A question for pet owners
 

I know a lot of you have either cat or dog quilting helpers and I was wondering how you deal with the hair from these animals on your quilts? I have to longish haired dogs and while we sweep, vacuum etc. there is still always pet hair somewhere. Some fabrics seem more prone to picking it up than others, and sometimes even after washing there is pet hair on my quilts. For me personally it's not a big deal because they are my dogs and that is the price I pay for having them. But, it got me thinking about charity quilts or gift quilts...what if the person is allergic to cats/dogs. Should I just not do charity quilts? Or is there something I could put in the washer or dryer that might help pull a bit more of that hair off?

I use those tape rollers (lint rollers) to remove hair from bedding. They pick up a lot. For people with allergies, it's not so much the hair as the proteins in saliva and or dander. Washing the quilt should help with that.

Rob

Same as same as Rob, I use a lint roller on finished products and keep rolling until it picks nothing up. Over the years I have also learned that fabric softener sheets in the dryer help to remove hair. I have been known to put something in the dryer with 3 or 4 softener sheets and just run air to remove hair.

I would completely finish it, label and all, then wash and dry the quilt in with fragrance-free detergent and no dryer sheet, then immediately put it into a sealed bag (like the zippered kind that new sheets come in) until ready to deliver. Some patients are allergic to (or bothered by) fragrances and some charities will discard the quilts rather than risk harm to a patient. The main thing they don't want is smoky smells, but the hair and odor from pets is the next worst. The best thing is to check the charity's regulations and requirements before donating a quilt you've worked on.

Cats, their hair/dander can put me in the hospital if I don't know. If I know I can take antihistamines and steroids

I use a lint roller on quilts just before I package them to give away.

It's not so much the hair that causes the reaction, as the saliva on the hair and the skin dander. I am really allergic to cats, but not dogs, so much that if a co worker has cats, it's enough to set me off. I keep my dogs out of my sewing room as much as I can.

I have a hypo allergenic type of doggie (7lbs). It has long hair if I let it grow but the only way it comes off is if we cut it. I do keep her away from quilt fabric, items and my studio. I keep my studio locked. She may come on the couch with me if I invite her and else she is in her cat bed. I do donation quilts. I would recommend keeping your dogs off of the quilts and fabric. When you are ready to donate lint roll the whole quilt very well and then wash and dry the quilt, then immediately put it in a clear plastic bag. I hate black trash bags because I know of too many horror stories of quilts being accidentally disposed of.

even knowing that you have to go to such drug extremes to enjoy a beautiful quilt makes me shudder.
my wip's are covered w clean sheet while i work on binding, or hand quilt. while machine quilting no critters allowed near. when piecing i protect my work & area as much as i can ..sometimes even moving fave felines beds from my table so i can work on large quilt. they are upset ..but oh well, it's only temperary. then as others say about wash & dry, that should remove all pet dander and hair.

Yep, this. I have Chow and a cat

My quilts go only to family but I generally wash and dry them then use a lint roller to remove anything that remains.

I don't let them on the fabric, it's just that they get on some of the furniture which the quilt might get on. Generally once I wash it I put it away so that it won't get more hair on it. I will invest in some of the tape roller lint brushes, I think that will do the trick.

Thanks everyone.

My quilts are small and I work on the breakfast room table. I put everything away at the end of the day. It is a pain at times. The cat knows where she belongs and it isn't on top of the table or kitchen counters.

I use one of those Schticky rubbery rolls to pick up the hair. Cheaper than the sticky rolls and they work ... although you have to stop and rinse off the hair when it's full.....

we don't allow the dogs onto the furniture and only in the living room/dining area/kitchen--not in bedrooms. I also don't allow them in either the sewing room or long arm basement area. But of course, when you have house animals, you also have pet hair no matter how much you clean, etc. For charity, I wash and dry in machines and then bag immediately. For customers, I make sure that I never take a customer top out of bag except in the long arm space and then rebag before I bring it up.

I used to own a B&B and we had one room that accepted well-behaved dogs. Even though we asked that pets not get on the beds, I vacuumed the Amish quilt in there every time I made up the room. That and a lint roller worked well.

Our POM's are part of the family. We try to keep the fur off of the food and furniture! But.... I wash my quilts before gifting, then I put them on the dining table to roll with lint roller and package up. Have never had a complaint, if someone was offended by my dog's fur, I would just say sorry and offer to take quilt back. LOL

Cat hair on quilts is a big reason I had DH build me a place for the Long Arm that can be completely cat-free. I've got nowhere in the house that I could put it and have a closed door (it was in the dining room).

However I've got to stop laying floppies out on the bed unless I take off the comforter first. The cats sleep on the bed and the comforter is full of hair. So hair gets on the back side of the floppy.

if I am gifting a quilt, I bring it in from the LA and bind it, then wash and dry and it goes into a bag.

