Doing laundry is one of those tedious household chores that we can’t avoid. And when you have pets that shed hair, like cats, it can make laundry day even more of a challenge trying to remove all that fur. But there’s good news – your washing machine is equipped to handle cat hair in fabrics quite well. With the right techniques and tools, you can send fur-covered clothes through the wash and have them come out hair-free.
Use a Laundry Detergent Made for Pet Hair Removal
When it comes to cat hair on clothes, your regular laundry detergent may not cut it. There are specially formulated detergents made for lifting and removing pet fur that work extremely well. Look for detergents that contain enzymes that will break down the proteins in fur and lift it from the fabric. Most major brands offer a pet hair or pet stain focused detergent. Using one of these will boost your washing machine’s cat hair removal powers.<space>
Many also contain degreasers to cut through the oils in fur and help detach it. Some also have brighteners to keep clothes from looking dingy after removing all that hair. Check the laundry aisle for detergents focused on pets – you’ll see claims about attacking fur, lifting hair, reducing lint or removing pet stains. These will work better thanks to the special formulation.
Use the Hottest Water Temperature Possible
For best results removing cat hair in the washing machine, use the hottest water temperature allowed for that fabric. Heat helps lift and loosen fur from fabric so the detergent and motion of the machine can whisk it away.<space>
Check clothing tags to see the maximum water temp that item can handle, then wash with the hottest setting appropriate. Use hot water washes for cottons, sheets, towels and other durable fabrics. For delicates that require cold washing, the detergent and agitation are still effective on fur, just at a slower pace. So you may need to wash delicates a second time to remove all traces of cat hair.
Clean the Lint Trap Before Each Load
A clean lint trap is essential because cat hair will quickly clog it up. Fur can accumulate rapidly and prevent water drainage, lowering the machine’s cleaning capabilities.<space>
So before each wash cycle, clean out the lint trap. Some washers have self-cleaning traps, but it’s still smart to double check nothing got stuck. Remove any fur or debris buildup manually too. This allows water to drain properly for best results.
Use the Heavy Duty or Bulky Item Cycle
Set your washing machine to the heavy duty or bulky items cycle whenever trying to remove cat fur. These cycles use faster, more powerful agitation and longer wash times. This aggressive cleaning action helps detach and capture all that loose fur.<space>
The heavy duty setting also uses more water. The extra water helps dilute detergents for improved cleaning, while the larger wash drum capacity allows more room for cat hair to get targeted by detergents. More water and more wash motion equals no chance for fur to hide!
Dry With Low Heat or Air Fluff
Once you’ve conquered cat hair in the washing cycle, take care while drying too. High heat drying can actually bake residual fur onto fabrics. It binds loose hairs that didn’t fully detach.<space>
So use a low temperature or air fluff setting instead. This prevents re-depositing of fur during drying. Delicates or items prone to shrinkage can air dry fully instead. The key is avoiding high heat while fabric and fur is still damp. Letting items air dry helps lift any last strands of cat hair for easy removal by lint brushes too!
Bonus Trick – Add a Lint Roller Sheet
For really fur-covered laundry, add a lint roller sheet to your washing machine as a bonus trick. Look for the kind with adhesive strips specially designed for trap hair in the wash. These sheets help grab loose fur so it doesn’t reattach during cleaning.<space>
Simply toss one in the drum before starting the wash cycle. It helps reduce lint and captures all that cat hair the detergent lifted, removing it fully from your laundry. This takes extra fur off so you have one less chore to do by hand afterwards!
So there you have it – your washing machine has all the capabilities needed for top-notch cat hair removal. With the right detergents, settings and extra accessories like lint sheets, you can conquer cat fur. Follow these tips to make laundry day a breeze instead of a struggle against clingy pet hair hanging on for dear life!
References
American Chemical Society. (2020). How to remove pet hair from laundry. Retrieved from www.acs.org
Palmer, B. (2021). Washing machine settings for pet hair removal. Furry Family Care Blog. Retrieved from www.furryfamilycare.com
Sparks, S. (2019). Lint trap maintenance. Appliance Care Guide. Retrieved from www.appliancecare.com
Laura has had an enthusiasm for laundry ever since she was a teenager experimenting with wash cycles. She went on study textile science in college before working in product testing.
Soon, Laura found friends and family constantly asking her laundry advice, realizing she had become an unofficial laundry guru. The questions kept coming in, so Laura decided to start sharing laundry tips online to help more people. The enthusiastic response led her start the blog “Laundry How”.
Now in her late thirties, Laura uses Laundry How to tackle all kinds of laundry topics – stains, fabric care, detergents, and more. She provides advice from both her studies and experience testing techniques out firsthand. Laura continues to grow an engaged community of laundry learners, feeling fulfilled empowering people to make laundry an easy, confidence-building ritual rather than a dreaded chore.