If you’re a pet owner, you’ll know that pet hair on furniture is just one of those things you have to deal with. I’ve got two cats, and whilst I love them dearly, they shed like nobody’s business. My lounge is covered in cat hair most of the time, and it’s one of those ongoing battles that you never really win.

I’ve tried a bunch of different methods over the years to keep my furniture looking presentable, and I thought I’d share what actually works rather than what looks good in an Instagram reel but fails spectacularly in real life.

Why Pet Hair Sticks to Furniture So Well

Before we get into the solutions, it’s worth understanding why pet hair is such a pain to remove in the first place. Pet hair has tiny barbs and hooks on it that grab onto fabric fibres. It’s basically nature’s Velcro. Add in a bit of static electricity and moisture from your pet’s skin, and you’ve got hair that really doesn’t want to budge.

Different fabrics attract pet hair differently, too. Velvet and microfibre seem to be absolute magnets for it, whilst leather is much easier to deal with. When we were looking at furniture for our home, we didn’t really think about this, which in hindsight was a bit silly given we knew we’d have pets.

The Rubber Glove Method

This is probably my favourite method because it’s cheap and you probably already have rubber gloves in your kitchen. Just put on a pair of rubber gloves, dampen them slightly with water, and run your hand across the furniture. The hair clumps up really well and you can just peel it off the glove.

I find this works best on fabric lounges and it’s quite satisfying watching all the hair bunch up into little balls. The only downside is that it takes a bit of elbow grease and can be a bit time consuming if you’ve got a lot of furniture to clean.

Lint Rollers and Sticky Tape

Lint rollers are the obvious choice and they do work, but I find you go through them pretty quickly if you’ve got a lot of pet hair to deal with. You can grab them from pretty much anywhere these days, Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, Big W, they’re all stocked up. They’re great for a quick touch up before guests come over, but they’re not really a long term solution for heavily-shedded-upon furniture.

If you’ve run out of lint roller sheets, regular packing tape wrapped around your hand sticky side out works just as well. It’s one of those life hacks that actually makes sense. I’ve done this plenty of times when I’ve forgotten to buy more lint rollers.

The Vacuum Cleaner Approach

A good vacuum with a pet hair attachment is probably the most effective method for regular maintenance. I’ve got a Bissell that’s specifically designed for pet hair and it’s been a game changer. The pet hair attachments on these things really do make a difference compared to regular vacuum cleaners.

You can pick up decent pet hair attachments from Bunnings, The Good Guys or Harvey Norman for most vacuum brands. Some vacuums have specific pet hair attachments with rubber bristles that are supposed to be better at picking up hair. Brands like Dyson, Shark and even the Kmart Anko range offer pet-specific attachments these days, but honestly the Bissell pet models are hard to beat.

The main issue with vacuuming is that sometimes the hair is so embedded in the fabric that the vacuum struggles to pull it out. That’s when you need to combine it with one of the other methods first.

Fabric Softener Spray

This one surprised me when I first heard about it, but it actually works. Mix one part fabric softener with three parts water in a spray bottle, lightly mist your furniture, and then wipe with a cloth or use a rubber glove. Any fabric softener from Coles or Woolworths will do the job, whether it’s Comfort, Softly or even the homebrand stuff. The fabric softener helps loosen the static that’s holding the hair to the fabric.

I wouldn’t recommend soaking your furniture, though. Just a light mist is all you need. And obviously, test it on a small hidden area first to make sure it doesn’t stain or damage your furniture.

Pet Hair Removal Brushes and Tools

There are heaps of specialised pet hair removal tools on the market now. Some of them look a bit gimmicky, but there are a few that actually work pretty well. You can find these at Pet Barn, Pet Stock, or even in the pet section at Kmart and Big W.

Those velvet brushes with the directional pile are quite good. You brush in one direction and the hair sticks to it, then you brush back the other way to clean the brush itself. They’re reusable which is better than constantly buying lint roller refills.

There are also these rubber broom things that are designed for pet hair. Bunnings stocks a few different types, and they look like they’d be good for bigger areas like carpet or large lounges. I’ve seen them advertised online but the ones at Bunnings seem to be decent quality without the dodgy Facebook ad markup.

