CLEANING THEIR MESS

My dog rubs herself against my clothes every day. Is there any way to get dog hair off my clothes. I don't want to wash them every day.

Here are some suggestions for your clothes, carpets, sofas, bed linen:

Soak the palm of your hand. Wipe the pet hair off in a downward motion. The hair will ball up and stick to your damp hand. This works because the hair becomes wet, therefore heavier. This results in it being unable to stick to your pants (or whatever surface you're dealing with) in response to static electricity.

Slightly dampen a clean, regular kitchen sponge. Use a sponge mop if you're removing pet hair from a low-pile carpet, in which case the floor should be thoroughly vacuumed first. Rub the fabric, upholstery, or carpet with the sponge. The fur should roll up into clumps that you can pick off by hand.

Rub Velcro curlers on the surface to catch the hair. If the curler has a metal inner form, it can be bent to reach corners.

Use sellotape to peel off some fur. Just wrap some around your hand with the sticky, adhesive part sticking out and tap it on the fur-covered areas. Use masking tape. It's relatively cheap and you can tear off a piece, tape the ends together, and then rotate the tape while removing pet hair from clothing or other surfaces

Put on a latex glove. Rub the surface wearing it. The pet hair should stick to your glove. This also works with rubber gloves or cloth gardening gloves with a rubber coating on the palm. A rubber bristle push broom can work in the same way on floors. Dampen the glove or rubber section of the glove for increased effectiveness. You can use dishwashing gloves. If you lightly dampen them and rub them over your clothes, the static they create and the texture of the palms will cause the stray hairs to cling to the gloves. Once they become covered with hair, give them a rinse and start again. Using the gloves for hair collection also works great on upholstered furniture.

Inflate a balloon. Rub it across the surface that has pet hair on it. The static on the balloon's surface will attract the hair, which you can collect and then re-use the balloon to get more hair.

Use a rubber broom. This is effectively for especially stubborn pet hair that sticks to a surface. The bristles work with static electricity and the hair jumps onto the brush.

Use rubber soles. Use a pair of shoes with a rubber sole, like a trainer for example. Wearing the shoe(s) (the easiest option), drag your foot along the rug or carpet and watch all the hair bunch up! Simply lift up the hair.

Buy a lint brush. These work on most types of dog and cat hair. Keep it by the door for quick touch-ups before going out. To clean quickly, rub the lint brush in the "wrong" direction with a damp washcloth

Keep several clothes brushes handy for a quick clean up before leaving home.

If you have woollen clothes that are covered with hair, use a clothes steamer or even hang them in a steamy bathroom before using the clothes brush. The dampness will help the fibers release the pet hair, making it easier to brush away.

A sticky clothes roller is often best for removing pet hair. If you don't have one (or can't find it), use some sturdy packing tape wrapped around your hand with the sticky side out.

Vacuum your home and furniture often. Much of the pet hair on your clothes comes from the furniture.

(Views expressed and information provided are personal. Send your questions to manekaanimallove@gmail.com)