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How do I protect my car from their fur?

3K views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  geichel 
#1 ·
My wife has completely forbidden me to take our dogs on car rides. I need to figure out a way to avoid their fur to get all over my car.
Any ideas?
 

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#3 ·
Iaprincessa is absolutely right! My solution isn't going to work for everyone, but we have two cars--mine is the official 'Dogmobile' and in spite of vacuuming, (the car and the dog) it's still got dog hair everywhere.

But, you can put a real dent in the hair problem, you just have to be vigilant. Pet supply stores sell 'hammocks' that sling over the back headrests of the front seats and attach to the rear seat head rests. Most (not all) the hair ends up in the hammock. The other advantage to these things is that the dog can't fall off the back seat and also can't 'visit' you in the front...

The next strategy is to get a handheld vacuum and vacuum the heck out of everything when you and your dog comes home. These things aren't as effective as canister vacs, but they get rid of more hair...

Next line of defense is to vacuum your dog. I have a Dyson canister vacuum; they sell an attachment that you use on the end of the flexible hose. It has two positions that you operate with your thumb: bristles extended to brush through his coat, and bristles retracted so the hair gets sucked up into the vacuum. I've heard that it fits on other vacuum cleaners, too. This not only combats the hair in the car, but it seriously reduces the fluff in the house and on our clothes.

Final step: Once a week, get out the shop-vac and use the crevice tool to get all the hair that is stuck on the seats, carpets, console, dashboard, steering wheel, gas pedal, inside the glove compartment... you get the idea!

As one final suggestion, when the hair gets unbearably bad in the car, I roll down the windows, open the sunroof, and get on the highway (no dog in car!) The hair gets dislodged, swirls around the car, then finally flies out the window. Other drivers must wonder, but hey, it works!
 
#6 ·
We bought car seat covers (leatherette) to put over the actual seats. Then I have a dog hammock, as double protection for the actual seats. But since we go a lot to the beach or the woods, I have a fleece blanket and an high absorbent towel (sports towel) on hand. The descriptions on dog hammocks say they can be washed, but my experience is that it cracks even when washed cold in the washing machine on gentle cycle, so I have gone through mid priced dog hammocks three times (the cheap ones don't last two days since my dog rips right through them with her paws).

The only advantage with the hammock is that if you have someone riding on the back, these hammocks have a zipper that can be unzipped and would allow your passenger to sit, without having to take out the hammock (or if the passenger doesn't want to sit in all that fur, then you can just fold that part of the hammock out of the way).

Right now, my goal is to save for a Dr. Bark seat cover (they are expensive!!), but I've seen one up close and I think this is the sort of seat cover that would last longer than the regular dog hammocks and would definitely survive a wash cycle. At the moment though, the leatherette seat cover and hammock are doing a good job keeping the fur and sand and leaves confined. For a quick cleaning, all I have to do is take the hammock out, dust it off and put it back. As for the leatherette seat cover, it can be cleaned with some soap and a damp cloth.

The other necessary item is a pet fur lint brush accessory for the vacuum cleaner (just the flat one, don't buy anything that is combined with a brush, since brushes don't work as well with getting the fur out).

The car will still have the doggy smell, but a once a week thorough cleaning should minimize that (as well as giving your dog a bath every now and then of course!)
 
#7 ·
Wow, great advices!
I was really looking into a hammock, but I've never seen anyone here in Brazil use one, and I didn't know if they really would work.
I'll look into them. I've seen this one in the internet and it has a reasonable price, dont know about it's durability. It has all good reviews.
Capa Protetora P/Assento Quickauto - Americanas.com

I'll give it a try. I'm in a 5 days holiday and can't take my dogs to the lake because of that fur situation :/
 
#8 ·
When I drove a sedan (Honda Civic), I had a flannel fitted sheet that fit perfectly - covered the seat and the back, and stayed in place. It was charcoal grey, so it was perfect with my black car, grey/black interior!
 
#9 ·
I went to the fabric store, bought a couple yards of fleece, sewed some ties to one end and loops to the other - ties for the headrests in the back seat, loops for the headrests in the front. Cheap and easy and goes in the laundry once a week - at least.

And I thought I was the only one who opened all the windows and the sun roof and let the fur fly out! It actually works when Max is in the car, he loves it, and the fur flies out everywhere. (This is usually accompanied by me singing Livin on a Prayer very very badly but loudly and with great joy.)
 
#10 ·
And I thought I was the only one who opened all the windows and the sun roof and let the fur fly out! It actually works when Max is in the car, he loves it, and the fur flies out everywhere. (This is usually accompanied by me singing Livin on a Prayer very very badly but loudly and with great joy.)


This made me laugh loudly! LOL.


We just vacuum and leave the widows open when we drive. Dory is quite pleased with the windows open as this is her favorite part of a car ride.
 
#11 ·
We have a hammock from Duluth Trading Company that works really well. OP might not be able to get that one, but I recommend it to everyone in real life! It is abrasion resistant, and it has been puked on, washed in the washing machine, and hung to dry at least 5 times, and hosed off several more times to boot.

I would like to vacuum my boy, but he's afraid of the hair dryer and wary of the vacuum so I don't think he would go for it.
 
#14 ·
We use a hammock over leather seats. Biggest problem is the hair slides off of the hammock and collects in the corners of the back floor. A blanket on the hammock helps to collect the hair and it doesn't fall off as easy. I also like the hammock to keep the dogs from falling off the seat so it's been a plus for safety.The nylon also helps with muddy feet.
 
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