Prevention is Better Than Cure

Honestly, the best way to deal with pet hair on furniture is to try and prevent it in the first place. I’ve got throws and blankets on my lounge that I can easily wash, which means the actual furniture underneath stays relatively clean.

Pet beds and designated pet furniture areas can help too. My cats have their own favourite spots, and by putting washable covers in those areas, I’ve managed to contain most of the hair to places that are easy to clean.

Regular grooming of your pets makes a massive difference as well. Brushing your cat or dog regularly means less hair ends up on your furniture in the first place. My cats aren’t huge fans of being brushed, but I try to do it at least once a week.

What About Leather Furniture?

If you’ve got leather furniture, count yourself lucky. Pet hair doesn’t stick to leather nearly as much as it does to fabric. Usually a quick wipe down with a slightly damp cloth is enough to remove any hair.

The other advantage of leather is that it’s much easier to clean up other pet-related messes as well. After having fabric lounges for years, my next lounge will definitely be leather.

Microfibre Cloths

Microfibre cloths are actually really good for picking up pet hair. Just wipe them across your furniture and the hair sticks to them. You can then just rinse the cloth out or throw it in the washing machine. Kmart does massive packs of these for next to nothing, and Bunnings has decent ones in their cleaning section too.

This works particularly well on hard surfaces like wooden chairs or coffee tables where pet hair tends to accumulate but doesn’t stick as firmly as it does to fabric.

The Squeegee Trick

This sounds weird, but a window squeegee can work really well on certain types of fabric. The rubber blade pulls the hair up out of the fabric as you drag it across. It works best on low pile fabrics and carpets. You can grab a cheap one from Bunnings, Kmart or even the cleaning section at Woolworths.

I first saw this method in a video online and thought it looked a bit odd, but I gave it a go and it actually worked better than I expected. You need to use quite a bit of pressure though, and it won’t work on all types of furniture.

Static and Balloon Method

Some people swear by rubbing a balloon on their furniture to create static that pulls the hair up. I’ve tried this and whilst it sort of works, I find it’s not as effective as other methods. It might be worth a try if you’re desperate and don’t have any other tools handy though.

Maintaining a Regular Cleaning Schedule

The real key to keeping on top of pet hair is consistency. If you let it build up, it becomes much harder to remove. I try to do a quick once over of the main living areas every few days, and a more thorough clean once a week.

It’s one of those things that seems like a chore, but if you do it regularly it’s much less overwhelming than trying to tackle months worth of accumulated pet hair.

Washing Removable Covers

If your furniture has removable covers, washing them regularly is obviously the best way to get rid of pet hair completely. Check the care labels first, but most covers can go in the washing machine.

Adding a bit of white vinegar to the rinse cycle can help loosen pet hair in the wash. You’ll probably need to clean out your washing machine’s lint trap more often if you’re regularly washing pet hair-covered items though.

Tools I Keep on Hand

These days, I keep a few different tools handy for different situations. The Bissell vacuum for regular maintenance, rubber gloves under the sink, and a lint roller in the lounge room for quick touch-ups. Having the right tools easily accessible makes it much more likely you’ll actually use them.

When Professional Cleaning Makes Sense

Sometimes, especially if you’ve got really expensive or delicate furniture, it might be worth getting professional upholstery cleaning done. They’ve got industrial-strength equipment and products that can remove embedded pet hair more effectively than most home methods.

I’ve never done this myself because my furniture isn’t fancy enough to warrant the expense, but if you’ve got a nice lounge or antique chairs, it’s probably worth considering every now and then.

Living With Pet Hair

At the end of the day, if you’ve got pets, you’re going to have pet hair on your furniture. It’s just part of the deal. You can manage it and minimise it, but you’re never going to completely eliminate it unless you keep your pets outside, which defeats the purpose of having pets in the first place.

The methods I’ve mentioned above all work to varying degrees, and the best approach is usually to combine a few different techniques. Regular maintenance makes the biggest difference, even if it’s just a quick five-minute session every few days.

My cats are worth the extra cleaning effort, and honestly, after a while, you stop even noticing the odd bit of cat hair here and there. It’s only when you’ve got guests coming over that you suddenly become very aware of it and scramble to make everything look presentable.

The most important thing is finding a routine that works for you and sticking with it. Whether that’s rubber gloves, a vacuum, or a combination of methods, consistency is key to keeping pet hair under control.