16 No-Vacuum Ways to Get Cat Hair Off Furniture, Clothing, Carpets, and More

Cat hair in the carpet, fur on the furniture, a wardrobe embellished with feline fuzz ... it's all an old story for cat owners. Most of us count on the heavy artillery (the vacuum cleaner) as our main tool in the war on cat-hair-covered everything, but there are other options.

Start with prevention. Brushing your cat can make a major difference in the amount of hair that winds up on your surfaces, and grooming can actually be a lovely way to show affection to your feline friends. But predictably, cats don't share a single opinion on being groomed: some love it and will purr like an electric motor at the first stroke, and others will hate it so much the very sight of the brush will inspire them to hide under the bed for a week. It's a cat thing .... so be realistic about it. If you and your cat enjoy the experience, go for it. But don't over-groom, and be aware that since a certain amount of shedding is inevitable, you're never going to win the battle with grooming alone.

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Here are 16 ways to get cat hair off of floors, furniture, clothing, and more, without getting out the vacuum:

16 No-Vacuum Ways to Get Cat Hair Off Furniture, Clothing, Carpets, and More

* Wipe with a barely-dampened sponge or washcloth
* Go over area with a lint roller
* Go over area with a rubber shower squeegee
* Go over area with a chamois cloth
* Put on a rubber or latex glove and wipe down the area
* Brush with a rubber-bristle broom
* Sprinkle area with baking soda before vacuuming. The baking soda will help loosen the hair from the fabric.
* Inflate a balloon and run across the fabric. Loose hairs will stick to the balloon.
* Mist area with fabric softener, then wipe or vacuum. The fabric softener will loosen the hairs from the fabric.
* Pat the area with the sticky side of a broad tape, like duct tape or packing tape
* Wipe the area with a fabric-softener sheet.
* Wipe area with a nylon bath puff.
* Wipe area with a lint mitt (available in grocery and discount store cleaning sections).
* If the item can be put into the washing machine, add a cup of white vinegar to the water and the hair will wash off.
* If the item can be dried in the clothes drier, put it in for about 15 minutes with a damp washcloth
* To get cat hair out of a computer keyboard, go around, between, and under the keys with a cheap, fairly stiff small paint brush (the ones sold in multiple packs for children or crafts are perfect).

16 No-Vacuum Ways to Get Cat Hair Off Furniture, Clothing, Carpets, and More