How do you get pet hair out of car seats?
Loosen it before you vacuum it. Put on damp rubber kitchen gloves and run them over the seat in short strokes, all one direction, and the hair rolls into clumps a vacuum can pick up. Hair woven deep into cloth takes compressed air, rubber pet-hair brushes and a high-suction vacuum. I'm Mikey, of Mikey's Mobile Detailing in Snohomish, WA: pet hair removal is $50–$80 as an add-on, $120–$220 on its own.
Dog owners, I love you, but your cars are some of my longest jobs. Pet hair works its way into fabric in a way a vacuum can't reach, and some back seats look like they're growing fur.
Why your vacuum isn't cutting it
A vacuum, even a good shop vac, mostly picks up loose hair sitting on top. Pet hair weaves itself into the fabric, and suction alone won't pull it back out. Something has to loosen it from the fibers first. Then the vacuum can take it.
The rubber glove trick
Put on a pair of rubber kitchen gloves and dampen them a little. Run your hands over the seat in short, firm strokes, all in one direction. The rubber grabs the hair and rolls it into clumps you can pick off or vacuum up.
It works better than it has any right to, and the gloves cost a couple of dollars. A pumice stone made for pet hair works too, but go easy on delicate fabric or it pills.
What I use
Compressed air first, to blow hair out of the places no brush reaches: the seat rails, the gap between the seat and the console, the track the seat slides on. Then rubber pet hair brushes on the fabric, then a high-suction vacuum to pull it all out. Steam helps on the stubborn spots.
Pet hair is the reason an interior that normally takes me about 90 minutes can run 2 to 4 hours. As an add-on to a detail it's $50 to $80, and on its own it's $120 to $220, depending on how deep it is and the fabric. Here's the full rundown.
Cloth vs leather
Cloth is the hard one. The hair embeds deep and the weave holds on to it, and that's where the right tools make the biggest difference.
Leather is easier, because the hair sits on top and wipes off. The problem with leather and dogs is claw scratches, not hair.
The sneaky spot on both is the carpet and the mats. Shoes grind the hair into the carpet, and brushing the surface barely touches it.
How often, if your dog rides along
If your dog's in the car every week, a quick rubber glove pass every couple of weeks keeps it manageable. A full interior every 3 to 4 months keeps it from building into a four hour job.
An interior detail is $249 for a sedan, $289 for an SUV or pickup and $329 for a van or 3-row, before any pet hair add-on, and the quote tool shows your exact price in about 60 seconds.
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