How To Get Dog Hair Out Of Your Car

If you own a dog you will be very familiar with the fur they seem to leave behind wherever they go. Dog hair in your car can be a troublesome prospect and extremely stubborn to remove. Your dogs are part of the family and so going in the car with you is something that cant be avoided. In this article we hope to enlighten you on some of the best ways to get dog hair out of your car.

Most of the time owners will leave dog hair to slowly build up and as the boot is a common place to put your dog when going for a drive this is an area that gets forgotten about. You have probably tried using a hoover to  remove the fur but its going to take a little more process than that to get it sparkling clean again. This article also provides some of the best tips on keeping your car free from dog hair for longer.

Our Top Tip

To get dog hair out of your car simply use a general purpose rubber glove and some old fashioned elbow grease. Hair fibres will be dragged out of position into a nice neat ball of hair you can simply hoover up. Sometimes using a slightly damp glove can help and using a glove with small rubber points can help to drag any hair away.  

Best ways to remove hair from your car

Duct Tape

This has often been a fantastic way of removing hair from clothing. Any sort of sticky tape such as Duct Tape or Sellotape can be used to remove hair from fabrics. Although this is a very quick and easy way to remove hair from your car you may have to keep changing the tape as it loses its stickiness quickly depending on how much hair is in your car.

The best way to use sticky tape for removing dog hair from your car is to wind the tape around your hand with the sticky side facing outwards. Once you have the tape turned around your hand a few times start scraping across the fabric hopefully pulling the hair out from your car and onto the sticky tape. Replace the tape in the same way as before once it has lost it adhesive properties.

Window Squeegee

This item might well be something you already have in your house or car. Squeegee’s are simply great at getting dog hair out of your carpets and upholstery. Its best to use a squeegee with a tough rubber tip as this will be able to drag the hair away from the carpet. The other great thing about squeegee’s is that they are capable of covering a large area very quickly so if you have a large car boot to clean then this may be the ideal tool.

It must be noted that although they last a long time the rubber will deteriorate the more it is used to clean pet hair off fabric, so replacement is necessary to keep it working effectively.#

Velcro Hair Curlers

This may seem a strange suggestion but these little gadgets can be great to remover to hair from your car. Hair curlers are fairly inexpensive and something you may have lying around, although i wouldn’t suggest using the same one for your own hair when cleaning your car. The Velcro action can help to pull hair fibres from your car upholstery collecting a fair amount of hair in the process. Once you have a full curlers worth of hair, simply take it outside and pull the hair of the curler so you can continue removing the dog hair. If you have large curlers available this will work even better and be easier to grip during cleaning.

Pet Hair Vacuum

This one seems fairly obvious but it has to be on the list as its one of the most effective ways to getting pet hair out of fabrics. You cant just use a normal vacuum even one that is very powerful as pet hair is normal embedded deep within the material of your car. Even with a strong suction the pet hair will tend to cling to your car seat and carpet, this will then end up being very frustrating.

If you purchase a vacuum cleaner which is built for removing pet hair from carpets it will often have a spinning roller on the nozzle. This feature spins extremely fast and drags the pet hair out of the material to then be instantly sucked up by the vacuum. To make life a little easier purchasing a cordless vacuum can be a good way to keep on top of cleaning your car as corded vacuums are normal rather bulky and awkward to carry. Having the right vacuum is vital to keeping your car and house free from pet and you need one that can handle the amount of fur being consumed. If you want to find out what some of the best vacuums available are check out spotless vacuums post on the best vacuum cleaners for pet hair. Hopefully this should give you a good idea of what standard of cleaner you will need for your type of dog.

Pumice Stone

This is a fairly inexpensive way to remove dog hair from you car and one that has become quite a popular choice among dog owners. Pumice stones are abrasive lava rocks that are usually used in skin care when wanting to remove dead skin. The process  for removing dog hair from your boot is much the same as the rubber glove, you need to scrap away at the fabric dragging the hair into a neat pile where it can then be hoovered up.

