It’s starting to get cooler, so I’m looking for a blanket to keep in the living room for cuddling up on the couch. The one I was using last year was fleece, and now it is completely embedded with cat hair. I tried various methods of removing it (washing, lint roller, duct tape, etc.) but it seems like the only thing that will work is to remove each strand individually.
So for this year, I’d like to find a blanket that either won’t pick up as much hair, or that the hair will come out of after a trip though the washing machine and dryer. It must be able to withstand machine drying, since I live in an apartment without outdoor space to put a clothesline and there’s no place inside where I can put it to air dry. Any recommendations?
Have you tried a pin brush on your blanket? That’s what I use to remove kitty fur from furniture and blankets etc. pin brush
For blankets that don’t take on as much cat fur… DEFINITELY avoid flannel - I found that one out the hard way last winter. Right now I’ve been using some el cheapo crochet type throws I picked up at a bargain store. They’re warm, and they don’t seem to hold the fur like the solid blankets do.
Our cat uses this faux fur throw from Pottery Barn. She’s siamese and the coloration matches her coat perfectly so we don’t worry about lint brushing it every 15 minutes - just a good shake outdoors every now and then.
Warm, very light, can be washed, the cats love it but the hair won’t get woven in like it does with fleece, though when I bring it out of the dryer (try to avoid drying on high), I do find clumps of cat fur that need to be peeled off. We have two longhair cats who both shed like crazy.
Anyway, easy to wash, lightweight, dries quickly, cheap, no permanent cat hair = great blanket for the living room.
Cleaning hint (I have 3 cats and a microfiber sofa): put on rubber glove (like you’d use for hand-washing dishes). Run dry glove over cat-hair-coated item. The glove should pull the cat hair into piles and make it easier to pick up.
But yeah…fleece is terrible.
I’d suggest a knit throw. I have been able to keep my Lands End throw hair-free (I wash it about once a month). Or maybe a down throw? LL Bean has them. (It’s supposed to be an extra-cold winter here, and a warmer throw sounds very good to me.)
Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I’ll definitely check out vellux blankets, and that down throw looks super comfy and warm. I wish the cats were more tolerant of cuddling (they’re friendly and like to be petted, but don’t sit on laps) so that I could use the cats-as-blanket solution.
