With Spring officially here, you may notice that your dogs and/or cats are beginning to shed excessive amounts of their heavier winter coat for their lightweight coat.
This lasts for around 3-4 weeks and can potentially post several health risks if you often share a bed with your pet. This is because the loose fur can harbour bugs and germs that can be passed onto you as you sleep.
It’s commonly misconstrued that fur is the main cause of these risks, but it is in fact animal dander that can cause serious health problems. Dander refers to tiny flakes of skin shed by warm-blooded animals with fur or hair. These small particles can be inhaled through the air, causing potential problems with breathing and the lungs. It can also eventually lead to asthma in severe cases.
The protein is found in the pet’s hair, saliva, skin, and waste and is made up of minuscule particles which are where the risk lies. Any loose hair in the bed can heavily impact sleep quality too, as breathing in polluted air can add strain to the respiratory system, causing the body to not fully rest at night.
7 top tips for removing excess pet hair around your home
As hard as it may be to say no to those puppy dog eyes (literally), steering clear of sharing a bed with your pet is probably for the best. However, there are other ways to reduce the number of pet hairs around your home:
- Add an air purifier to your bedroom to remove dander and aid breathing.
- Buy an additional attachment for your vacuum that specifically targets pet hair.
- Alternatively, if you can’t afford one or find one online, you can use a lint roller to remove excess fur from your bedding, sofa and anywhere else that your pet sits that you also sit. Make sure to clean the area at least twice a week, unless it’s your bed, which you should do every day given that you sleep here.
- If you have pet hair that is hard to remove due to it being embedded into your furniture, which can happen with fabric furnishings, then all you need is fabric softener. Simply add a cap full of fabric softener into a spray bottle, then fill the rest with water. You can then spray this homemade solution onto any hairy areas around your home. Make sure to let it set for 15 minutes allowing the solution to loosen the hair. You can then use a lint roller, vacuum or brush to remove it.
- If you find that your pet has fallen asleep on your bedding, grab a dryer sheet and keep rubbing it back and forth on the pillow or bedding. The static electricity will quickly remove the pet hair from your bed set, whilst leaving it a lovely odour.
- Brush your pet daily to remove excess fur and reduce shedding.
- Take your pet to a professional groomer as soon as possible to help with the shedding that is to come. Alternatively, if your pet doesn’t have enough hair for the groomers, you can use a de-shedding shampoo to reduce the volume of shedding from your pet.
