ⓘ We are reader-supported and may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if a purchase is made through one of our links.
If you have a cat or a dog, then you know what comes with them – shedding pet hair. Now, you may think sweeping them away is a good idea, but it’s not since this will only release a lot of them in the air.
For this task, you need a vacuum cleaner made for use on pet hair. Also called pet vacuums, these have what you need to effectively eliminate dander, hairballs, and stubborn pet hair all over your home.
If you look online, you’ll find that there are actually lots of pet vacuums you can buy for such a need. The question now is, how do you choose the right one for your home?
Here are some tips that can help you narrow down your search:
Considerations to Make When Choosing a Pet Vacuum
Choosing a pet vacuum from the many options available to you can be quite a mind-boggling experience. How do you sift through the long list of possibilities to arrive at “the one” pet vacuum cleaner that will work well for you? This list of considerations should help.
What pet do you have?
The first thing you need to think about when going through pet vacuum options is the kind of pet that you have. Remember, not all pets shed the same amount of hair. Some cats and dogs shed crazy amounts of hair regularly, while others barely shed at all.
Examples of pets that shed rather heavily include Persian cats, Chartreux cats, Chow chows, and Chihuahuas, to mention but a few.
If your pet is a heavy shedder, a more powerful vacuum is what you need. You should also look into pet vacuums that have attachments that can reach into areas where hair strands and hairballs are likely to get into.
What surfaces do you need to vacuum?
Another consideration you need to add to your list are the surfaces that pet hair may get on in your home. These include your floors (what kind you have matters), carpets, upholstery, and many more.
You have to keep in mind that pet hair can get onto almost anything in your home, so you have to consider curtains or drapes, tablecloths, stairs, rugs, and all other surfaces you will need to vacuum with your pet vacuum.
Once you’ve listed down the surfaces you know pet hair will get into and onto, search through pet vacuum choices that come with a variety of attachments. Some have brushes that are idea for use on upholstery, drapes, and other fabrics.
There are also pet vacuums that come with additional tools that make removing hair from carpets easier, and some that are safe for use on hardwood floors.
How much can you spend on a pet vacuum?
If you already have a regular vacuum, buying a pet vacuum may seem somewhat redundant to you, but take our word for it, it’s not. Allocate a budget for your pet vacuum needs and make the selection from there. Setting a budget will give you the chance to narrow down your options considerably.
Of course, if you want the pet vacuum that can do the job really well, and budget is not an issue, then by all means, purchase the one that’s considered the best for what you need.
Choose from a variety of options that include handheld units, stick vacuums, upright vacuums, and canister vacuums. To see what we mean, check out this link that features some of the best pet vacuums you can buy in Australia.
Why a Regular Vacuum Isn’t the Best Tool for Removing Pet Hair
Now that you know what to consider when you’re looking to purchase a pet vacuum, you may ask yourself, why not just use the vacuum cleaner I already have?
These pet vacuum cleaners have the same suction power and similar attachments to the regular one that I already have. Why do I need to buy one that’s made for use specifically for pet hair?
Well, as it turns out, using your regular vacuum cleaner isn’t advisable. While they do have the suction to eliminate pet hairs from some parts of your home, they’re not made to specifically get rid of pet hair.
If you’re removing pet hair regularly from your home to reduce the possibility of allergic reactions and to keep the air as well as surfaces free of dander and other allergens coming from pets, your regular vacuum cleaner won’t cut it.
The task requires a cleaner that’s designed to successfully eliminate shed hair from all surfaces in your home, and a pet vacuum is the tool that can do that. Why? Here are some reasons:
Pet vacuums have brush agitators
Sometimes called brush rolls, these attachments are what beat out the hair stuck in carpets and rugs before they can be suctioned by the vacuum. There are even some pet vacuums that have brush rolls that can be adjusted according to the carpet or rug that it’s being used on.
Also worth noting is the fact that these brush rolls on pet vacuums can be removed when you need to use the device on non-carpeted floors, so you don’t have to worry about them damaging hardwood and tiled floors.
Pet vacuums have special attachments
If you check the list of accessories that come with pet vacuums, you’ll find that a lot of them come with attachments you can rarely find on regular vacuum cleaners.
Some examples of these include brushes that you can use on your pet (yes, you can vacuum loose hair straight into your cleaner), crevice tools for tight spaces where dander can be found, and long cords as well as hoses that help you reach into such tight spots effortlessly.
Pet vacuums use HEPA filters
One important thing to remember when sucking up pet hair is that these can get launched back into the air when they aren’t captured by filters.
Pet vacuums often come with HEPA filters which keep them inside the unit’s bag or canister, preventing their escape back into the air that you breathe. Not all vacuum cleaners, particularly non-pet ones, have this feature.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, choosing a pet vacuum is easy, as long as you know what you’re looking for and what fits your budget. Make sure to find the right vacuum cleaner for your pet by reading up on how much they shed, how often they shed, and how you can keep their shedding to a minimum.
If you want, you can also check out accessories that help you groom your dog while removing shedding hair from their bodies at the same time. Just make sure that these are compatible with the pet vacuum you’re planning on getting.
