Dog hair and vacuum cleaners.

[jillan]

I swear I have to buy a new vacuum once a year.
The vacuum I have right now will not vacuum up my dog's hair from my tightly woven area rugs. It does okay with other stuff. Right now I have a Eureka Altima.

Anybody have any suggestions on a vacuum that actually can handle having to pick up things like pet hair? I saw that Bissell came out with a pet hair vacuum. Anybody have any luck with that one?

Please don't suggest Dyson - I unfortunately cannot afford that :(

What is crazy is that I don't even have any carpet...Just large area rugs.

Thanks ahead of time.

-p-

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I have an old Kirby that came with this attachment that has a spinning head

with bristles that pick up the hair..but it is for the long hose and must be done by hand. The upright suction does not pick up all the hair.

As an alternative, you can start at the other end..by minimizing the hair that comes off the dog. I bought a Furminator, and am very happy with the results. It is not cheap, but it is amazing how much hair it removes from the dog..and cats. Those ads that show piles of hair surrounding the dog are not exaggerations. I cannot do it in my house because so much fur/hair is removed. I take him outside to use it. I do it once a week, and it is amazing how much comes off each time. He is a German Shepherd and has that thick undercoat. I used to have these huge dust-bunnies/tumble-weeds all over the house. I am not going to say this has entirely eliminated the hair on the floor, but it is a lot less...and his coat looks much shinier.

I think you can look around on the internet to find the best price..

It comes in different sizes, and there one for cats as well..altho I don't see why you would need a special one for them..
https://store.petsenseoutlet.com/furminator-deshedding-tool?gclid=CPP0rKjE5JcCFQVuswodM1nuCg

Here is the home page, with a video showing how it works. That is exactly what happens when I use it on My GSD. The undercoat fur just flies off him.
http://www.furminator.com/shedless.cfm

Here is the home site, with FAQs.
http://www.furminator.com/faqs.cfm

Here is how it works on a German Shepherd. You can see by the color of what is being flying around that it is the undercoat that is being removed.
http://www.furminator.com/flash/gs_16.htm

[jillan]

3. Interesting - thanks - I'll check it out.

[CountAllVotes]

26. I just got a Furminator

two of my cats really like it a lot and wow do you ever get a lot of hair off of them! UNBELIEVABLE!!

My tomcat doesn't like being combed so I haven't tried to use it much on him. I wish I could give him a good combing!

Thanks for the tip on this. I found one at drugstore.com for 1/2 price! Well worth it! :D

:dem: :kick:

[OhioChick]

2. Having 2 dogs...

With one being a Siberian Husky, my house seems to be covered in dog hair constantly. I've tried so many different vacuum cleaners (yearly) to no avail. Within the past month, Kohl's had a sale on their Dyson "animal" uprights that usually sells for $549. The sale price with all the added discounts ended up being a little over $200. Let's just say it was worth it. :)

Keep track of sales of this vacuum cleaner at Kohl's. Maybe you'll find a good deal.

[jillan]

4. Wow - a Dyson for $200. That is a good deal.

Kohls does have great sales on vacuums - believe me, I have bought a couple from them.

[Lorien]

5. The thing is that a Dyson WILL save you hundreds over the years

I know; I was buying a new vacuum cleaner about every 18 months because of all the pet hair in my home. I've bought EVERY major brand out there over the years-only to replace it a year or two later. I tried having a few repaired, but it was nearly as costly as buying a new one. I've owned a Dyson animal now for about six years and I'm thrilled with it. It's easy to use, never loses suction and clogs are a cinch to undo. It works as well today as the day I bought it. I think that I paid around $430.00 for it (on sale at the time at Target). Had I gone my usual route, the average cost of a vacuum cleaner being $189.00, I would be out at least $567.00 and in the market for a new vacuum cleaner by now, so I consider it a bargain.

[jillan]

6. I'm beginning to think along those lines.

ugh - but it's just a stretch to come up with that now.

[Lorien]

10. $349.00

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?whse=BC&topnav=&prodid=11283585&ec=BC-EC877-CatHome&pos=11&lang=en-US

[Dover]

19. You can buy a refurbished one for about 30-40% less.

And I think they still have a five year warranty. You also might look into the less expensive
Dyson upright model (DC18 Slim) though I don't have any first hand knowledge of it's performance.

One of the bright sides of an economy heading into a deflationary period is that inventories
pile up and stuff sells cheaper. So keep your eyes open.

I have mainly hardwood floors with large area rugs and still have a problem. I just use a hard bristle brush and get down on my knees and literally go over the whole rug first and THEN
vacuum. So I too am ready for a better solution.

[tencats]

7. I have a cat herd running over my hardwood floors and throw rugs shedding their fur everywhere.

After many years of living with cats I remain impressed at the mass of fur that I regularly vacuum up off the floor and furniture. For you I recommend you get several Evercare brand Pet Hair Pic-Up Mitts to use before vacuuming. As for the machine I recommend any good canister vac with a hepa filter and 1.5 inch hose. For best results on area rugs I use the mitt first and then the vac. When vacuuming I do not usually use a wand or any accessory attachments, I get down close to the surface with the hose end held at a 45 deg angle and make quick work of eliminating pet dander from bare floors and rugs.

Pic of the mitt which I find most useful for fur pick-up. I get these at Target for $3.99 or Petsmart has them at $5.99.
<>

Pic of my vac.
I love this vac, it has a 15 gal metal tank and peak rated at 3hp/11 amps(note-all those high power cheap vacs just don't last very long). Its a canister vac with a 18' power cord and replacement motors, parts and hoses up to 25' are easily available. This roll around design I think is the best. I have 2 of these, the first I purchased was back in 1993 and its used near every other day. Only had to replace the motor brush sets once and the on/ff switch twice.
<>

Hepa filters are bought separately and cost more than the reg filters but are well worth the extra cost. Best yet is a washable hepa filter.

