Watch: A Professional Detailer’s 3 Secrets to Remove Pet Hair from Your Car
Keeping your car’s interior clean when you have pets can be a tall task. And if it seems like, no matter how much you vacuum, you just can’t get the hair out, there’s a reason. As a professional detailer, I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve to help you remove pet hair from your car, the easy way.
Fabric softener and water solution
The biggest secret to dealing with pet hair is getting it out of the carpet fibers. And because the hair and carpet can be so intertwined, simply vacuuming the pet hair from your car won’t remove it.
However, the fabric softener works well to solve this problem. Start by combining a solution of one part fabric softener to seven parts water in a spray bottle. Then, generously spray the fabric softener solution onto the seats, carpets, and any other areas of the car where you want to remove pet hair.
Let the solution dwell for five minutes so it can penetrate the fibers. This solution makes the carpet more slippery, which allows the pet hair to release more easily. And while this step will help make vacuuming easier, there is another secret that can take it one step further.
Use a rubber brush (or gloves!)
Instead of jumping straight to the vacuum after you use the fabric softener, use a rubber tool to more easily remove pet hair from your car’s upholstery. These tools can grab the pet hair more easily, and pull it from the carpet fibers. It’s much more effective than the simple suction of a vacuum, and allows for more complete pet hair removal.
Many products, like the Lilly Brush, have a rounded corner and a squared corner that allow you to easily get into tight spaces. But if you don’t want to order a new tool, using rubber or latex gloves can perform a similar task. Overall, the goal is to use something that can physically grab and pull the pet hair from the car’s carpet fibers.
Dry brush after vacuuming to completely remove pet hair from your car
Finally, take a dry brush and go over the area after you’ve vacuumed. This will remove any final remaining pet hair from the car. In addition, it will stand up the upholstery fibers to give your car that freshly cleaned, showroom-new look inside.
Bonus tip: Work in small sections
The biggest key to removing pet hair from your car is to work in small sections. Choose one area to work on from start to finish. This will ensure that the fabric softener has enough time to work, but not enough time to try. In addition, it will make it easier to manage stray hair, and allow you to focus on honing the process so you can work more efficiently.
Removing pet hair from car upholstery is a tall task
Even with these tips, removing pet hair from your car upholstery will take some elbow grease. But by using these three professional detailing secrets, you’ll have a much easier time removing Fido’s fur from your car’s interior.
