This Unexpected Household Item Could Be The Secret To Banishing Pet Hair

With all of the joys of pet parenthood come a few less joyful trade-offs. For dogs, you already know about regular grooming and bathing and frequent litter box scooping for cats, but one thing all of our furry friends have in common is hair shedding. Especially in the spring months, you may notice an increase of fur shedding and dandruff on your pet's favorite spot and maybe even have some traces of it on your backside. 

Dogs and cats shed year-round, varying in amount from breed to breed, but will cast off their winter undercoats as the weather warms. While cleaning pet hair can feel like an endless battle, one household item you probably already have in your cupboard may be the most powerful weapon in your arsenal — dryer sheets! To learn how to use fabric softening sheets to remove pet hair from your furniture, and win the battle against shedding, use this helpful guide. 

In Real Homes advice column, they recommend using anti-static dryer sheets to clear pet hair away from couch and seat surfaces. Thanks to their fabric and hair-softening properties, laundry dryer sheets attract pet fur and coax them out of your seat's fibers, making it easier to remove them. If you've gone green and made the switch to wool dryer balls, those will also work as wool is a natural fabric softener, according to Smart Sheep's FAQ. 

Pet hair doesn't just sit on the surface of upholstery but often intertwines itself with the cloth fibers. By rubbing the dryer sheets or tumbler balls against your couch or chair's surface, you're allowing the pet hair to come loose from the fabric, making it easier to scoop up by hand or a lint roller. You can also use a vacuum to gather up excess fur if you're looking for a reusable alternative to lint rolling sheets.

You can also use dryer sheets and wool tumbler balls to remove fur from clothing items, and they are especially helpful when fur has become stuck in an outfit's fibers. If the pet hair situation is really out of control, consider throwing your clothes in the tumbler dryer with a few dryer sheets before putting them in the wash. While this seems to be counter-intuitive, dryers can help loosen pet hair, while washing machines can weigh down fur, making it difficult to remove, according to Real Homes. 

Picture how your dog or cat's fur behaves when it's wetted -– it's more likely to tangle and mat — whereas dry pet hair can easily be brushed away. The same principle applies here, and with the help of dryer sheets or balls, the hair breaks away from the fabric and is safely caught in your lint trap. Be sure to clean the trap out after each use, as lint traps can become a fire hazard and reduce your dryer's efficiency.