Furbulous! Laundry ball to catch dog hair

WE may be a nation of dog lovers, but there’s one thing we’re not too keen on – picking our beloved pet’s hair off our clothes.

Now a set of clever laundry balls that are said to dislodge and hold hair and fur promise to end that particular chore.

Pet Hair Dryer Balls are designed to go in the tumble drier with wet laundry and the friction caused as they bump around in the drum loosens hair, dander and lint, which collect on their rough surface.

The homewares shop Lakeland, which sells three balls for £6.99, says they’re proving popular with the large number of new pet owners who bought dogs and cats in lockdown.

Carly Bullock, the retailer’s cleaning and laundry buyer, said: ‘During the pandemic a lot of us welcomed pets into our homes. But as much as we love them, we don’t love cleaning up after them so much.

‘We all love our furry friends, but they do leave their hair everywhere, and lots of it will inevitably end up on your clothes, and stay there – even after washing.

‘With Pet Hair Dryer Balls, there no need for lint rollers or hours spent picking off hair by hand.’ Dogs and cats have both hair and fur, which are nearly identical in chemical make-up. But they are slightly different in how they fall off pets and end up on clothes.

Animals with fur, which is shorter and denser, shed more. Dogs with hair moult less, although it grows longer and needs more brushing because it can become knotted and collect more dust and dirt. Amy Smith, 34, from Margate, Kent, owns Barry – a Great Pyrenees Border Collie crossbreed.

She said: ‘Barry is very affectionate and loves to get on our bed. We love that, too. But what we don’t love is all the fur he leaves on the bed and us.

‘It can be everywhere and then it spreads when you wash and dry your clothes. These balls are a godsend.’