You've bought the fabulous pet bed to protect your furniture.  You've made sure they have the best food to keep their coat shiny and healthy.  But let's face it - shed happens.  So how do you keep your furniture pet hair free?

I’ve had up to 5 pets at a time in my life, and loved them all dearly - but their hair? Not so much!  While I've come to understand my love of animals means that I'll never have a fur-free home, I’ve also come to know a thing or two about easy fur removal. Here are a few of my favorite ways to keep the shedding to a minimum and to keep my furniture looking (almost) showroom new.  (Now if I only I could stop myself from spilling red wine and coffee ;)

10 Simple Fur Fighting Tips

1. Use a Rubber Glove to Remove Fur Easily

I discovered this tip when my sweet old man cat Doctor enjoyed curling up in my favorite relaxation spot. It's as easy as putting on the rubber glove and smoothing your hand over the furniture in one direction until the fur balls up and then tossing! This method has worked better for me than a dozen store-bought tools - even for my cat Aretha’s fuzzy black fur.

2. Try an Upholstery Brush

Much like my rubber glove, a good upholstery brush will remove pet hair quickly from sofas and side chairs.  You can usually find one at any home or big box store.

3. Give Your Pets a Haircut

The first time I shaved the fur off my shepherd mix Merlin, my veterinary friends raised an eyebrow or two.  But then they tried it with their dogs and cats, and discovered I was on to something. This reduction in hair can make a huge difference, even with dogs and cats with only medium-length hair.  As a bonus, it keeps pets cooler in the summer as well.

4. Groom and Brush Your Pet Regularly

A clean pet is a low-shedding pet!  Whether you do it at home or hire a groomer - it doesn't matter!  A regular bath and brushing can significantly reduce pet hair and dander.  I like to bathe our pets in the shower using a simple handheld attachment for easy bathing. I have this one but any decent handheld sprayer will do.

5. Invest in a high-quality bagged vacuum

Investing in a high-quality bagged, not bagless, vacuum is great for pet hair but also for trapping other dust and allergens.  Having a closed HEPA filter system will ensure that pet fur, dander and other dust and debris are closed and easily disposed of without putting them back into the air.  This is a must for people with allergies. (No, really.  Our friend with life-threatening allergies just invested in a Miele and says it was literally life-changing.)

6. Keep Up with Pet Fur by Using a Robotic Vacuum

Want to stay on top of the pet fur on a daily basis? Try a robotic vacuum.  It will start and stop at the same time every day and keep fur and dander to a minimum with little effort! We’re currently shopping for a new one, and eyeing this Wirecutter article for good, detailed, and unbiased reviews.

7. Protect Your Furniture In Style

Your cat (or dog) probably has a favorite spot on the furniture, and protecting that spot can help grab the fur before it makes itself at home.  Use a fabulous bed or faux fur throw blanket to avoid a decorating style that can best be described as “disheveled chic.” (Might we suggest our Catnip Mat ?)

8. Trap Airborne Fur on Fan Blades with a Pillowcase

When’s the last time you checked your ceiling fan?  Fur and dander magically travel through the air, collecting - shockingly fast, if you ask me - on things like your ceiling fan. To quickly clean ceiling fan blades, simply wrap them in an old pillowcase and pull the dust away. The dust and dander will be trapped in the pillowcase, which you can wash and reuse over and over for cleaning.

9. Invest in Regular Steam Cleaning

If you have wall-to-wall carpet, make sure you steam clean regularly. Invest in a high-quality home steam vac, but also have carpets professionally steam cleaned at least once per year.

10. Change Your HVAC Filter Regularly

We change ours every two months and use an allergy-trapping HEPA filter from a big box store.  Keep in mind that Spring and Fall are the two biggest shedding seasons so you’ll want to change it more often then.

It might take a little effort, but by being proactive you can keep your furniture from becoming fur-niture.