You are very fond of your four-legged friend, but you are probably not happy with the wool that he leaves on your clothes, furniture and bedding. Before putting clothes covered in cat or dog hair in the washing machine, clean off excess hair to avoid clogging the filter, pump and hoses. Then add fabric softener or vinegar to the wash to help remove the hairs. And do not forget to clean the washing machine from wool residues after washing!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Cleaning the laundry before washing
Step 1. Scrub the wool off the surface of the fabric with a dry dish sponge
Get a sponge that you don't plan to use for washing dishes. Scrub the abrasive side of the sponge off the wool from clothing and bedding that you intend to machine wash.
- Brush off wool over a bag or trash bin to prevent it from spilling onto the floor.
- If the coat is difficult to clean, wet a sponge. Before cleaning clothes, dampen a sponge with water and squeeze out excess moisture,.
Step 2. Particularly stubborn hairs can be collected from clothing with a sticky roller
Peel off the top layer of paper from the roller to expose the fresh, sticky layer. Pass the roller over the fabric in the same direction. Especially carefully treat areas where a lot of wool has adhered.
- If the top paper layer on the roller is furry and no longer tacky, peel it off and use a fresh layer.
- Before using the roller to clean the clothes, you can treat the surface of the fabric with an antistatic agent to help the wool detach more easily from the fabric.
How to make a homemade cleaning roller
Place a piece of masking tape around your palm, sticky side out. Run your hand over the fabric to pick up the wool.
Step 3. If wool is stuck to delicate fabrics, use a steamer
The hot steam will weaken the adhesion of the hairs to the fabric, making them easier to rinse off with water during washing. Fill the steamer container with water, then move the steamer over the fabric from top to bottom.
- The steamer can be used with delicate fabrics such as wool or velvet. When in doubt as to whether a particular garment can be steamed, check the care instructions on the label.
- Steam clothes by hanging them vertically.
- If you want to save money, buy a manual sender, it will cost about 500-2000 rubles. Prices for floor standing steamers start at about 3,000 rubles.
Method 2 of 3: Removing fur by machine washing and drying
Step 1. Before washing, put the laundry in the machine and turn on the drying mode for 10 minutes
Put woolly garments in the washing machine and turn on a low-temperature drying function, for example Hand Iron. Check the laundry after 10 minutes. If it still has a lot of wool on it, dry it for another 5-10 minutes.
After drying, remove wool and hair from the fluff filter of the machine
Step 2. To loosen the adhesion of the wool to the fabric, use fabric softener when washing
Use the recommended amount of rinse aid on the label. Before starting the wash mode, measure out the required amount of rinse aid and pour it into the rinse aid compartment.
- In most cases, a rinse bottle cap is used as a measuring cup. In addition, the rinse aid drawer in a washing machine is often marked with a mark that indicates how much rinse aid should be poured.
- The rinse aid compartment can have different shapes, depending on the type of washing machine. It may look like a tall cylinder or a small compartment, sometimes with a lid. Typically, this compartment is marked with a flower icon.
- Never pour rinse aid directly into the drum of the washing machine.
- Older washing machines sometimes need to be rinsed by hand before the last rinse. In new washing machines, this happens automatically. If you have an old washing machine, check the instructions.
Step 3. Add vinegar during the rinse phase
Acetic acid softens fabrics by releasing hairs stuck in clothing. Measure out ½ cup (120 ml) table vinegar, pour it into the rinse aid drawer in the washing machine and turn on the wash mode.
- You can use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar.
- If you have an older model of washing machine, you will have to add the vinegar by hand before the last rinse. In newer washing machines, vinegar is poured into the rinse aid compartment before washing; the machine automatically pours it into the drum when rinsing the laundry.
- To make sure you can use vinegar in your washing machine, check your instructions.
Step 4. During the drying phase, use 1–2 scented wipes to remove static electricity
Drying wipes act as an antistatic agent and help remove hair that has adhered to the fabric. Add a few of these to your wet laundry before drying. If there is not enough laundry in the machine, one napkin is enough; for a medium to full load, use two napkins.
If the fabric is highly electrified, use one extra tissue
Step 5. For an eco-friendly alternative to wipes, use wool balls to dry your laundry
Woolen balls, usually the size of a tennis ball, also act as an antistatic agent. They help to remove adhering wool from the laundry, but, unlike napkins, such balls are reusable and do not pollute the environment; moreover, there is no perfume in them. Place the balls in the machine with damp laundry before drying.
You can buy natural wool balls for drying clothes in online stores. In hardware stores and supermarkets, plastic balls that are hollow inside are often sold. A very dense ball of woolen yarn can be used as a drying ball
Step 6. In the middle of the drying cycle, clean the fluff filter from adhering hair and wool
If the fluff filter becomes clogged with wool during drying, the wool may settle back on the laundry. Stop the machine halfway through the drying cycle and remove the fluff filter. Remove any hair or fur adhering to the filter, replace the filter and turn on the machine again.
The fluff filter can be located at the top or directly in the door of the machine, depending on its design
Method 3 of 3: Cleaning the Machine of Fur and Hair
Step 1. After washing the laundry, start the empty washing machine again
One wash cycle without laundry will help remove any remaining wool from the washing machine. Select a standard wash cycle and run the washing machine without laundry.
- For a more thorough cleaning of the machine, select the maximum water temperature and the longest wash cycle.
- The warmest water temperature is usually used for Cottons and Whites.
- Also use the Extra Rinse function if your washing machine has one.
Step 2. Wipe the inside of the washing machine drum to remove any remaining hairs
Otherwise, wool from the drum will fall onto the laundry during the next wash. Pick up the wool from the drum with a damp cloth or paper towel.
- If you want to further disinfect your washing machine, add a few drops of detergent to a damp cloth.
- Do not forget to wipe down all recesses and nooks and crannies inside the machine, as well as the door and lock.
Step 3. If wool remains inside the washing machine, you can vacuum it up
Use a soft brush attachment to vacuum up any remaining wool from the inside of the washing machine. Vacuum the entire inside of the drum, including the top and sides. You can only vacuum the inside of the washing machine if it is completely dry.
- To dry the drum of your washing machine, leave the door of the machine open or wipe the drum with a dry cloth.
- You can buy a variety of vacuum cleaner attachments at hardware stores and online stores.