Hi all,

Having never owned a long-haired cat until now, I have no idea on what to do with all the hair stuck to my clothes after washing...

Nor do I have any idea on how this may affect the washing machine (that we share with our neighbour)

On google there is talk of balls, mats, sheets and the like that people insert with the washing to catch the animal hair. Any suggestions on products available in CH to combat hair in the washer / dryer?

All suggestions welcome (as long as it relates to the topic )

Invest



I've never had this type of laundry problem with pet hair as you describe.

But if you have a long-haired pet, you really need to regularly brush. This will not only cut down on the shedding but it will also protect the health and comfort of your pet by preventing matting of the hair.

You should also get a mat comb or a tool that will help to remove the mats from the fur. And/or invest in regular appointments with a professional groomer.

I can vouch for furminator:

As the owner of long-haired, double-coated, high-shedding dogs... wearing fur, albeit unwillingly , is an inescapeable part of my life.

As KF and Sagitta say, first line of defense is regular grooming. Make sure your pet enjoys the activity; go slowly at first, rewarding your pet often.

Second line of defense: Brush your clothing/bed linen/anything going into the laundry with a lint/pet hair removing brush or roller before it goes in the wash. If necessary, vacuum the items with an upholstery brush.

I've tried all those gadgets that are supposed to catch pet hair during the wash cycle. Waste of money; didn't do a thing. But then, sheltie fur was probably the inspiration for velcro.

Third line of defense - thoroughly clean the washing machine, including the filter. With the machines I've had here, normally one only needs to do this infrequently - but if you have shedding pets, you will likely need to do it often - and certainly before the machine 'complains'. (Mine has a compartment that pops open when clogged, meaning you can't do any more washing. You then need to drain the area, take out the filter and clean it.)

If you don't know how to do this, ask the landlord/concierge.

Same goes for the dryer - clean the filter after every use as normal, but also look down into the filter compartment - there is often lint/fur collecting down there. You might need to vacuum it out. If you have a condenser dryer, clean that after every use.

And lastly... be prepared for the toll pet fur takes on a machine. I usually only get 3-4 years out of a washer, about the same for a dryer - and these are machines that are expected to last 10 years plus. I don't know what your liability might be as a renter, but just keep this in mind.

Yes, pet hair is annoying. But a small price to pay for the joy the little critters bring into our lives.

I have the same problem, but with a short haired dog, there is just so much dog and the hair sticks everywhere - what I do now is I use a sticky roll and roll the hair off before I put the clothes in the washer - because once they are in there, they will be everywhere.

Thanks to all who answered.

I found the following and will be ordering them and testing them out.
http://purchase.ie/eco-gift-ideas/lint-catchers/

Also, apparently a strip of velcro in the wasking machine with your washing helps. Also something to try out and report back to you all on.

My golden retriever sheds constantly despite my brushing, I sometimes have to vacuum twice a day and I should own shares in the 3M lint roller company, but I wouldn't give her up for anything, so... Thank you for all the hints and tips about how to enjoy her with just a little less frustration.

I look forward to hearing how the lint filters work out for you.

Those look interesting. With so many black clothes, I should have got a black dog, but nooooo.

I worry that the Velcro would stick to my clothes in the wash, might try the lint catcher things myself.

Feels weird quoting myself, but helps with making it clear I think.

So I tried the lint catchers, I bought 6, so thought 3 in the wash, 3 in the dryer. The packaging warns "do not use with wool or delicates", but being a man I ignored this of course.

Point number 1) Follow the advice, the socks are fine, so are the delicates, but the balls seems to be completely wrapped in them. Even so it works well.

Point number 2) use them either in the wash or the dryer. As the ones in the wash worked well, there was no hair or lint on the ones in the dryer, however the lint catcher in the dryer (the one on the door) was fuller than normal. So I think the fact that they are in there agitates the clothing more, but I'm no expert.

Sidenote, the "balls" are basically plastic tubes with velcro wrapped around them to form a ball shape. It seems the "hooks" are longer than the velcro I know, but otherwise the same.

I hope this helps.