As much as you love to take your pet for car rides, the hair that they leave on your car’s upholstery can be difficult to deal with. It’s impossible for pet owners to avoid this problem as all dogs shed. However, some shed more than others and can leave their hair floating on your car’s dashboard, seats, and floor mats.

Since washing the interior can be extremely difficult, you’ll have a hard time figuring out how to get dog hair out of car seats and carpets. Below are some tools you may need and some preventative measures to keep the car clean at all times.

Lint Roller

A lint roller is one of the most effective tools for removing pet hair from the car. It is a lightweight, portable tool with a roll of one-sided sticky paper that gently removes pet hair without spoiling car surfaces.

All you have to do is simply roll it on different parts of your car’s interior, including seats, carpets, door panels, and the headliner. Before you move to the next surface, make sure to dispose of the hair adhered to the paper.

Lint rollers may not be able to reach small nooks and crevices for deep cleaning. It works most efficiently to remove recently shed dog hair on the surface and should be used immediately after each trip.

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Hair Remover Tool

A pet hair remover tool works best for cleaning hair off soft surfaces. It is a special type of brush that catches dog hair using coarse or smooth bristles. It should be gently run back and forth over different car surfaces, such as seats, carpeting, and fabric door panels.

This tool works best for cleaning ground-in and loosened hairs. Due to its small size, you can easily carry this tool conveniently in your car’s console. After cleaning, the tool should be thoroughly cleaned with a wet sponge or cloth, making sure to remove the dog hair from its chamber after each cleaning session.

The best part is that these tools don’t require a power source and can be used over and over again.

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Seat Covers

Seat covers are definitely one of the best ways to deal with dog hair. When dog hair falls directly on your car’s upholstery or car seat, it can become deeply embedded and hard to remove.

By keeping your pet on top of a seat cover, you can considerably minimize the amount of hair the pet leaves behind. Removing the hair will become easier if they are confined to a small area.

Seat covers can save a lot of time and energy as they can be removed and easily cleaned, unlike the fabric on car seats. Many types of seat covers are available, some of which are designed with your dog in mind.

Many people use blankets or sheets to cover the seats but they are not firmly fixed and don’t protect your seats from pet hair.

Vacuum Cleaner

One of the easiest and most effective ways to remove dog hair from the car is by using a vacuum cleaner. Standard vacuums are commonly used to clean dog hair off furnishings.

Though big-sized home vacuums are equipped with better tools, portable vacuums work just fine when it comes to cleaning car upholstery. You can also use the standard home vacuum if the power outlet is easily accessible.

With a vacuum cleaner, you’ll be able to remove deeply ingrained and loose hair from your car’s carpets. It’s even better to use a vacuum cleaner that’s specifically designed for removing dog hair.

You must also not use a hard plastic vacuum as it scours and damages the carpet. Vacuum cleaning should be performed before other cleaning steps, as it’s important to get rid of dog hair before general car cleaning.

Pay a Professional for Regular Detailing

Taking your car to a professional will make your job much easier. While it may be costly, professional detailing will remove every trace of dog hair from your car. Detailers have professional tools that can make your car completely spotless with efficient cleaning methods.

Duct Tape

As peculiar as it sounds, duct tape can effectively remove stray hair embedded deep inside the car carpet. This technique works pretty much like waxing. All you have to do is tear it off in small sheets, press its adhesive side onto the affected surfaces, and yank it away forcefully.

Keep repeating the process until you have completely removed dog hair from your car. You’ll need to use fresh duct tape every time. Since duct tape can be cut off into small pieces, you’ll be able to remove dog fur from hard-to-reach crevices and nooks. It’s better to perform vacuum cleaning before you turn to this method.

Balloons

Balloons can lift anything, from lint to dog hair. They use electrostatic force to clean dog hair off your car. What you need to do is rub a balloon over the affected surface and it will generate static electricity to lift the hair out.

Clean the balloon’s surface and repeat the process until you remove all traces of dog hair from the car. However, this technique won’t work for ground-in hair as the electrostatic force balloon generates doesn’t penetrate deep into the surfaces.

Rubber Gloves

Rubber gloves are a good backup option if you neither have a vacuum cleaner nor a lint roller. The results of this cleaning method vary, depending on the breed of your dog. Some breeds carry curly, thick fur, while some have soft hair.

You will need to wet the rubber gloves with water and rub your hand over the affected surfaces. The dog hair will cling to the wet gloves. However, for this technique to work, car upholstery must be thoroughly dry.

Fabric Softener

Fabric softeners can also be effective when it comes to cleaning car upholstery. They contain chemicals that minimize mechanical stress on fabrics. Dog hair can also put a mechanical strain on your car’s upholstery by giving it a coarse feel. You can use fabric softener to break down hair and clean car surfaces.

Simply dampen a paper towel with fabric softener and run it over the affected surfaces. Wait until it dries and then remove the loosened hair with a lint roller, hair removal tool, or a vacuum.

You can also spray a diluted version of fabric softener directly on the surface and then wipe the surface with a paper towel to break down any remaining strands before you gather the loosened hair. Avoid using fabric softeners if you have a luxury car as they may damage the upholstery.

Preventative Ways to Remove Dog Hair From Car

Removing dog hair that gets deeply embedded into your interior carpets can be troublesome and challenging. If you don’t want to spend hours cleaning your car’s upholstery, you must take preventive measures to make sure your dog leaves behind as little hair as possible. Here are some practical ways to keep dog hair from getting in your car:

Grooming Your Dog Regularly

Regular grooming of your pet can keep your car hair-free. When you brush a dog’s coat, it becomes cleaner, softer, and less prone to shedding. Before each ride, brush your dog properly to remove any loose hair from its body. Regular cleaning also ensures the removal of loose hair from the dog’s body.

Remove Pet Before You Start Cleaning

It’s important to perform thorough cleaning after each ride to keep dog hair from accumulating in your car’s interior. Dog hair becomes difficult to remove once they become tangled into the seats or floor mats. Make sure you remove the dog from the car before you start cleaning.

Carry Dog In Travel Carrier

A dog booster seat or a travel carrier is a barrier between your pet and the car’s upholstery. It will prevent direct contact of the pet’s body with your car’s upholstery. If you have a sizable carrier with large fences, chances are that little to no hair will reach your car’s seat. However, even if you get a normal-sized carrier, the dog will still leave minimal hair behind.

Summary

It’s indeed a big challenge to get your dog in and out of the car without messing up the upholstery. Because of this, many pet owners avoid bringing their dogs into the car. However, as this is not always an option, you can use the ways mentioned above to prevent hair from getting into your car.

FAQ

What do car detailers use to remove pet hair?

Car detailers have highly powered vacuums that are specially designed to get pet hair from out-of-car upholstery.

How do you get hair out of the car carpet?

The most effective method to get dog hair out of car carpets is by using a hair remover tool.