With the temperature rising in Toronto, if you have a pet, you’re going to have to declare war on hair as your dog loses that winter coat. My dog is shedding bad right now! I really should say ‘dogs’. We have 4. Only 3 come in the house. The one that seems to shed the most is the one with the slickest coat, the German Short Hair. That’s not to say the Airedale and the Welsh Terrier don’t shed too though!
I notice hair on the tile floors, since it’s light colored, so I know the hair is everywhere else. I use a vacuum cleaner to get that pet hair up, but to clean the furniture, here is a neat little trick – rubber gloves. Put on a clean pair, dampen, and run your hands over cushions (for silk upholstery, use the gloves dry). Be sure to check in your house especially around your heating/ac ducts, the intake in particular. Keep that area free from pet hair, and be sure to change your filters frequently. Another place that pet hair will gather is under your refrigerator on the coil. Use a specially made brush to get in there and keep that clean!
If you sweep up a lot of pet hair, empty your vacuum bag outdoors (away from the house). Birds will use the hair to help build their nests. We’ve also put the hair around plants to keep pests away. After a grooming, we saved the swept up hair, put it in nylon stockings and hung it from our apple tree to discourage deer from feasting on our apples!
Regular grooming (outside) helps with hair control, but you’re always going to have some pet hair in the house too. We love our pets, and will always go the extra step to keep them close to us!