s not just a little bit – it can be frustrating trying to get rid of all those tiny hairs. So what is the best way to remove cat hair from clothes?
Cat hair on cats looks gorgeous but on clothes it 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
I know this is the obvious choice to remove cat hair from clothes but it is for a very good reason and that is because it works. It is easy and it is always there in the cupboard just waiting. Yes, I know it is a pain having to peel those sheets of paper away when the first round of paper is full of cat hair.
The thing is, the very stickiness of the product is what makes it work. As a bonus, any other bits of fluff and debris are also picked up. The kids can use this also.
To use a lint roller, simply roll it over the surface of the fabric. The sticky surface will grab onto the hair, making it easy to remove.
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. Just do the best you can or ask someone else to help.
Handy tip: I always have a couple of rolls of sticky paper in waiting. 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 with the paper.
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
This is always my standby method 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. It doesn’t matter which one you choose or already have at home.
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.
Wrap a piece of tape around your hand, sticky side out, and then pat the area where the cat hair is. The hair will stick to the tape, making it easy to remove. Use a slight rocking motion with your hand over the offending cat hair.
Like the lint roller brush, it does tend to fill up quite quickly and a new piece of tape will be needed.
In an emergency, I have used masking tape 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
Dampen the cloth or sponge and then run it over the area where the cat hair is. Don’t rub, rather move across the fabric discarding the cat hair that is picked up as you go.
The dampness 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 this is that it can be done anywhere. For example, you get to work and horror or horror when you visit the bathroom you notice the cat hair that wasn’t evident in the half-light when you left for work.
Be resourceful and find a cloth that you can dampen to remove the pet hair. A sponge works best but that may not always be readily available.
The sponge below 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
The lint brush is not at all like a lint roller. These brushes are a bit of a blast from the past but they work.
To use, drag the surface of the brush over the affected part of clothing that is covered in hair. The brush will pick up 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 wrong direction 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.
This is my lint brush. It is very similar to the one above from Amazon.
My 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 lessening the general amount of fur or hair. Let’s face it, we all need a bit of care and maintenance to look at our best.
5. Pet Fur Removal Pick It Up Mitt
I don’t have one of these. I do have the sort of glove that is designed to be used on your pet to remove hair from your cat but not the glove/mitt that is intended to be used on clothes and furniture for removing pet hair.
This product has rave reviews. 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. It has a spongy backing which gives the mitt a bit more substance than if it was just a thin fabric.
Giving your cat a massage can also help to remove some of the cat hair that would normally accumulate around the home.
6. Use The Clothes Dryer
Place the hair-covered clothes in the dryer. Set the dryer to the “air only” setting and run it for a few minutes. This will help to loosen any embedded hair. Next, put your clothes in the dryer on the “low” setting and add a fabric softener dryer sheet.
As the clothes tumble, the fabric softener will help to loosen the cat fur and prevent it from re-attaching to the fabric. After 10-15 minutes, your clothes should be free of fur.
Don’t forget to empty the dryer’s lint trap when you have finished.
That is 6 ways to remove cat hair from clothes. Even though removing cat hair from clothes was the focus of this article some of these methods such as the mitt, the sticky lint roller and the dry sponge can also be used on fabric couches or cat bedding and wherever else cat hair settles in your home.
