There is such comfort in snuggling up with your fur babies while wrapped in your favorite blanket. It’s warm and toasty but can get a little fuzzy. Are you trying to figure out how to remove hair from blankets? With a little preparatory work and some novel laundering ideas, your favorite blanket will be “defuzzed” in no time.
Best Fabrics
Choosing the blanket fabric wisely reduces the amount of hair your blanket collects. A tight weave can keep hair from wrapping around the fibers. On the other hand, a cotton blanket with a loose weave can become a tangled mess of hair, particularly if you have a long-haired person in the house. Those strands can wrap around fibers like a snake on a tree.
Microfiber blankets are a good choice, and they clean up nicely. For an even softer alternative, pick a blanket made of Minky fabric.
Hair or Fur?
How much pug glitter or cat hair you experience can depend on whether your pet has a single or double coat. Double-coated animals tend to shed more. Animals with hair, like poodles and Irish setters, may not shed as much, but their tresses are usually longer and, like human hair, can wrap tightly around blanket fibers.
Reduce the Fluff
One of the best things you can do when determining how to remove pet hair from blankets is to take preventative measures to keep the fuzz at bay. Brush your pet with a de-shedding tool as often as is comfortable for your pet. To keep the pet puffs to a minimum indoors, brush them outside and throw their fur to the wind. Birds can use it to build their nest––just ensure you haven’t recently applied flea and tick preventative medicine or any kind of grooming product that may be toxic to birds.
Vacuum pet beds and cat trees to keep fur from transferring to furniture, and vacuum your furniture often to keep fur and hair from transferring to your cozy blankets.
Pre-Laundering Tips
To get the cleanest blanket possible, take a few moments to rid the blanket of as much fur as possible before throwing it in the washer. Some ways you can remove hair “pre-laundering” are:
- Take it outside and shake it out.
- Use a lint roller.
- Wrap your hand in tape with the sticky side out and pat the blanket.
- Use a silicone pet brush or mitt to “brush” the blanket lightly.
You can also put your blanket in the dryer for about ten minutes on a no-heat cycle. Don’t forget to clean your lint screen on the dryer, and always clean your outside dryer vent. Those can get clogged too.
To keep static electricity from holding onto the hair, lightly spray your blanket with a static reducer first. (This works great for vacuuming furniture and pet beds too, but first, do a test to make sure your pets are not allergic to the spray.)
Washing & Drying Tricks for Blankets
One of the most important things to remember when laundering blankets is not overloading the washer. Your blanket needs room to swish around and let all areas get laundered. When washing big blankets like comforters or Minky Extreme Blankets, only do one at a time. If your washer is small, you may want to take it to a laundromat.
One of the best laundry hacks is adding vinegar to the end of the laundry cycle. Put it in at the same time you would add fabric softener or in the softener spot on your washer.
Why vinegar? For one thing, you may want to limit your use of fabric softener on your blankets because it can build up and cause your blanket to lose its softness. Vinegar also relaxes the fabric's fibers, releasing more hair. And as a bonus, vinegar is excellent for eliminating odors, so your blankets will smell fresh and clean.
It is always wonderful to air dry your blanket, but to get those lost remnants of hair off, you may want to throw your blanket in the dryer. Remember, no heat. Heat can damage the fibers of your blanket and make it feel almost scratchy.
Use pet hair removal items in your washer & dryer. They come in many shapes and sizes and are made of a soft, flexible material that helps release the hair. Wool dryer balls also work great for gently beating out the last of the fuzz.
While You’re At It
While you’re working on the problem of how to remove cat hair from blankets and just de-fuzzing everything, take this opportunity to get your blanket into tip-top shape. Look for and treat any stains. Identify any rips or tears or other damage and repair them. A few extra moments now can add years of life to your favorite blankie.
Important Reminders
Once again, make sure that you clean your dryer’s lint screen after every session, and check your outside dryer vent to clear out any lint or fur that may have gotten through your filters. Lint build-up can become a fire hazard.
After you wash your blankets, run an empty wash cycle with a little added vinegar to help with odor, then wipe out your washer drum and wipe down the seals. Fur and hair can clog up your hoses and filters, which can cause damage to your washing machine.
Time to Try a Minky
Has your favorite blanket gotten so furry that you just can’t remove all the hair? Then it’s time to look for a new favorite, and you don’t have to go far to find it. Replace them with a Minky blanket. Shop online and find your new favorite today!