How to Get Rid of Pet Hair
Oct 21, 2026 / Alina Bradford
Like glitter, pet hair is almost impossible to get rid of. You think you’ve gotten it all, and more pops up. Corralling fur may seem impossible, but some helpful tools and a little bit of diligence can make a big difference.
Key takeaways
- Use a rubber cleaning glove to gather pet hair from clothing, furniture, and other surfaces.
- Run a carpet rake over rugs and carpeting to pull out fur your vacuum may leave behind.
- Check your HVAC filter monthly, and replace it more frequently when pet hair builds up.
- Consider a robot vacuum if keeping up with daily pet hair is difficult.
- Match your grooming brush to your pet’s coat type. Double-coated pets may benefit from an undercoat rake or deshedding tool.
- Add wool dryer balls to your dryer to help loosen pet hair from clothing and other washable fabrics.
Use a rubber glove
A regular rubber glove you use for washing dishes can be one of your best pet-hair-removing allies. Simply slip it on and wipe it across your clothes, furniture, or any other surface covered in fur. The rubber grabs the fibers and rolls them into a ball, making them easy to throw away. Even better, unlike sticky lint rollers, the glove is reusable.
Get a carpet rake
No matter how good your vacuum is, chances are it can’t get all of the fur out of your carpet’s fibers. A carpet rake can get down between the fibers and pull out matted messes.
You use a carpet rake just like a leaf rake. Run it over the carpet and dispose of the fur it gathers.
Change your air filter sooner
Homes with furry family members need to change their HVAC’s air filter more often, especially if you have long-haired animals. Air filters catch fur as they filter the air. Eventually, hair can clog airflow and redistribute it back into the air.
Aim to change it once every two months or so, but be sure to check it at least once a month. If you hold it up to a light and can’t see the light shining through it, the filter needs to be changed.
Also, try air filters specifically made to trap pet fur. Your house will stay cleaner.
Vacuum… a lot
Unfortunately, to keep up with fur, you need to vacuum a lot. Vacuum or sweep your floors daily and vacuum chairs and upholstery once a week. If you don’t have the time, consider getting a self-emptying robot vacuum made for dealing with pet fur.
Trap the fur at the source
Brushing your pet regularly is one of the best ways to stop the onslaught of fur flurries. The key is to make sure you’re using the right brush. If your pet has a double coat, make sure your brush works with it. A deshedding brush or fur rake is particularly helpful for pets with long, double coats, like huskies. Here are the different types of brushes and what they’re best at:
| Brush or grooming tool | Best for | What it does |
| Slicker brush | Medium, long, curly, and thick coats | Uses closely spaced, angled wire pins to remove loose fur, small tangles, and debris. Good for routine brushing and fluffy coats. |
| Pin brush | Long, silky, and flowing coats | Long pins move through longer fur with less pulling. Good for everyday grooming and finishing after detangling. |
| Bristle brush | Short, smooth coats | Removes loose surface hair and debris while helping distribute natural oils through the coat. |
| Combination brush | General grooming | Usually has pins on one side and bristles on the other, giving you two grooming options in one tool. |
| Rubber curry brush | Short-haired dogs and cats | Flexible rubber nubs loosen shedding hair while massaging the skin. Particularly handy during baths. |
| Grooming glove or mitt | Short coats and pets that dislike brushes | Collects loose surface fur while you pet the animal. Good for nervous pets that don’t tolerate traditional brushes well. |
| Undercoat rake | Double-coated dogs and cats | Reaches through the topcoat to remove loose, dead undercoat. Useful during heavy seasonal shedding. |
| Deshedding tool | Heavy shedders and double coats | Removes loose undercoat and shedding fur more aggressively than a standard brush. Best used carefully and according to the tool’s directions to avoid irritating the skin or damaging the coat. |
| Dematting tool | Matted or badly tangled coats | Uses specialized teeth or blades to work through stubborn mats and tangles. Requires careful handling because it can pull hair or injure skin if used incorrectly. |
