One of the “labor of love” you carry out as a pet owner is cleaning up after your fur babies. From waste products to shredded fur, but if that’s all the price you have to pay for their unending love and loyalty, then it’s totally worth it.
If you have dogs that tend to shed a lot, their hair can get everywhere. Shredded fur can accumulate on the floor, furniture, and even clothes and food if not handled properly.
So what’s the best way to pick up dog hair on hardwood floors? For a sparkling floor, you can pick up dog hair using a rubber broom, a dampened mop or a microfiber mop.
Here are a few ways to deal with pet hair on your precious hardwood floor.
Best Way to Pick Up Dog Hair on Hardwood Floors
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Vacuuming is usually the first line of action when it comes to removing pet fur from your floors. But it isn’t very effective; vacuuming might even be considered counterproductive; a vacuum or a straw broom blows pet hair into the air, which later resettles on the floor.
Read: Best mop for dog hair
To effectively get rid of pet hair, you need the right cleaning tools. Traditional cleaning methods will only clean the house for a couple of hours by sending the hair you are trying to collect into the air; after a while, the hair and dust settle back in.
To completely get rid of dog hair on hardwood floors, here are the best approaches:
Using Rubber Broom
A rubber broom is one of the best ways to pick up dog hair off hardwood floors. The rubber broom functions as a magnet for the hairs due to its electrostatic properties, which help you to get the most out of your cleaning efforts.
A rubber broom attracts pet hair from hard floors, even from within the crevices in the floor. It does this effectively due to the differences in electrical charges between the hair and the broom, which creates static, that attracts the hair towards the broom.
A rubber broom is even more effective in dry areas as more static is created; you can also run a dehumidifier for 30 minutes before you begin cleaning to increase the electrostatic properties.
A Dampened Mop
Aside from a rubber broom, you can use a dampened mop, especially when the surrounding atmosphere is moist. The mop will pick up loads of hairs as well as other dirt and grime on your floor.
Dampen your mop with detergent or cleaner to increase the effectiveness of this method. You can opt for cleaners with active ingredients that leave a dust-repelling finish; this makes it difficult for hair to collect on the floor.
Damp mopping, however, also has its perks; mopping a dirty floor without pre-cleaning will leave behind dirt streaks and not clean the floor thoroughly.
So before going in with a wet mop, use a vacuum or brush to remove bigger dirt particles on the floor. Then wait for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, if you can, to allow the dust and remaining hairs to settle before mopping.
Use Electrostatic or Microfiber Dust Mop
Getting rid of pet hair from hardwood floors can be quite difficult as they have lots of crevices for the hair to hide. So an effective cleaning tool is needed to ensure you pick up all the hair.
One of such tools is the electrostatic dust mop that helps to collect all of the pet hair, including those hiding between the gaps of floorboards.
Microfiber has little hooks that hold onto particles no matter how tiny. Cleaning your hardwood floor with a microfiber mop will not only pick up dog hair but a lot of dust as well.
Dust mops can be purchased online or from your local discount store; if you cannot afford one, you can make a makeshift microfiber broom by purchasing microfiber cloths which are a whole lot cheaper, and attach them to your broom by poking holes in the fabric and then push the handle through it.
This gives you a mop and a broom in one, and it is easier to clean single microfiber cloths as all you need to do is throw them in the washer.
Read: Best dog poop trash can
Wipeout Baseboards With Dryer Sheets
Using dryer sheets to wipe down baseboards also creates electrostatic that picks up loose pet hair.
The dryer sheets recharge the baseboard, making it anti-static; this helps to reduce the collection of dust and hair in the future, keeping the floor cleaner for longer.
Baseboards tend to be the dirtiest part of floors, but this trick keeps them clean and free from pet hair.
Related: How to fix dog scratches on wood floor
Conclusion
The best way to pick up dog hair on hardwood floors is by using a rubber broom, a dampened mop, or an electrostatic or microfiber dust mop to clean the floor.
The cleaning procedures differ according to the tool you are using, but they are all effective and will rid your floor of not only dog hair but of dirt and grime as well.