How to Get Dog Hair Out of a Car and Reclaim Your Ride

Go over everything with a vacuum

Before getting into the nitty-gritty, grab your trusty shop vacuum. No need to use any attachments, you just want to remove the easy, non-embedded stuff: dirt, debris, and any loose dog hair on the seats and carpets. Pay attention to the seat cracks and corners, as this is where hair and dirt build up.

Neutralize the static

If you feel like the dog hair is glued to the seats and carpet, static electricity is the culprit. Here is how to neutralize the static electricity:

• Fill a clean spray bottle with water.
• Set the spray nozzle to the widest spray pattern available to mist the seats and carpet.

Applying a bit of moisture neutralizes the static charge and releases the hair from the fabric. This makes it easier to scrape it with a pet hair removal tool. Don’t soak the seats, just mist them.

Scrape the area

Using a rubber-toothed pet hair removal tool, start agitating the seat fabric and carpet to pull the dog hair from the weave — this step requires some patience and elbow grease, and it works best when pulling the tool toward you. Work in sections, cleaning the tool between each, and piling the hair into a spot or line across the floor or seat for easy vacuuming later. If your tool has different-sized rubber teeth, start with the largest and work your way to the smallest.

Second vacuuming

Just like the first round of vacuuming, no attachments. You are cleaning up the clumps of hair you piled up and vacuuming the seats and carpet to get rid of any dirt or debris you scraped up.

Finishing touches

Use a lint roller to pick up any hair that may have fallen back onto the seat or carpet. Run a fan in the car, or air it out with the windows down, to dry any residual moisture from misting your seats during the static neutralizing step.

FAQ

What is the best dog hair remover for cars?

There are many different styles of pet hair removal tools, and many work for different applications. I find that rubber scrappers work best for most applications. To find the best tool for you, buy and test different options and see what works best for picking up your pet’s hair.

How can I minimize the amount of dog hair in my car?

You can minimize the amount of dog hair by using car seat covers and grooming your dog regularly. Although you will need to clean the seat covers, the amount of hair underneath the covers will be minimal.

What kind of vacuums do professional car detailers use?

Typically, professional car detailers use a combination of a powerful and durable shop vac with a specialty vacuum for car detailing, such as those offered by MetroVac.