Having a pet is lovely, but having pet hair all over your home isn't. It's something I feel like I'm constantly battling — and while I found a $5 beauty hack that gets rid of pet hair on my clothes, I'm always on the lookout for ways to vacuum it up from the rest of my house with ease.
I've been eyeing up a new vacuum, preferably one with some sort of special attachment or built-in technology, but I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can first to eliminate the stubborn pet hair that just won't quit.
And as I've scoured the internet for advice, I think I've finally found five vacuum cleaning tips to help you (and me) get spotless floors.
Take your time
Yes, you probably want to get the vacuuming done as quick as possible, but there's something to be said for taking your time when there's pet hair to remove. Taking it slower, as well as ensuring you're revisiting spots at least once, is a great way to make sure you're really giving your vacuum the best chance at sucking up all that pet hair.
Slow vacuuming will give your appliance more time to lift up the pet hairs that may be embedded into your floors, especially carpets. And an even better step to take is to vacuum your floors in different angles, ensuring you're picking up the hairs that might be avoiding you.
Start from the top
Before you even get to vacuuming the floors though, it's best to work over any soft furnishings or areas where pet hair can gather to ensure it's all on the floor by the time you reach it.
As you disturb pet hair on those higher up areas, you'll be bringing it back onto the floor where it'll be likely to stay if you're not going to vacuum it up. It's certainly a way to make sure the floor remains spotless and it'll also save you a lot of time.
Try a little baking soda
One clever trick I've really enjoyed doing is sprinkling a little baking soda over my carpets and upholstered furniture. Not only is it great for eliminating odors, but it'll also reduce the static charge in the fibers, releasing the pet hair more readily when you go over it with a vacuum.
Just be sure to only spread it lightly and vacuum it all up afterwards to avoid any irritation for your pet. With this in mind, it's likely to make you even more thorough with your vacuuming as well, so that's always a plus.
Keep the brush roll clean
If you want your vacuum to perform at its best, keeping the brush roll clean should be high on your list of little jobs around the home. This is especially true if you have people who shed a lot of hair (like me in my household) or pets. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines, but what you're aiming to do is cut away and detangle any hair that is gathering on the roll.
While some vacuums come with anti-tangle brush rolls made to prevent a mess of long hair and pet hair gathering, some will require you get a bit more hands-on. And even if you do have an anti-tangle brush, you'll still need to clean it, just maybe not as regularly.
Ensure maximum suction
You might not realize it, but your vacuum could be carrying a lot more weight in its dustbin (or bag) than it looks, especially when you've got pets. A lot of pet hair in the dust compartment can impact your vacuum's suction power – and that's no good for pulling up stubborn pet hairs.
Instead, be sure to empty it a little more often than you're used to. This will also help maintain good airflow to your motor, as well as reduce odors from pet hair saturating inside.
Do you have any awesome tips for tackling pet hair in your own home? Let me know in the comments below.
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