The mess this dog puts out is anything but cute... not to mention I have a beagle who sheds just as much... Meet Annie. (and my sleeping husband).
As we moved out of our first home (a small humble single wide trailer), we found massive amounts of hair and dust behind everything... I vowed that this would never happen again. I was also dumb founded as to why it looked so horrendous even though I kept it pretty clean.
I found the answer... We just moved into a huge 2 story house that is by all accounts amazing (pictures to come). We have these old dark hardwood floors and within the first day the dog hair was piling up... I knew that I had to find a solution to this horrible issue and I did but it is major work.
How to keep Dog Hair to a Minimum:
Step 1: Vacuum every single day.
Yes, I am serious! But thank god I am only talking about a light vacuuming with the swiffer vacuum (a huge lifesaver!) This keeps the dog hair down in between weekly cleanings.
Step 2: Cover sofas/ loveseats/ recliners with sheets.
Is this the prettiest solution? No. Does it work better than anything else? Yes. I know you can buy very pretty sofa covers but honestly, they are the biggest pain in the butt than anything. You cannot wash them as easily, for some reason hair likes to get into the fabric making it impossible to get the hair off when washing/drying. Not to mention they are very expensive. Save the headache and pull out the sheets. Sheets are easy to wash and dog hair comes off with a quick washing... as you can see it doesn't look as great but if you have company just pull them off!
Step 3: Weekly Cleaning.
I have a cleaning schedule that I regularly update. The one on the blog here is a great outline but I have an updated version that I will be posting soon. Pretty much the only difference is that my daily chores are two rooms. Living room/Office happens to be Thursday. When I clean the living room (the main dog hair area) the first thing I do is get the dogs out of the room. Second, take off the sheets and throw them in the laundry ( I rotate my sheets). Next vacuum the furniture. My best friend is the Dyson Animal Upright vacuum.
The little tool at the bottom right, is an upholstery tool. it has the beater bar that is perfect for getting dog hair off furniture and stairs. I seriously love this thing! Best money you will ever spend. So if you dont have one of these, get one! Vacuum the furniture very well and then cover them back up with fresh sheets. Then make sure to dust all surfaces (seriously that hair gets everywhere!).After that use the vacuum to deep clean the floors. The swiffer is great but once a week use a heavy duty vacuum. After you are done, spray everything down with febreeze (because its amazing). Make sure to do this once a week. Don't forget to do the same in the bedroom or any other high traffic dog areas!
Yes, It is a lot of work, but it is well worth it to keep the dog hair down. The only other solution is a bald dog or no dog.
Happy Cleaning!
