“Do you have a cat?” a colleague asks during a business meeting. We both look down at my black pants, which are covered in blonde fur.
“A dog,” I say, smiling meekly, “two, actually,” as if that somehow excuses my dogged appearance.
“I have a cat,” she says. “Same problem.”
Right, I think, only her clothes look immaculate. I mutter something about loving them anyway, then slink off in search of some masking tape to de-fur my pants.
I am not alone with this problem. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 46 percent of U.S. households — nearly 90 million — have at least one dog, and 32 percent have at least one cat.
That is a lot of fur flying.
Even though I like a clean house, I’d rather have a life-filled home than a pristine show place. Shed happens, so I have found ways to bust the fuzz and meet fur halfway. Besides keeping a lint brush in several rooms of the house, and now, since the cat comment, in my car and purse, here are some more ways to combat fur-stration.
1. Start at the source. Of course, the best way to combat unwanted pet hair in the home is to keep it out of the home. First, if it’s not too late, pick a non-shedding dog breed. These have hair not fur. Pippin, my miniature labradoodle, does not shed but needs frequent trips to the groomers. Luke, my Great Pyrenees-German Shepherd mix, sheds for five dogs. Shedding dogs and all cats benefit from regular brushing, which helps remove excess fur. I use a hand mitt with rubber teeth and work over Luke’s coat like a curry comb once a week. (Do this outside.) During peak fur season, he goes to the groomers for a professional de-shedding.
2. Bust the fuzz. After Michael Sweigart, of New Jersey, got tired of literally wearing the hair shirt, he invented FurZapper. This squishy, reusable, doughnut-sized ring made of silicone has a super tacky surface that grabs fur while tumbling around with clothes and pet bedding in your washer and dryer, then releases it into drains and vents. Toss it in with your furry filled loads, and your laundry comes out fur-free. You can buy a two-pack ($14.99) through the company’s website (https://furzapper.com ), and at Walmart, Chewy, Amazon, ACE Hardware and other stores.
3. Get to the root. The fellow who cleans my upholstered furniture and rugs introduced me to Uproot Clean (www.uprootclean.com), a must-have tool for any owner of a shedding pet. This hand-held scraper looks like a paint roller, only the business end has two fine combs with small teeth. Great for items you can’t toss in the wash, like your sofa, it also works on bedding, carpets, rugs and car seats. Rake it over fur-covered (non-knit) surfaces and watch the tool pull up fur like a bamboo rake gathering leaves. Just be careful using it on delicate fabrics. Uproot Clean ranges in price from $12.99 to $49.99, depending on the size.
4. Fido-proof the sofa. If you can’t keep your furry friends off the furniture, meet them halfway with a faux-fur sofa pet bed. These look like regular pet beds, with bolstered backs and sides, only they’re designed to sit on your sofa and protect them while pleasing your pet with a comfy perch. The front of the bed has a panel that drops over the edge of the sofa like an apron. This keeps pets from clawing the fabric as they scramble up. Because the material on the bed’s underside adheres to the sofa, the bed stays put.
5. Let a robot vacuum. Before Rosie the Roomba, our iRobot vacuum, came to live with us, I got grumpy sweeping and vacuuming puffballs of dog fur twice a week. Now she does it. At first I didn’t believe these worked, but they do.
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6. Meet fur halfway. If you can’t grasp it, mask it. Because you can’t get all the fur all the time, having area rugs and pet beds that are the color of your pet’s fur can make fur less noticeable.
7. Manage expectations. While walking through a shopping area near my home recently, I spotted a doormat that read: “Embrace the dog hair. It’s everywhere,” and thought, “Phew! It’s not just me!” Keep your sense of humor and head perfection off at the door.
Join me next week as I share ways to clear the air of pet odors, dander and other allergens.
Marni Jameson is the author of seven books including “Rightsize Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow,” “What to Do With Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want” and “Downsizing the Family Home.” Reach her at marni@marnijameson.com.