| Mat splitter | Individual stubborn mats | Cuts a large mat into smaller sections so it can be worked apart more easily. Best for targeted mat removal rather than everyday brushing. |
| Metal grooming comb | Long, curly, thick, or fine coats | Helps find small tangles that brushes may miss. It’s also useful for checking your work after brushing. |
| Greyhound-style comb | Long, curly, and professionally groomed coats | A sturdy metal comb, often with both coarse and fine teeth, used for detangling, checking for knots, and finishing the coat. |
| Flea comb | Cats and dogs of most coat types | Very closely spaced teeth can catch fleas, flea dirt, and tiny debris. It’s a pest-checking tool rather than a primary everyday brush. |
| Wide-tooth comb | Long, thick, curly, or easily tangled fur | Separates larger sections of hair and can help gently work through tangles before using a finer comb. |
| Fine-tooth comb | Fine coats and finishing work | Finds small knots and debris. It can also be useful around smaller areas when used carefully. |
| Shedding blade | Short- to medium-haired dogs that shed heavily | A metal blade with small teeth pulls loose fur from the coat. Many can be used looped with one hand or opened and held with two hands for larger dogs. |
| Coat rake | Thick, dense, and double coats | Long teeth penetrate dense fur to remove loose hair and help separate the coat. Some versions resemble undercoat rakes. |
| Rotating-pin rake or comb | Long and thick coats prone to tangling | Rotating teeth move through the coat with less tugging than fixed teeth, which can make detangling more comfortable. |
| Boar-bristle brush | Short coats and finishing long coats | Smooths the coat, removes light debris and loose hair, and distributes natural oils. Often used as a finishing brush. |
| Soft finishing brush | Short-haired pets, puppies, kittens, and sensitive pets | Provides gentle surface grooming without aggressive teeth or pins. Good for introducing young animals to brushing. |
Use wool balls
Notice that your laundry comes out of the dryer still covered in hair? An easy solution is to toss a few wool laundry balls in the dryer with your clothes. The wool ball will fluff the clothes as the drum rotates. The hair flies off and sticks to the filter or the wool balls instead of the clothes.
How to get rid of pet fur FAQ
What is the easiest way to remove pet hair from furniture?
Put on a rubber cleaning glove and run your hand across the upholstery. The rubber can gather loose hair into clumps that are easier to pick up and throw away. Follow up with a vacuum to collect any remaining fur.
How do you get stubborn pet hair out of carpet?
Use a carpet rake to loosen and collect hair trapped between carpet fibers. After raking, vacuum the carpet to pick up remaining loose hair.
How often should you vacuum if you have pets?
For a home with pets that shed frequently, vacuuming or sweeping floors daily can help prevent fur from accumulating. Vacuum upholstered furniture about once a week, or more often if needed.
How can I reduce the amount of pet hair around my house?
Regularly brushing your pet can catch loose fur before it lands on floors, furniture, and clothing. Combine grooming with frequent vacuuming, upholstery cleaning, and regular HVAC filter checks to keep shedding under control.
What type of brush is best for a shedding dog?
It depends on the dog’s coat. Undercoat rakes and deshedding tools can be useful for heavy shedders and double-coated dogs, while slicker, bristle, rubber curry, and other brushes work better for different coat types.
What type of brush is best for a shedding cat?
Choose a brush based on your cat’s coat. Rubber curry brushes and grooming gloves can collect loose fur from short-haired cats, while slicker brushes, pin brushes, grooming combs, and undercoat rakes can help with longer or thicker coats.
How do you get pet hair off clothes in the laundry?
Wool dryer balls can help separate and fluff clothing as it tumbles, helping loosen hair from the fabric. Check and clean your dryer’s lint filter regularly, especially when washing pet-hair-covered items.
How often should you change your HVAC filter if you have pets?
Check the filter at least once a month so you can see how quickly pet hair and debris accumulate. Homes with pets may need more frequent filter changes, but the timing can depend on your HVAC system, filter, number of pets, and how much they shed.
