If you share your home with a furry friend, you know that pet hair gathers everywhere. From your carpet to your clothing and even your appliances, nothing is immune from the magical hairy fibers that your pet emits on a daily basis. While pet hair accumulation is little more than a nuisance when it comes to your clothes and furniture, it can ruin your washer and dryer if not regularly removed. But since pet hair can wind its way into the most difficult to locate places, ridding your washing machine of pet hair can feel like an impossible task. What are the best ways to remove pet hair from your washing machine?
Top Pet Hair Removal Tips
There is no doubt that pet owners all across the globe are united in at least one purpose: ridding their home of pesky pet hair. Since pet hair retains static electricity, it can become airborne, making it impossible to completely eliminate shed hair from your home. Though not a problem with far-reaching negative impact for your furniture, carpets, and clothing, hair accumulation in your washing machine can ultimately lead to its early demise. The hair that comes into your washer via your bedding, towels, clothing, and other items has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is typically the cracks and crevices of your washer including your motor! To preserve the longevity of your washer, it becomes an integral part of cleaning and maintenance to remove all pet hair buildup on a regular basis.
Here are some top tips on things you can do to remove pet hair from your washing machine:
Dry it out and vacuum
Attempting to remove wet pet hair from your washer is an impossible task. But not to worry! There is a solution for ridding your washing machine of pet hair clumps that is simple and highly effective.
Once you have completed your washing cycle, leave the door to your washing machine open to allow fresh air to get inside the machine thereby drying out the drum. When the inside of your washer is completely dry, you can then attach a soft brush to the hose of your vacuum cleaner and simply vacuum up any remaining pet hair. Take care to insert the brush into cracks and crevices to be certain to remove any lingering remnants taking refuge there.
Remove and clean your filter
Much like the lint trap on your dryer, your washer’s filter will also block and accumulate pet hair. Pet hair buildup around the drain pump can cause blockages that will wreak havoc with your house’s plumbing and prevent proper water drainage from your washer, causing your significant inconvenience and expense. To avoid this happening, take the time to read your washer’s manual to obtain the instructions for properly removing your drain pump filter. Once removed, you can easily scoop up the wet pet hair clumps for easy disposal.
Clean your washing machine
Every household appliance needs a good cleaning on a regular basis. It is recommended that you clean both the exterior and interior of your washing machine once monthly at a minimum. To do so, you will need to dry out your washer and vacuum it as an important first step. Then to remove any hair that may be trapped in small cracks or holes, you will want to add half a cup of white vinegar to an empty wash cycle. By running one cycle without any items to be laundered in conjunction with a strong cleaning agent, you will remove any dirt, debris, and pet hair buildup, leaving your washer as a completely clean surface for your next load of laundry. Once the vinegar cycle has completed, use a soft cloth to completely dry the inside of your machine. This will also help to remove any additional hair unearthed during the cleaning process.
Properly prepare all items prior to washing
The easiest way to keep your washer free from pet hair is to remove as much of it as you can prior to inserting your items into your washing machine. Items like bedding can be wiped with rubber gloves to assimilate the hair into a lump for easy removal. Once the majority of the hair has been removed, consider tossing your bedding into your dryer along with a dryer sheet for a ten minute period on a no heat cycle. This will also remove any additional hair that has stubbornly refused removal during the rubber glove process.
For items such as pet bedding which have a superfluous amount of pet hair in need of removal, make use of your vacuum, a lint roller, or even some packing tape to pick up as much of the built up hair as possible. Once this has been accomplished, you can either throw the bed cover or bed into your washer or bathtub where it can be properly cleaned. If at all possible, dry your pet’s bed in your dryer. This will help to remove any lingering hair but also helps to kill any critters that may have attempted to lay eggs in your dog’s bed.
Make use of preventative maintenance
It has been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and when it comes to removing pet hair from your washer, this is most definitely true. You can eliminate a lot of the hair that accumulates in your home and your washing machine by taking the time to regularly brush your pets. Since pet hair goes through specific cycles, your pets are more likely to shed at specific times of year. The most effective means to remove the hair is by brushing it, a process which allows the dead hair to fall out into a brush where it can easily be collected and disposed of. By performing regular brushing, you limit the amount of hair that falls into your home environment. This translates to far less hair on your furniture and clothing, and ultimately, far less hair that makes its way into your washing machine.
Yes, pet hair accumulation is a nuisance. Unfortunately, when it comes to your washer, pet hair buildup can spell an early death. To be sure your washing machine lives up to its promised longevity, be sure to keep it sparkling clean. Follow our simple steps to remove pet hair from your washer. You’ll be glad you did!
