It’s under the chairs. Between the couch cushions. Piled up in the corner of the room. It’s everywhere. I’m talking, of course, about pet hair. Most of us love the idea of having a furry friend to cuddle up with on the couch at the end of the day, but what we don’t love is the shedding. There’s nothing worse than walking out the door right after sitting in a pile of fur. And that is exactly what you don’t want when a potential buyer is looking at your house! A lack of cleanliness is one of the first things that will turn off a potential buyer. Here are some tips to get rid of that pet hair and make your home really sparkle!
Carpet
When it comes to removing pet hair from the carpet, we all know the drill: vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Here’s a trick that will help make your vacuuming more effective. Dust a light layer of baking soda on your carpet, particularly in the high pet traffic areas. The baking soda will loosen the pet hair so when you vacuum, more of the hair will be removed. It also deodorizes your carpet to keep your home smelling fresh!
The vacuum won’t always get the edges and corners of the room, so these are common areas that appear darkened from pet hair build up. To remove pet hair from these hard-to-reach areas, use a rubber glove. Put on the glove and get the fingers wet. Then, run your finger across the areas where the carpet meets the baseboards. Rinse and repeat as the hair collects on the glove.
Hard floors
The key to removing pet hair from hard floors is using a microfiber dust mop. Have you noticed that vacuuming and sweeping tend to blow the pet hair around rather than pick it up? With a microfiber cloth, the electrostatic fibers act like a magnet that pulls and grabs the hair. The result is a clean, pet hair-free surface! If the idea of buying MORE cleaning supplies sounds like a drag, you could try putting a microfiber cloth on the end of a mop you already have. The Swiffer mops make it really easy to securely attach each corner of the cloth.
Furniture
The same rules apply to furniture with hard surfaces. Use that microfiber cloth. You can lightly spritz the cloth with water so the cloth will act even more “sticky,” but be careful not to use too much water. Excessive water will just leave trails of wet pet hair. Back to square one.
On your upholstered furniture, there are a number of different strategies you can try. Some classic options are the vacuum and lint roller. These tools are effective. Many vacuums have removable heads and brushes that do a great job tackling that pet hair. Lint rollers can work wonders too, but it can be wasteful (and expensive) going through those disposable sheets. A damp sponge or rubber squeegee are great alternatives! The sponge and squeegee grab pet hair just as well (if not better) and can be reused! Cha-ching!
If your furry friends like to enjoy your furniture as often as you do, you might want to consider covering your couches and chairs with washable blankets. The blankets will catch the bulk of the hair, so when company arrives, all you have to do is remove the blankets and your furniture is pet hair-free!
Are you ready to sell your home? Let Missouri Home, Farm & Land Realty LLC be your guide in the selling process. CLICK HERE to contact one of our experienced realtors.