Pumice stones can be quite rough and despite this method being very effective you must approach the process with care so that you do not damage your car. Test it on a small inconspicuous area so that you are sure the stone is not going to damage the material. Adding a spray of water or fabric softener to the material will help to lift the hair out and make your car smell great.

Pet Hair Removal Tool

You actually clean dog hair from your car using purpose built tools which are generally very inexpensive. There are lots of different ones you can get on Amazon and many pet stores. Try choosing a tool such as a rubber brush, brushes with rubber bristles work great at digging embedded pet hair out of fabric. A wire brush may also work but be careful of damaging you car seat or carpets as they can begin ripping the fabric.

Preventing Dog Hair In Your Car

Cleaning dog hair from your car is one part of owning a dog but the best way to keep your car clean is through prevention. One of the best ways to reduce dog hair in your car is to not let it build up over time. If you allow the hair to become embedded in the upholstery then you will have a harder time removing it from your car. Its good to not only use the techniques above to remove embedded dog hair but also any stray hairs you may see floating around. Dogs all have different types of coat and fur, to learn more about the different types of coat check out this post on 5 different types of dog fur. Hope fully this should give you some idea of the amount of work needed to keep your car clean. There are a few ways you can prevent dog hair accumulating in your car, keep reading to find out some of the best ways.

Dog Car Boot Protector

This is probably one of the best solutions for keeping dog hair at bay in the you car boot. You can get different standards of car boot protector ranging from expensive ones to cheap quick fix jobs. If your looking at purchasing a car boot liner you should get one which has strong attachments, allowing it to cover the whole boot and not fall down onto your pooch.

Most car boot protectors will be waterproof but if you go for a cheap product you may find the water resistance it gives to be poor. To give your car boot the best chance of staying clean you should aim to purchase at least a mid range boot protector. If you have a large dog it may be a good idea to look at a boot protector with thicker material to prevent any claws piercing the material.

Car Seat Covers

Car seat covers are great for preventing dog hair from embedding into your seats. Not only will a car seat cover protect you seats from dog hair but also any other mess that people may want to leave in your car. the winter is one of the best times to invest in these covers and they certainly protect against mud which is always about in winter. If you have children you may want to consider purchasing some car seat covers anyway as they can help to reduce any dropped food or mess that children so often enjoy wiping on car seats. Try purchasing waterproof covers as these will help reduce the amount of moisture that gets into the fabric especially if a drink is dropped or you have a dog that loves playing in the water.

Dog Crates

Depending on how you raised you dog during the puppy years you may have one of these stored away in the garage or loft. Crating your dog when driving in the car can be good in two ways. Firstly you can protect you cars fabrics from any pet hair of dirt they wish to share and you pooch may feel more secure in their crate. Crates are certainly a good idea if you have a large boot as your dog wont be moving around too much and if you fill the crate with some of their bedding and toys they will probably feel much more comfortable.

Its not just ordinary crates that you can use for your dog during car journeys. There are now many great brands of travel crates which are made specifically for travelling with your pet. They have attachments on them for security and can be zipped up with ease. travel crates are also lightweight which is a much better option than metal crates which are heavy and awkward to carry.

Brush Before Driving

If you have a short haired dog it can still be beneficial to give them a brush before letting them in your car. All dogs have hair that is loose and will eventually come out and embed into your car. Long haired dogs can be more of a nuisance than short haired dogs, that is why it is vital to brush long haired dogs on a regular basis. You can keep both your car and home clean by brushing your dog but giving them a quick brush before letting them into the car can help a lot.

Summary

Its always going to be difficult to keep your car clean dog or no dog, but having your pooch with you when you go out is something we love to do. Because of this we will end up with hair inside our cars but hopefully by following the tips we have outline in this article you can keep your car dog hair free. If you love to get out and about with your dog you may be interested in our posts on “what to take when hiking with your dog” and “how to clean your dog after a walk”

As this post has highlighted removing dog hair from your car doesn’t have to be an expensive or complicated task, these techniques should help to remove any dog hair inside your car and also help you to keep on top of any new additional dog hairs.  If you enjoyed this post check out our other articles on dog walking and get out and about with your dog.