Hey ladies!
We are getting a sofa and two chairs from my brother-in-law today. I know they will be covered in cat hair. I’m allergic to cats. (As is my mother who will be here tomorrow for a four day visit! Eek!) Do you have any good tips for getting as much cat hair as possible off of the furniture fabric?? (It’s a cotton blend fabric.)
Thanks!!
Sneezin’ in Schenectady
Heather says:
Ah allergies, practically the bane of my existance. It is important to remember it isn’t the hair itself that causes a reaction, but rather their dander. Even without visible hair there may be enough irritants to bother a sensitive person.
First, I would thoroughly vacuum the upholstery. However that alone may not be enough. I would use a carpet shampooer with an upholstery attachment. Several companies offer special allergen reducing shampoos, but regular upholstery cleaner may be sufficient.
As the furniture is secondhand I am assuming there are no warranties against stains in effect. Still, before renting a carpet cleaner, be sure to look for a care tag to be sure it isn’t counter to their recommendations.
As always test in an inconspicuous area before cleaning the whole couch.
Stumble it!
4 responses so far ↓
1 freakgirl // Sep 27, 2007 at 12:54 pm
A lint roller does a lot, as well. I would also brush it to loosen pieces and then vacuum it. Also, Febreeze makes an allergen-reducing spray - I use it on the furniture when my allergic friends come to visit.
2 Margo // Sep 27, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Probably depends on how allergic the family is to cats. We had a friend who was so allergic that he waited until a couple months AFTER we got rid of our cat to come to our house.
3 Southern Girl // Sep 28, 2007 at 12:20 pm
We have much success getting orange cat hair off our sofa, chairs, and area run just using a *damp* washcloth and some elbow grease. It takes a while, wiping and wiping and wiping, but the fur clings to the damp cloth well.
4 Mrs. U // Sep 29, 2007 at 9:53 pm
I know for sure that a damp cloth does wonders in removing cat hair from upholstery!
Also, I recently heard that if you put on cleaning gloves and wet them slightly, you can run your hands over the upholstery and the hair comes off very well. I definitely plan on trying this SOON!
His,
Mrs. U