[Imalittleteapot]

8. Dyson on Amazon.com. No shipping chg. No tax. AND best of all,

they will give you 90 days to pay it off interest free. They have an assortment of styles. I got the Ball. It really sucks up the hair.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

9. Shoot the rug with a little Static Guard first and see if helps.

I always do that when cleaning the car seats.

[MrsBrady]

11. this is what I have

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02035922000P?mv=rr

we have a border collie and 3 cats. the best ever.

they've come down on the price, I bought it "on sale" for $300 two years ago.


i have consumer reports, and it said this was the best one 2 years ago...it looks just like the one i have.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

18. That's what I have too and it is fantastic.

That vacuum is ALWAYS consumer reports #1 or #2 over the years. Mine is at least six years old and I have never had a lick of trouble with it. Previously I had been buying a vauum a year.

[glinda]

25. My vac just broke and

I also need a new one. From what I understand is do not get one with a wood roller. THe wood grabs the hair and gums up the vacuum. I understand the Simplicity is really really good with a metal roller but hugely expensive. Like 600-800 dollars. I am going to look into a couple mentioned. Does anyone know if the rollers in the Kenmore and on any others mentioned are wood???? Or are they metal?

[yy4me]

12. I was given a Hoover Fusion Vac by a friend who found it too

heavy for her to use. This thing is modeled after the much more expensive Dyson and it does do the job. I care for a yellow Lab who sheds more fur than is possible. After her visit, I vac and it fills the chamber with fluffy yellow fur. It is bagless and it is important to keep the receptacle plus the 2 filters clean. If you let the fur accumulate, It will greatly effect the performance. It is a quick and easy job to empty the chamber. Has all kinds of attachments. The only negative I see with the machine is that it is heavy and I'm glad I don't have to vacuum stairs because it is too heavy to hold off the floor for a long period of time. I dust my wood stairs and then vac at the bottom. Fantastic machine for the money. I did some searching for reviews and the general complaint was the weight but not the job it does. Check the $$$ at---you know where...others may sell it too.


http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3922205&sourceid=00748645144244122374

[gaspee]

13. Without a doubt

Dyson makes the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair. They last forever, too. It's expensive, but so is having to buy a new one every year. I think in the long run, you actually save money buying a Dyson - it's just the initial purchase that's tough. I have six double coated dogs who all seem to blow their undercoat at the same time.

Here's one of mine who had just starting shedding...

[Muttocracy]

14. Cute dog! Is that a Shiba Inu? I love these photos of German Shedder Dogs

http://gsrne.org/health.htm (bottom)
and http://gsrne.org/german_shedder_dog.htm

(I have two GSD mixes - lotta hair!)

Shibas are neat - I knew a vet student with one and she was the calmest, most graceful dog I've ever met.

[gaspee]

15. Yup

Shiba Inu - they are awesome dogs, but horrible puppies. You get out what you put in and a Shiba puppy is a huge commitment. Socialization, exercise, training - they are monster adults if the time and energy isn't put into them as puppies. But that said, a well bred and well raised Shiba will be the best dog you've ever had. I have puppies right now actually and a webcam on them if you want to watch them grow.

[Dover]

17. What a beauty! But that picture is really throwing me off.

I can't get an accurate sense of scale.
Either that chair is a bit on the small side or the dog is HUGE.

[Muttocracy]

20. I think it's the angle - dog is up on a table. Shibas are much smaller than Siberian Huskies. nt

[Dover]

21. Ohhh...hahaha!

I thought that table surface was flat on the ground.

[Muttocracy]

22. yeah, I can see it that way too - it's sort of an optical illusion

I watched the DVD of Lord of the Rings where they showed how they did some of the camera tricks to make people look small or big, and I still fall for it every time I see the movies :)

[Dover]

16. So NOW ya tell me!

After several vacuum cleaner purchases and still a house FULL of hair (with several white animals it
almost looks like a light snow has blown into my livingroom sometimes), you really think Dyson
will do the trick?

From what I've read online the DC14 Animal model is pretty heavy and cumbersome. Has anyone tried their DC18 Slim upright model? It is lighter and I think it has the same level of suction, but would really like to hear from someone who knows first hand.

[Neecy]

23. ah, my favorite subject

I do Pomeranian rescue and like you, I've gone through so many vacuums that either crapped out or weren't effective that I was about to throw up my hands.

I finally went into a small local store that only sells vacuum cleaners and asked for their recommendation. I was impressed that the sales guy didn't try to sell me the most expensive machine they had; he sold me the one that would be the most effective against dog hair.

This thing is amazing. It picks up everything, never jams, never overheats, and it doesn't weigh a ton. It's also cheaper than a Dyson.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000A6TOEM/qualitycookware-20

[Samantha]

24. My Oreck vacuum cleaner works great on pet hair

When my dog goes through her itchy season and I find more hair on the carpet, I buy Arm & Hammer w/Baking Soda carpet cleaner. It attracts pet hair and sells for $2.00+. Works great with the Oreck.

[glinda]

27. Okay. I just bought a new one.

Looked at the Dyson 25 Animal. The issue with Dyson is the repairs, getting them done or making sure you are even covered. I found that troublesome. I went with a Simplicity canister. It was on sale and I hate canisters. I thought I did! But no....this vacuum is great! The metal roller doesn't get gunked up with hair at all so far. We have 10 rescues and I hadn't vacuumed in about two weeks. Ugggg!
So I am recommending whole heartedly the Simplicity which is an American company and the replacement bags are also made in the US.

[Muttocracy]

28. thanks for the tip. My cheapie vacuum is bound to conk out soon. nt