Having a cat or dog in your home can be very rewarding and it adds to the enjoyment of day to day living. They offer companionship, improve fitness, reduce stress and can help improve your social life.

Unfortunately, there are some minor downsides, of which includes the cleanliness of your home. Shedding hair can be a hassle if it builds up on various surfaces throughout your home such as sofas, bedding and of course carpet. Not only is it a nuisance, it can also cause allergy and other health issues. Attending to the problem should and keeping your house as hair free as possible requires regular cleaning, however getting the hair out of carpets can be challenging!

Professional carpet cleaning is a sure-fire way to remove the hair, however in-between professional help, there are a number of ways to attend to it day-to-day.

Dampen Cleaning Utensils

If you have hardwood flooring or tiles, instead of dampening the floor directly, dampen your broom or mop applying it to the floor. The everyday mop will be transformed it into an efficient, damp hair-magnet.

Grooming Glove

Remember that grooming glove you impulsively purchased from the pet store once, and have never actually used? Well now is the time to use it - on armchairs, couches and smaller mats where you can really apply pressure to the area you’re working with.

A Toothbrush for Smaller Crevices

Old toothbrushes that are worn out can be great cleaning accessories for reaching hard, narrow crevices. Ideal for upholstery seams, smaller domes and buttons on the cushions that require a more intricate cleaning process, an old toothbrush will be your best friend for really getting every single strand of hair.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a fantastic product for using after you've gotten rid of the pet hair – it helps to tackle the residual odors left in those particularly hair-dense areas, or a rug that the dog has slept on every day and night for the past decade. Sprinkling a little baking soda, gently rubbing it in and leaving it for 20-30 minutes, when wiped away, has a magical ability to refresh an area of carpet and instantly reinforce all your prior hard work.

Rubber Brooms

When dealing with tile, wood or linoleum floor, rubber brooms are a brilliant upgrade from your everyday household broom. Rubber also acts as a magnet to attract pet hair and quickly latch onto clumps, breaking through those seemingly endless layers. Using a rubber broom will work particularly well on hardwood as it means you can scrap having to deal with the aftermath left by a damp broom (extra wiping and drying).

Hand Vacuum Cleaners

Hand vacuum cleaners save you time and energy, requiring no set up. They’re easy to use, lightweight to hold, and allow for instantaneous hair-removal as you see it – particularly if the dog or cat decides to use one of the ‘forbidden’ couches or rugs that you've managed to deter them from up until this point of betrayal.

Lint Rollers

Sticky lint rollers are your best friend when it comes to a quick, fuss-free "hair removal" session. They’re great for smaller areas, and not quite as effective on larger patches of carpet - as the sticky area of the roller can be quickly consumed by the first surface layer of hair. Every small bit of maintenance helps to keep overall pet hair at bay.

Adhesive Tape

As lint rollers can be dearer and less effective on larger patches, strong, industrial-grade packing tape can work wonders. A great game for the kids, have them wrap the tape around the palm of your hand and trick them into thinking they’re in competition to accumulate the most pet hair on their sticky tape. In no time, you could have larger rugs and carpets looking significantly less hairy than before!

Dampen Your Carpet or Rug

An underrated hair-removal tricks is that of moistening your rug and then sweeping the pet hair into damp clumps, prior to getting at them with the vacuum cleaner. Dampening the hair makes it a lot easier to sweep it into a pile. This can make larger sections of carpet much more manageable to deal with - just be careful to not overdo the water usage. Carpet doesn't dry quickly, without assistance, and wet carpet will lead to smells, mold & even mildew. Slightly damp is all you need to kick this trick into gear – and get rid of that hair!

If you’re still feeling out of your depth, a professional carpet cleaning team have the skills, experience and equipment to bring your carpets and rugs back to life. Choose a dry-cleaning company as they use a process with minimal moisture compared to steam cleaning, meaning you’ll be able to get back on your carpets within an hour.