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How to Get Dog Hair Out of Blankets

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If you have pets, you know how easily dog hair clings to blankets. The hairs get caught in the blanket fibers, often to the point they seem to become part of the material itself. The good news is that you can remove those hairs with a bit of know-how and the right tools. 

Pet hair loves to cling to any surface that has a nap to it. These include velvet, velour, corduroy, and loose knits. Natural fibers also attract pet hairs. If you take a close look at wool or cotton fibers, you will see they are rough instead of smooth. The rough surface grabs and captures hair with ease. 

Synthetic fibers aren’t much better because they generate static which attracts pet hair. The static also makes the hair hard to remove.

If you want a truly pet hair free fabric, you need to go with leather, satin, or another shiny smooth surface. Of course, most people don’t want a blanket made from leather. Soft fibers are more preferred. 

Let’s learn how to get dog hair out of blankets, so you can enjoy their soft warmth this winter.

Recommended Read: Best Throw Blankets

Adhesive Rollers

Adhesive rollers have a sticky surface that captures and traps the pet hairs. They are effective at removing a lot of hair with a single pass. Once the adhesive surface is full, rip off that layer to expose a clean one below. 

If you want to use an adhesive roller on your blanket, find a hard surface to lay the blanket flat. Run the roller across the surface. It’s easiest to work from one edge of the blanket to the other, that way you don’t miss anything. You may have to make several passes to remove all the hair. 

You can also buy reusable adhesive rollers. These rollers have a built-in surface that’s sticky to the touch. You run the roller over the blanket until it’s full. To get rid of the hair, you place the adhesive surface under running water. The hair runs off and you have a clean roller. 

Masking Tape

If you don’t have adhesive rollers on hand, masking tape is another option. 

  • Wrap a few loops of tape around your hand, leaving the sticky side up.
  • Lightly press the tape onto the blanket surface and pull up. The tape will grab loose fibers, like pet hair.
  • Keep pressing the tape into the blanket surface until it won’t grab any more pet hair.
  • Replace the tape and keep repeating.

Rubber Gloves and Water

One of the best tools for removing pet hair is a pair of rubber gloves. The act of running the glove across the surface creates a static charge. This charge draws the loose pet hair onto the glove. The textured surface on the glove palm traps the hair. 

After removing the glove from the blanket surface, it’s easy to pull the pet hair off and take another pass. You can also run the glove under running water to get the hair off.

Sometimes, the pet hair won’t come loose from the blanket. Water can help that. Dip the glove into water and shake off the excess. Then, run the glove across the blanket surface. The water gives the glove surface better adhesion for hair to cling to.

Rubber gloves are an effective option for getting rid of pet hair. They are easy to clean afterwards and you can reuse them many times. 

Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets have fabric softener embedded into polyester fibers. The fabric softener helps reduce static as they move across fabrics in the dryer. You can use this anti-static attribute to remove pet hairs from your favorite blanket. 

Lay the blanket out across a flat, firm surface. Rub the dryer sheet across the surface of the blanket. The fabric softener will help loosen the pet hair. The polyester fibers will draw the pet hair off the blanket and onto the dryer sheet. 

It may take a few passes and many dryer sheets to remove all the pet hair.

Clothes Dryer

If your blanket can fit inside the dryer, you can use the machine to remove a lot of pet hair.

  • Place the blanket inside the dryer. Then, add some dryer sheets. The dryer sheets help to reduce static, which helps loosen the hair from the blanket fibers.
  • Run the dryer on the air dry setting for a few minutes. The tumbling action, plus the anti-static of the dryer sheets, will loosen a lot of the hair.
  • Check the lint trap. You may be surprised at how much hair is in there. Clean it out and run the dryer for another few minutes.
  • Keep cycling the dryer for a few minutes at a time, cleaning the lint trap between cycles. Do this until you are getting little to no pet hair in the trap.

Do not use this method for delicate blanket materials or those with a loose knit. The tumbling could cause permanent damage to the blanket. 

Recommended Reads: What is a Throw Blanket & Standard Throw Blanket Sizes

Washing Machine

If your blankets are washable, you can use the wash cycle to help remove pet hairs. However, before you start the wash cycle, send it through the dryer for a few cycles. This will loosen and remove a lot of the hair. You don’t want to clog your washer’s pump with excess dog hair. 

After you get most pet hair off with the dryer cycle, give the blanket a good shake. This will help loosen and remove more of the pet hair. 

Place the blanket in the washer. Use a half cup of white vinegar as the fabric softener. It helps relax the fabric and loosens the grip of the pet hair. Once the wash cycle is done, dry the blanket as recommended by the manufacturer. 

Check the inside of the washer. You may find clumps of pet hair clinging to the side. Use a damp cloth to wipe the hair away. Run the washer through another wash cycle, without anything inside. This will help loosen and wash away any remaining pet hair. Wipe down the inside again and it’s good to go. 

If you find a lot of hair in the washer, you should let it dry completely. Then, use the soft attachment on your vacuum hose to remove it.

Prevention Is the Best Offense Against Pet Hair

Getting pet hair off of blankets can be a chore. It requires time and effort that you may want to spend doing other things. Once you get the hair off, you can take steps to prevent it from coming back. 

Here are some methods you can use to keep pet hair from getting on your good blankets. 

Use a set of dog-specific blankets for pet lounging.If your dogs get on the bed or the couch, give them a set of blankets to call their own. These are the blankets that you don’t mind having pet hair on. This will help keep the pet hairs away from your good blankets.

Give your dogs a good weekly brushing.At least once a week, take the dog outside and give him or her a thorough brushing. Removing the hair outside will keep it from clinging to your good blankets inside. You may have to do it more than once a week during spring and summer shedding seasons. 

Use an anti-static spray on your blankets.In a spray bottle, combine two tablespoons of fabric softener and one cup of water. Shake to mix thoroughly. Spray this mixture on your blankets. It helps stop the static that makes it easy for pet hair to cling to blanket fibers. 

Vacuum carpets and damp mop hard floorsto get pet hair off the floor. Pet hair on the floor can get kicked up into the air, allowing it to settle on your blankets and on your clothes. Regular vacuuming and mopping will help keep this from happening. 

Keep dog hair off your clothing.This may not be easy, especially if you have smaller pets and pick them up on occasion. However, before you grab your blanket and cuddle into its softness, grab an adhesive roller and get the pet hair off your clothes. 

And that’s how to get dog hair out of blankets and keep it out.

Pet hair is part and parcel of owning a dog. It will get everywhere, including on your soft blankets. A bit of work will get that hair off. When you get to snuggle under your soft blanket, on a cold evening, you will appreciate the lack of pet hair. It doesn’t make you love your dog less. It will make you love your blanket more.

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