One of the no-so-fun tasks of owning pets is cleaning their hair. They shed it everywhere, more so on the floor.
Fortunately, it is easier to get pet hair off the floor than it is to get it off carpeting and furniture. Unfortunately, hardwood reveals dirt more than other floors. So, you find yourself cleaning more often, and you have to be thorough when cleaning.
The question is, is your current method of cleaning pet hair from your hardwood floors the best? Read on to find out.
How to reduce shedding of pet hair
Your hardwood floors will remain clean if there is no pet hair in the first place. However, you cannot avoid shedding; it is a natural process. But you can reduce it.
The following are a few tips reducing pet hair shedding:
- Feed your pets protein-rich food. Protein promotes healthy fur. The healthier the coat, the less the shedding. Speaking of healthy eating, check out reviews of best dog food on https://www.pupped.com/.
- Trim your pets’ fur regularly.
- Regularly bath your pets with a quality shampoo.
- Make a habit of brushing your pets to remove loose fur.
Use the right vacuum cleaner
Sweeping the floor will simply spread the pet hair. You need to vacuum the floor. However, you should use the right vacuum cleaner.
To start with, you need to attach a hardwood floor attachment to your vacuum. Some vacuum cleaners have the flooring setting feature. Make sure you change this setting to wood or hardwood flooring.
The most important thing to consider is that not all vacuum cleaners can deal with pet hair. Most vacuum cleaners have a two-part soft brush and hose mechanism. Pet hairs tend to get stuck in the brush of such vacuum cleaners. Inefficient vacuuming is the result due to clogging.
A vacuum cleaner specialized for pet hair uses silicon brushes. Unlike in the case with soft hair brushes, pet hairs do not get stuck in silicone brush attachments. Additionally, pet hair vacuum cleaners do not use the hose mechanism. They have a reliable suction power due to the use of enhanced filtration system.
Use microfiber pads
Vacuuming will suck up most of the pet hair. However, small hairs, fibers, and debris remain. Therefore, after some time, you will need to mop.
Go for that perfect clean with microfiber pads. A microfiber pad will catch more pet hairs than your vacuum or normal mop. The microfiber material creates an electrostatic charge that easily pulls dust and dirt.
Another plus is that microfiber pads are reusable (up to 100 times) and are machine-washable. So, with microfiber pads, you are saving both money and the environment.
That said, the life-span and efficiency of a microfiber pad are dependent on how you wash it.
- The most important rule of washing microfiber parts is not using fabric softener. A fabric softener will block the spaces in the fabric, thereby making the microfiber inefficient.
- Do not wash microfiber pads together with anything made from cotton. Microfiber attracts lint.
- Do not use the machine to dry. Microfiber pads quickly airdry.
Use wet grass
At times, sweeping is the only option. The floor is dirty, and you don’t have enough time for vacuuming and mopping.
However, as mentioned earlier, a sweeper spreads pet hair instead of trapping them. That’s where wet grass comes in.
Simply sprinkle wet grass clippings over the area of hardwood floor you want to sweep. The dampness in the wet grass will trap pet hair. In fact, after you finish cleaning, you will see pet hair scattered in the grass you pick up. Furthermore, the grass clippings will make areas you have missed during the sweeping visible.
Conclusion
Shedding of hair is natural; it is unavoidable. However, keeping your hardwood floor free from pet-hair is possible. All you have to do is follow the guidelines shared above.
