How to Remove Pet Hair From a Leather Sofa

Sofas are a comfortable haven where you come home to relax after a long day of tiring work. When you want to watch your favorite show on TV curled up on your cozy couch, your furry friends’ hair clinging to every inch of your leather sofa can be an unwelcome addition to the ambience. 

Generally speaking, pet hair can be quite tough to get out from fabric. Thankfully, this process tends to be much simpler if you’re dealing with a leather couch. If you do not clean after your pet’s fur regularly from the sofa, you can end up transferring the fur to your clothes and by extension, other parts of the house. 

At best, pet hair on your furniture makes it look untidy. At worst, fleas and parasites might be transferred and living on your furniture. To mitigate these risks, the following steps can guide you to effectively clear pet hair from your leather sofa.

1. Remove Decorative Pieces From Leather Sofa
2. Use Lint Roller or Dryer Sheet To Remove Pet Hair
3. Use Vacuum To Remove Remaining Pet Hair
4. Lightly Wash Your Leather Sofa (Optional)
5. Condition Your Leather Sofa (Optional)

To help you prepare against the risks that we outlined, feel free to follow the steps as outlined below.

1. Remove Decorative Pieces from Leather Sofa

The first step to removing pet hair from your sofa is to remove all decorative items placed on your leather couch. Pillows and decorative cushions should be removed from it before beginning the cleaning process.

This is important because pet hair can cling to all surfaces of your leather couch, also meaning the areas underneath pillows, throws and cushions. Removing them will give you much better access.

2. Use Lint Roller to Remove Pet Hair

An effective way to remove your pet’s hair from your leather sofa is to use a lint roller. Lint rollers can help you remove pet hair from your sofa the same way it helps remove fur from your clothes.

The stickiness of the sheet will be able to pick up the loose, fine fur that might be harder to sweep or wipe away. Any lint roller will do, but if you’re looking for one that is designed specifically for pet hair, then the Scotch-Brite Extra Sticky Lint Roller is something you should consider.

An alternative to this method is using a fresh dryer sheet to rub away all the pet hair sticking to your leather sofa. Hair might seemingly stick to surfaces even if no chemical bonds are created, and that is largely down to static build up. A dryer sheet is effective and removes the static build up, which allows for easier removal of your pet’s shedded fur.

If both options are available to you, we generally recommend using a lint roller where possible due to the convenience and ease of use through the cleaning process.

If you have an extensive amount of pet hair on your leather sofa, you will have to keep removing the top layer of the lint roller if it picks up too much hair and repeat the process until all hair is removed.

3. Use Vacuum with Thin Nozzle Head to remove fur from Hard-to-Reach Areas

If you have a vacuum cleaner at your home, you may have a few extra attachments that will help you get the job done efficiently. There are a variety of vacuum cleaner attachments in the market made especially for cleaning pet hair. 

The classic hose attachment for vacuum cleaners can easily pick up pet hair without causing a mess. A narrow nozzle head for your vacuum cleaner can help you access hard-to-reach areas and remove pet hair from nooks and crevices.

4. Lightly Wash Leather Sofa (Optional)

Following the removal of fur from your leather sofa, you might want to consider a light wash if necessary. This step is only recommended if you notice stains and dirt on your sofa. 

You might find the need to wash your sofa higher if your pet is an outdoor one. They are more likely as compared to indoor pets to stain or introduce unwanted guests to your leather sofa.

Overwashing any leather product can affect the suppleness and overall quality of your leather, and therefore we do not want to expose your leather couch to moisture unless necessary.

We advise using a leather cleaning solution to clean all the surface area of your leather sofa with a soft microfiber cloth to ensure all impurities get out properly. 

After cleaning the surface of your leather sofa, you should use a dry and absorbent cloth to remove any moisture or solution left on the surface.

5. Condition Leather Sofa (Optional)

If you choose to perform the previous step mentioned above, you will have to use a conditioning solution to replenish the leather with the essential oils it lost during cleaning.

Conditioning the leather can make it more supple, durable, and resistant to cracks and damage. For the best results, let your leather sofa rest at least one to two hours after conditioning before using it.

Useful Tips When Removing Pet Hair From Leather Sofas

In this section, we’ll share some of the best practices and useful tips when it comes to removing pet hair from leather sofas.

• Avoid Harsh Cleaning Products – When it comes to removing pet hair from your leather sofa, stick with more convent options, such as lint rollers or dryer sheets. Avoid cleaning solutions that contain harsh chemicals, as they may damage your leather sofa.

• Use Couch Covers or Throws – Couch covers act as a protective layer for your leather sofa keeping it clean so that pet hair doesn’t come into contact with it. Couch covers can also help to prevent pet damage, such as cat scratches on leather sofas.