I’m surrounded by pet hair, figuratively and literally. As a certified animal behavior consultant, I write about pets for a living. As a pet owner, I always keep a lint roller on hand for pet hair removal. So writing a FurZapper review caught my interest: All cat and dog lovers should know about this cleaning tip.

I joke that in my world, fur is a condiment. But there’s nothing funny about fuzzy clothes that aren’t supposed to look that way! Pet lovers struggle with excess fur, especially from indoor pets who shed year-round. Short fur proves even more difficult to remove from clothes, upholstery and carpet because it needles into the fabric. There are many products for removing pet hair, but many are ineffective or labor-intensive.

What is the FurZapper Pet Hair Remover?

The FurZapper loosens and removes pet hair from fabric in the laundry’s wash and dry cycle. It rinses away hair, or collects the fur on the dryer filter.

On This Page

FurZapper comes in a blister-pack with two four-inch-round disks, each 1/2 inch thick with paw-shaped cut-outs. The disks go right into the washer and dryer along with your fur-covered clothes. The sticky disks lift out the fuzz.

FurZapper Product Features

I wasn’t sure what to expect. From the outside of the package, the two disks looked like solid plastic. When I opened the packaging, they felt both heavier and flimsier than expected and wiggled like Jell-O. Each disk feels spongy, like dense foam rubber, but there’s no rubbery scent.

Also, all the surface area—front, back and inside of the cut-outs—feels sticky, clearly designed to grab pet hair. The two disks come in bright neon yellow and green. I suspect the bright colors help you find and retrieve the disk from the jumble of clothing once each cycle finishes.

How We Tested the FurZapper

I received two packages of the FurZapper. My husband and I don’t have kids and only wash clothes once a week. To make sure my FurZapper review would be as thorough as possible, during the first few months of testing, I included hair-covered pet blankets, lap throws we use daily and even my fur-covered winter coat.

I also snuggled with my cat, Karma, and my dog, Shadow. (What a hardship on them, ha!). The extra cuddles ensured that several sweatshirts and sweaters collected even more dog and cat fur. Before washing and drying each load, I emptied the dryer lint trap to better measure any hair captured.

Pros

  • Easy to use—just throw it in the washer and dryer
  • Reduced pet hair on clothes and fabrics
  • Affordable
  • Lasts a long time
  • Little to no maintenance

Cons

  • Shouldn’t use with fabric softener or dryer sheets
  • Keep out of reach of pets—Shadow wanted to eat it!

Amy Shojai for Family Handyman

How to Use the FurZapper

  • Prepare to wash laundry as you usually do. Place washables inside the washer, drop in one or two FurZapper discs and run the cycle as normal. The FurZapper circulates with the clothes, dislodging hair and pet fur, so it rinses out and drains with the water.
  • Don’t overload the washer or dryer. The disk needs room to circulate.
  • For extra-furry loads, you can use two FurZapper disks to increase the effectiveness.
  • Don’t add fabric softener, which interferes with hair removal.
  • When finished, place your clothes into the dryer along with the disk or disks. Warmth from the dryer helps activate and increase the “stickiness” to pull off even more pet hair.
  • Avoid dryer sheets, which also reduces the effectiveness.
  • You’ll only see a few stray hairs clinging to the FurZapper. In the wash cycle, the loosened fur washes down the drain. In the dryer cycle, the loosened hair collects in the lint catcher, not on the disk itself.
  • Between washes, you can run pet hair-covered clothes in the dryer with a FurZapper disc to pull off extra fuzz.
  • To refresh the stickiness, wash disks with dishwashing soap and allow to air dry.

Does the FurZapper Work?

I was worried the stickiness would eventually wash away, or that the disk would stick to the sides of the washer or dryer. A year after my initial FurZapper review, the stickiness remains nearly as good as straight out of the package!

With use, the FurZapper’s stickiness fades. You refresh the stickiness by washing it with dish soap every few loads. While that seems counterintuitive since the disks have already gone through the wash cycle, in my experience, it actually helps.

My dog has relatively short fur and a thick undercoat, so I don’t see the sort of dramatic results one might expect from a long-haired breed. Also, in the wintertime, I really need the added anti-static properties of fabric softener or a dryer sheet, so I disliked choosing between static or fur.

Still, I noticed a marked improvement in the clothes coming out of the dryer, and an increase in debris in the lint trap. For me, the FurZapper worked moderately well, especially in the dryer. With heavily shedding pets, you’ll notice the most improvement during the spring and fall shed season.

What Other FurZapper Reviewers Had to Say

I put them in the washer and the dryer. For those loads with a lot of fuzz on them, I put the load in the dryer with the FurZappers before I wash to remove some of the excess. Then I wash the load with both FurZappers and then put them in the dryer. It beats trying to use a lint brush on your laundry before you wash.”

Product Comparison

Over the years, I’ve tried many products to help control the fur on my clothes. The FurZapper should not replace grooming your pet. Simply grooming your pets with tools like the Furminator goes a long way toward reducing the hair that ends up on clothes. It also prevents painful matted fur and cat hairballs that require hairball treatment, so you don’t step on them while barefoot at 3 a.m.

Most other products—like lint rollers for pet hair, pet hair removers and fabric scrapers that de-pill sweaters and remove fur from clothes—require a lot of work. Brushing and combing your clothes takes time, and if you’re like me, you have better things to do.

Pet hair dissolvers only work in front-loading high temperature washers, with mixed reviews. Another pet hair remover for laundry uses a dozen soft nylon and fabric balls with tiny hooks that collect hair in the dryer, but you must tediously clean each one after the dryer finishes. For an easy-to-use inexpensive answer to reducing pet hair on clothes, the FurZapper can’t be beat.

Final Verdict: Is the FurZapper Worth It?

Does the FurZapper live up to the hype? There are mixed reviews, and frankly, that probably has to do with a couple of things. First, following the directions gives the FurZapper the best opportunity to work. I’ll admit that, for the first couple of loads I tested, I added a dryer sheet without thinking about it. When I remembered to leave it out, I had better results.

Secondly, the FurZapper does not collect the fur, so you won’t see satisfying clumps of hair on the product. Finally, your success depends on your individual pet, how many animals you have and the clothes involved. After all, every dog’s and cat’s fur interacts differently with a variety of fabrics. In my experience, it works best in the dryer rather than the washer.

The FurZapper isn’t a miracle worker, but it’s easy to use and offers modest-to-great results (depending on the pets and fabrics), and at an economical price. Even better, the FurZapper lasts virtually forever—one reviewer noted she’s had hers since 2017, and they still work!

For me, it’s well worth adding the FurZapper to my laundry routine, especially when I’m washing winter dog coats and fur-covered blankets.

via merchant

Where to Buy the FurZapper

Shop Now

Want more deals and product picks sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for the Stuff We Love newsletter.