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Nip Your Pet-hair Problems in The Bud

Updated on July 23, 2020 by Joseph D. Nielson

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If you are a pet parent, you know that they are just as much family as our human counterparts.

Pets are great companions too. They don’t ask for much, they keep us company, and are great for our health. But I think we can all agree that it would be nice if our furry babies didn’t shed their fur all over the place.

As much as we adore our canines or felines, having pet hair trapped in our furnishings, clothes and floors is a pain. Luckily, there is a wide range of vacuum cleaners available that can nip your pet-hair problems in the bud.

But before you buy the first vacuum cleaner you find, there are a few things you should take into consideration first.

Finding the Best Pet Vacuum

To find the best vacuum for cleaning and clearing out pet hair from your home, you’ll need to determine the type of vacuum cleaner that will work best. What works best for your home and needs will depend on a few factors which we will touch upon in this article.

Flooring

The type of flooring you have in your home will likely influence your decision on what kind of vacuum to buy. For instance, if you have tiles or hardwood floors, you’ll want to select a model that is specially designed for this type of flooring.

Here’s a look at our reviews of the best vacuums for hardwood floors here.

Carpets & Area Rugs

Finding the Best Pet Vacuum

If you have carpets, you’ll need a vacuum cleaner that has excellent suction and a rotating brush. Some pet hair may be more tricky to get out of the carpet than others. So having a vacuum cleaner with a rotating brush can help pull the fur out of the rug.

The key here is to get a vacuum that has excellent suction. If not, you’ll end up just blowing the fur around your floors.

Stairs

If you have a home with stairs, you’ll need to pay closer attention to the weight of your vacuum cleaner. Keep in mind that you’ll be hauling your vacuum up and down the stairs, so it would be smart to buy a reasonably light model.

When vacuuming staircases, you’ll want to use the attachments that come with your vacuum cleaner. Many vacuums have an extension hose that lets you attach to a smaller brush head.

So instead of trying to use the entire machine on your stairs, the extension hose will allow you to quickly and efficiently vacuum the carpet while reducing the risk of you tripping or falling down the stairs.

Furniture

Finding the Best Pet Vacuum

Keeping pets off our beds or sofas would be ideal. But, let’s be honest, cuddling up with our furry family members is a wonderful feeling.

But this comes with the added chore of cleaning the fur off of our furniture. So look out for vacuum cleaner will attachments as well as a great suction to get all the fur out.

Alternatively, you can add a spoonful of liquid fabric softener in a spray bottle, then fill with water and shake to mix. Next, spritz on your carpet and let sit for five minutes. Once done, vacuum up all the hair that’s risen to the surface.

Your Pet Breed

Not all cats and dogs are the same, and some shed more than others. So you’ll want to understand your pet’s shedding tendencies.

If you don’t have a family pet yet and are thinking about adopting one, or two, then maybe a hypoallergenic breed may be the best choice for you and your family.

Your Budget

There are many inexpensive vacuum cleaners on the market, but when it comes to collecting pet fur, you’ll want to purchase a high-quality vacuum.

Sure, you can get a cheap vacuum, and it may work just fine for the first few uses, but after that, the fur will clog up the machine, leading to a lot of maintenance issues.

This is not to say that you need a top-of-the-line vacuum cleaner with all the bells and whistles either. Just ensure that it has a high suction that can pull out all the fur your pet sheds.

3 Main Features to Keep in Mind

You will also need to consider which vacuum features are essential and useful to you.

Different features will vary from brand to brand, so carefully assess what is available and decide whether or not you need these features.

Here are three main features you’ll want to consider when looking for a pet vacuum cleaner:

Bag or No Bag

Most of today’s modern vacuums are bagless, which is great because you won’t have to worry about running out of bags and incurring the expense of always having to buy new ones. On the flip side, bagged vacuum cleaners are less messy to work with and are less likely to agitate your allergies.

HEPA filters

While pet hairs all around our homes are indeed a nuisance, you might be forgetting about the health concerns of pet dander or any of the many other microscopic allergens hiding in your carpet.

For this reason, we would recommend buying a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. The reason is that HEPA filters are designed to trap 99.97% of particulates 0.3 microns or larger.

If you or any of your family members (including your fur babies) are prone to allergies, a vacuum with HEPA filtration is a necessary feature.

Brush Agitator

The brush agitator attachment is a standard accessory nowadays, but it’s still worth highlighting.

The brush agitator not only helps pull out any dirt out of the carpet, but it also helps loosen-up and pulls out all of the pet hair that may be deep-seated in your carpets.

This is especially true if your pet sheds a lot.

Finding the Best Pet Vacuum

Choosing the Best Vacuum Cleaner for your Home

We know how overwhelming it can be to make this decision, especially with so many different models of vacuums to choose from. To help you make the best purchase decision, we have broken it down for you here:

Canister Vacuum Cleaners

This type of vacuum comes with a wide range of features for hard surfaces and carpets. Canister vacuums are probably one of the best on the market for cleaning up pet fur.

Upright Vacuum Cleaners

These vacuums are easy to use because they require you to bend down less.

They are also relatively versatile and usually have settings for both carpets and bare floors. They may also have attachments that help remove pet hair off of furniture.

Robot Vacuum Cleaners

Robot vacuums do the cleaning for you, which makes them a great purchase.

You can program your robot vacuum cleaner to suction up pet hair throughout the day, and they’ll usually do a good enough job.

Another benefit is that it will be fun to watch your pet become thoroughly confused while the device is in use.

Handheld Vacuum Cleaners

While handheld vacuums don’t have the most vigorous suction, they are great at spot cleaning fur that has balled up in a small corner of our home.

Another benefit is that they don’t have to be plugged in, meaning you can even use them when needing to vacuum any pet hair from the car, which is an excellent bonus for the small price tag.

However, this type of vacuum should be used more as a supplemental cleaning device than a full-on solution.

Stick Vacuum Cleaners

While stick models are easier on the budget, they don’t usually come with many features as some of the stronger vacuums. However, they are very lightweight, which is excellent if you don’t want to have to lug your vacuum around the house.

For vacuuming pet hair specifically, these models can work, but not nearly as good as upright or canister vacuums.

Take Away

As much as we adore our fur babies, having their pet hair trapped in our furnishings, clothes, and floors is an overall pain.

So buying the right vacuum cleaner can make a big difference in terms of cleanliness, allergic reactions, and the appearance of your home, without having to sacrifice the love you feel for your pet.

Of course, you’ll love your fur baby no matter what, but not seeing their hair all over the place won’t hurt either.

Joseph and Family
About Joseph D. Nielson

Former journalist and editor for various press groups, I now dedicate my time to reviewing products for the home and family life. When I get time to myself, I enjoy rock climbing, taking my dirt bike for a rip, and most importantly providing my family with the best home possible!