The Important Reason To Remove Pet Hair From Clothes Before The Laundry

You love your pet unconditionally, but you also know that they can accidentally cause some damage around the house. From carpets to toys, things get ruined. Unfortunately, there is a costly appliance that can also be harmed by your pet: the washing machine. When you do not take the time to remove pet hair from your clothing before putting it in the washer, you risk the fur forming clumps, clogging the machine, and leading to improper drainage.

When you toss blankets and clothing coated in pet hair into the washing machine, the exposure to water makes the hair strands stick together. These clumps can then cling to the drum of the washing machine or jam the washer's filter. Both of these situations can lead to drainage issues that strain your home's plumbing system, acting as one of the many ways you may be destroying your washer and dryer without even noticing. Plus, pet hair can get trapped in the dryer and become a safety hazard. 

To avoid damaging or putting extra stress on your plumbing, washing machine, and dryer, you should take extra steps to remove pet hair before doing your laundry. The good news is that there are many options on how to do this, from quick tricks to nifty products. Further, there are special new appliances designed for catching pet hair during the washing and drying processes.

While you can use the classic method of lint rolling your clothes to get rid of the fur, there are many innovations that can make pet hair removal even easier. Before throwing your clothing in the washing machine, put it in the dryer. Tumble dry your clothes without heat to dislodge the pet hair and catch it in the machine's lint screen. Then, when you add it to the washing machine, there will be less pet hair to clump in the water. Just make sure you clean your lint screen after tumble drying the clothes, and wipe down the washing machine drum frequently to gather any pet hair that did clump to prevent it from becoming a problem.

If you are willing to make some purchases, there are also products that make laundry with a shedding pet more manageable. First, there are pet-specific laundry systems with easy-to-access filters designed to capture more pet hair, such as the Maytag Deep Fill Pet Pro Top-Load Washer, available for roughly $800 at Lowe's. The FurZapper Pet Hair Remover on Amazon for just under $8 is a more affordable option. The sticky material grabs pet hair from your fabrics in the wash and dry cycles. "Shark Tank" viewers may have heard of this product and wondered what happened to the FurZapper Laundry Pet Hair Remover. While reviews are mixed, it may be worth a try.

If you have not been taking the appropriate measures to remove pet hair before washing your clothes until now, you might want to check your washing machine's filter to give yourself a clean slate. Note that not all washing machines have accessible filters or traditional ones. Several high-efficiency models have self-cleaning pumps instead. For appliances with filters, you can find them inside the drum or agitator for top-load washers and behind a panel on the outside of the machine or at the end of the drain hose for front-load washers.

After turning off the machine, remove the filter. You may need a dish to catch any water that exits. Remove the pet hair and debris and clean the filter using water, dish soap, and a brush if needed. Even if you use a pet hair removal method before washing, occasionally checking your machine's filter can help prolong the life of your appliance.

As a pet owner, you are probably always looking for ways to get rid of pet hair in your home, so make sure you do not forget about doing so in your laundry too. Your plumbing will be better protected from damage, and you will be left with both clean clothes and a longer lasting washing machine and dryer.