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How to Get Dog Hair Out of Car Carpet Without Going Nuts
We all love our pets, but we don’t always love having their hair everywhere, especially when it comes to our cars. Thankfully, when Fido sheds all over the place, that messy hair isn’t stuck there forever.
There are actually several effective ways to get dog hair out of your car’s carpet, and luckily for you, we’re here to break them all down for you.
No matter what kind of coat your dog has, dog hair has a special way of getting into things. Short hair tends to be bristly and gets wedged down into the carpet, while long hair always seems to end up woven into the fibers of your carpet.
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The one-two punch your interior has been missing.
“So far I’ve used Mirror Shine, Turbo, Tire shine, and now Intra Shield and Clean. All products have performed as advertised and I am very happy with the results. Now to try the car wash and my detailing kit will be complete.” – Bill L.
In either case, you can’t just quickly brush it off with your hand. Thankfully, there are actually several effective ways to get dog hair out of your car’s carpet, and luckily for you, we’re here to break them all down for you.
Pet Hair Remover Roller
Pet hair removers are specially designed to remove pet hair from carpets and other fabrics. They come in various shapes, styles, and designs, each with its own benefits. The easiest ones to use have an area for collecting the gathered hair that can be dumped out when you’re done, but all of them are effective.
These rollers typically all have a fine-bristle brush that pulls and collects pet hair from your carpet. To use them, simply run them along your car’s carpet and anywhere else hair has gathered.
It may take a few passes to get all the hair depending on which roller you choose and how much hair you’re dealing with, but you should see an improvement quickly. Most rollers are also small enough to be kept in your car for quick spot cleaning after a trip with your pet.
Lint Roller
Lint rollers are the tried and true classic for removing pet hair from your clothes, and they work just as well on your car’s carpet. They’re small enough to be kept in the glove compartment or the door pocket and can be found cheaply at most grocery stores. They aren’t perfect, though, and are better used for small areas that you may have missed with other methods.
To use a lint roller, just peel it back to a fresh sticky sheet and roll it along your carpet. Depending on the amount of hair you’re trying to get out of the rug, you’ll likely need more than one sheet, so once your current sheet starts to lose its sticking power, peel it off to expose a new one. This is a great tool for a last-minute cleaning when you don’t have a lot of hair to contend with.
Vacuum Cleaner
Using a vacuum cleaner is typically the method people reach for first. However, just any old vacuum won’t always be very effective. You need a vacuum with a lot of power to get the hairs shoved deep into the carpet or woven into the fabric.
If a small handheld vacuum is all you can get to reach your car at home, you may want to consider going to a car wash or gas station that offers vacuums instead. You should have enough suction for the vacuum tool to almost get stuck to your carpet to get all the hair out. It’s also useful if there is a crevice tool attachment that you can use to get down in the cracks between seats where hair can be hidden.
Grooming Glove
If a grooming glove can get loose hair off your dog, it should be able to do the same for your car’s carpet. These gloves are typically made from rubber with different kinds of textures to catch and hold hair. You can also lightly wet the glove to make the hair stick better.
When using a grooming glove for your carpet, simply run your gloved hand along the carpet, going the same direction every time to pile the hair more efficiently. You can also use the glove on Fido before getting in the car to reduce the amount of hair that can be left behind on your carpet and seats.
Wire Brush
Wire brushes do an excellent job of getting those stubborn, hard-to-reach hairs out of your carpet and upholstery. Even if you use another method, following it up with a wire brush will help you get the last little hairs the other techniques couldn’t quite get. This makes this tool perfect to use if you’re planning to sell your car or ride with someone with dog allergies and don’t want to go to a professional detailer.
Wire brushes have coarse, stiff bristles that can damage some carpets. Brush it against a small section before doing the whole car to make sure it won’t damage your car’s interior. If it doesn’t create any snags or rips, it’s safe to use on the rest of your carpet.
★★★★★
The one-two punch your interior has been missing.
“So far I’ve used Mirror Shine, Turbo, Tire shine, and now Intra Shield and Clean. All products have performed as advertised and I am very happy with the results. Now to try the car wash and my detailing kit will be complete.” – Bill L.
Fabric Softener
The ingredients in fabric softener are specifically designed to loosen fibers to release dirt and grime from the fabric. Always test new fabric softeners on a small carpet patch to ensure it won’t create stains or discolorations.
You can apply this same action to dog hairs on your car’s carpet. Simply mix a few teaspoons of fabric softener with warm water in a spray bottle, spray it onto the carpet, and wipe away the loosened hair with a towel. You can follow this method with vacuuming to get even more of the hair out.
Upholstery Brush
The design of an upholstery brush is likely the inspiration for many pet hair removal rollers. It has numerous soft, short bristles that grab and hold onto hair to pull them out of your carpet. They’re gentle enough for any fabric yet still effective against hair. Simply run the brush along your carpet, going against the grain of the bristles, and clean the hair off before making another pass.
Balloons
Balloons may seem like an odd choice for removing hair from carpets, but they can be highly effective if used correctly. Similar to how they can make your hair stand on end with static when rubbed across your hair, balloons can attract and hold the dog hair trapped in your carpet. You can easily obtain them at grocery stores.
Start by filling a balloon or two, depending on how much hair you expect to find. Then simply rub the balloon along your carpet and watch the hair gather. It’s important to ensure you’re using a rubber or latex balloon, as the shiny mylar balloons don’t generate the same static.
Squeegee
You may be used to using a squeegee on your windows, but you can also use them for getting rid of dog hair from your carpet. They work similarly to a grooming glove, though you probably don’t want to use them on your pet. The rubber edge of a squeegee will catch and drag the hair out of your carpet.
Using a squeegee is pretty simple. You just pull it along your carpet, making sure you move in the same direction every time to gather the hair in one place. Then simply pick up the hair and throw it away.
★★★★★
The one-two punch your interior has been missing.
“So far I’ve used Mirror Shine, Turbo, Tire shine, and now Intra Shield and Clean. All products have performed as advertised and I am very happy with the results. Now to try the car wash and my detailing kit will be complete.” – Bill L.
Preventing Dog Hair from Getting Into Your Car’s Carpet
Preventing dog hair from getting stuck in your carpet is easier than getting it out, but it can be difficult to control it altogether. The goal is to minimize the amount of hair that comes in contact with your carpet.
You can accomplish this by using seat covers that go all the way down to the floorboards or by regularly brushing your dog to get rid of some of the loose hair before it can make its way into your car.
These options aren’t fool-proof, though, and hair may still find a way to get stuck in your car’s carpet. If it does, just follow one of the above methods to get your vehicle back to a hair-free state.
Written by Dan Sweeney
COO of Torque Detail & Certified Car Detailer
I help run the day to day for America’s Number #1 Car Wax Mirror Shine by Torque Detail. As a Certified Detailer by the International Detailing Association, I use that knowledge to help create products that get professional grade results with super simple application techniques.