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The Battle with Dog Hair
I know I’m going to offend some people but I do not like dogs! Especially ones that leave your clothes and every conceivable surface covered in dog hair. So when Sean’s uncle died and we suddenly inherited his long haired collie Barney I wasn’t exactly over the moon. But you know he has managed to squeeze himself into a place in our home. He is a very gentle affectionate fellow and we are all very fond of him even me!
Barney - The source of all our dog hairs..!
But that does not mean that the hair issue does not arise. It is all over our house and cleaning it up has become my latest housekeeping project. Thankfully he is scared of the stairs so upstairs is a hair free zone so far. But it is everywhere else. We have a freestanding bath and the hot water pipes run behind it making a warm cosy bed for Barney and giving unsuspecting visitors to the bathroom a fright on occasion!
So what about the hairs? My friend who lives in Ranelagh tells me she washes her dog everyday with baby shampoo! That sounded like something I could try because of course Barney would be more loveable if he smelled better. So one beautiful sunny spring morning I took Barney outside and sprayed him with the hose before proceeding to lather him up with the baby shampoo. Poor Barney didn’t know what hit him and I just wasn’t strong enough to hold him. Off he bolted like a mad thing straight on to the garden where he proceeded to roll around and around on the dirt until he turned brown! So much for that idea! I learned afterwards that dogs have natural oils and they should be shampooed only rarely. So now I stick to brushing. It helps but you really need to do it 3 times a week. I have heard that you can use the vacuum, yes on the dog, but I haven’t been brave enough to try that one yet! A good vacuum cleaner is a must for cleaning up all the hairs, another trick is to try those sheets that you use in the clothes dryer or slightly dampened rubber gloves. If you rub them over the sofa or other surface the hairs will cling and be easily removed.
Of course to be honest the only reliable solution to a perfectly clean house all the time is never to get a dog but now we have him we wont be sending him back just yet.
Siobhán
Thanks for the laugh! As an owner of 2 dogs, I can appreciate your hair problem and had to laugh when I read that your friend washes her dog every day with shampoo. Poor doggie!
And nice try with the hose!
We have a shower in our basement that we used to wash the dog in once or twice a year if they rolled in something nasty. Otherwise we just let them swim in the river. there was a time when our first dog didn’t mind a shower and actually surprised the daylights out of me when he decided to jump into the tub with me one time. Cute,but not so cute if you know what I mean. He also LOVED to be vacuumed. But then we got our second dog and all of a sudden the first dog didn’t like to be bathed or vacuumed.
We brush our dogs almost daily and I sweep our floors with a microfiber mop 3 times a day. I’ve got a crawling baby – otherwise I might sweep less often. The quantity of hair and dander exhausts me.
For your furniture, you might want to try a rubber brush. If you google “rubber grooming brush” you’ll see the type I mean.
Congrats on the latest member of your family!
Hi Kate,
Thanks for your reply its great to know I have at least one reader out there! Well I finally got around to purchasing the microfibre mop and I am thrilled. Its so easy to use and you can wizz around any time. It also goes under the furniture and under the bath where Barney hangs out. I cant believe I hadn’t made this discovery earlier. Thanks so much for your advice. The house feels cleaner already. Next thing to check out are the rubber brushes for the furniture! Any more cleaning tips would be greatly appreciated.
Siobhan