Much like a dirty house, a HAIRY house certainly doesn’t make for a clean mind. If you’re anything like me, your pets are driving you up the wall these days, and the rampant shedding can obstruct your breathing, especially if you’re allergic. Not to mention that, no one wants black denim jeans covered in kitty fur. No matter how adorable it is when they jump up on your lap, you’ll save time and money with a specialized tool designed to expedite the process.
Because, after a long day at work, no one wants to spend their time obsessively vacuuming and wiping down furniture—believe me, there was a point where I was doing exactly that every day. Having already endured an hour-long commute, I’d come home and vacuum, then wipe down the furniture with Clorox Triple Action dust wipes (more on those later) before going to the gym, eating dinner, and inevitably passing out on the couch.
Since then, I’ve adopted healthier coping mechanisms which have kept me from aggressive cleaning. But the question still remains: What’s the best pet hair remover and when will the horror end? While I’m still investigating the latter, our readers have helped me narrow my next purchase down five compelling options, starting with a widely acclaimed favorite.
Cheap, small, and effective
It is cheap, small, and effective. I’ve used it often and (needlessly) vigorously and it is still in great shape years later, though I’d buy a new one every month if I had to. It combines the elements of other tools—something rubbery to “grab” the hair, something velvet-y to make it “stick”, a receptacle for the hair to be collected. - fleetwoodmasc
Yup, I’ve tried all sorts of handheld vacs, regular vacuum attachments, mitts, etc, and the Chom Chom is far superior to them all. It’s cheap, durable, and it just works. - Jarrod Holland
Really cuts down on the shedding
I’ve found with cats you need to go to the source (the cat). A few sessions with this really cut down the shedding. A number of companies make this type of brush. It has long teeth on one side that is good for massaging and pulling out loose undercoat. Follow up with a slicker brush or fine tooth comb to collect all the loose hair. The short side is good for cleaning up clothing, carpet, and furniture. - Scott M
An odd sponge that works pretty well
Your damp palm. Not THAT damp.I have rollers with removable tape, a Dyson Animal, clothes de-linters (like fancy tailors use), and an odd sponge my bestie got me that works pretty well and it’s on sale. - sybann
Keep shedding down
This is a classic physics question: if the shortest distance between two points is no distance at all, then the best pet hair remover is not having a pet at all. But since time travel is still not “officially” invented yet, and because I’d follow my cat into rush hour traffic anyway and couldn’t bear to lose her, I use a Furminator on her to keep her shedding down. - VESATI
Effective adhesive structure
Although I lament the constant mowing of hair from my furniture, I’ll admit the adhesive structure of the Clorox Hair Pickup wipes is the most effective I’ve seen without leaving a footprint of their own. Virtually identical to the aforementioned Clorox Triple Dust Wipes, these pet hair-specific ones claim to be safe around pets, “trapping” and “locking” 99% of pet allergens. Over the last four years, I’ve been using them around my various apartments to much success. The one downside is that, unlike a pet brush or comb, these wipes won’t reduce the cadence or amount of shedding, they’ll just grapple with the fact thereafter. - Gabe Carey