My dogs (Goldens) are not allowed in my sewing room but hair "floats" as you know. I always wash all completed quilts with Sensitive Skin, scent free laundry detergent and softener, then bag up.

I make a lot of donation quilts and I have a shedding dog. I wash the finished quilt in whatever detergent I use. Take out of dryer and put in plastic bag and take to guild to put in the pile of other donation quilts. If giving to a children's hospital, the quilts are washed in hot water with hospital detergent and dried in hot dryer at the hospital laundry before the kids get them. You may check with the group you are donating to and find out how the quilts are stored or handled before the person get it.

You need to use a roller. BUT, if giving to a charity or selling, you must note that it is made in a home that is smoking/non smoking or has pets. Most of the time it is not a big deal, but I have a family member who is highly allergic so I know what can happen.

I have two cats and a dog. The dog isn't a problem but the kitties love the sewing room because it's also a sun room with windows all around. There is no way to keep them out so I just cover everything when I'm not working in there. I always wash and dry a quilt after finishing. I don't have much if any hair on the quilts after drying.

I am meticulous with a lint roller before I gift or donate any quilt (I have two cats who think every project is their personal domain). I roll it front and back several times until I am confident there is no fur anywhere. The minute that's done, I place the quilt in a plastic bag, in case any time lapses between my cleaning and gifting. Hair seems to always find its way back.

I think an item that has had pets on it should be washed before sending it on.

Even though the hair may have been removed, i still think it should be washed. Some people are extremely sensitive . I have found that my allergy level might be about a 1 with one cat - and almost a 9 with another.

We have had pets - and if I am giving or selling fabric - i advise that cats lived with us.

When I wash my quilts, I don't use fabric softener. It makes it easier to pick off any hairs that survived the wash.

My sister and I are part of a non-profit that give quilts to small non-profits that assist people in need (addiction, homeless, etc) We get quilt tops from members and if there is cat hair which my sister is allergic to, we throw the top in the dryer on air only and roller any hair that remains. this works for us. My dog i old and while hairy, he prefers sleeping on my bed or the carpeted landing/. Hard floors are not fun anymore. I have not had trouble with his hair on quilts.

If it's for a swap, I take care that the animals stay out of the sewing room (as it is, their activity in the room is very well controlled - they are allowed in the chair with DH). Anything else gets washed and dried. If necessary, a lint roller or other sticky tape to the rescue.

Thanks so much for not belonging to the "love me, love my dog" crowd. Those of us with awful allergies haven't chosen them, but we're surely stuck with them. :(

I get periodic treatments in a chemo unit, and some of the people there are very ill. I wouldn't risk it there. I think it depends on what charity your quilts are going to.

Cat allergies are known to be particularly difficult, and I know from firsthand experience that carpet and furniture cleaning can be not enough. Since you have dogs, though, maybe washing would suffice?

Again, thanks for even asking the question.

Hugs,
charlotte, with a "cold" every day of the year

Yes, that is what i use, tape rollers have many uses.

I wash yardage before I use it and wash after the quilt is done. We had long haired cats and the washing took care of it. They were allowed in the sewing room, but had their own "spots."

I have used a damp sponge and a dry rubber brush to get pet hair off of furniture when the lint roller couldn't get it all out. And then I resort to hand picking with a pair of tweezers. It's a pain, but I do like a clean furniture and quilts when I get through. I don't wash until I get everything off the quilt. Washing seems to force some of the hair into the fabric.

I always have enough hair on me and the house (2 cats and 1 dog) to make a couple more cats and another dog.

I have one fur baby who shed a lot. Hair flies no matter how hard you try to keep it picked up. Before you give the quilt to whomever lightly wash in dye and fragrant free detergent (cold water works fine) then use dye and fragrant free dryer sheets. Immediately put into a clear plastic bag. I purchased the large storage bags like you use the vacuum on. You can also purchase Ziploc large storage at 4 per package. These are great. I have saved the zippered clear bags from when I purchased blankets years ago and have used them for storing Not sure if they make clear waste bags but if not in the grocery you can check office supply stores.

My studio is in the basement and the dogs rarely come down here unless I'm late with dinner! Nonetheless, I wash every quilt with a fragrance-free, gentle detergent and then put them into zip bags. For my own quilts and the sofa, brushing and lint rollers save the day.

It's not pet hair it's dander that causes allergic reactions. You can't see dander. If you have a pet in the house it's everywhere. A wash and dry and put the quilt in a bag.

I always vacuum and tape roll my charity quilts. After they are washed and rolled again, I store them inside space bags until they can be delivered.

Mostly I accept that everything in the house (including me) is covered in fur. I don't allow pets in the laundry room, though, so I may be able to wash something and get it out of the house before it's covered again. I wouldn't give a quilt to someone who is allergic without their okay because I can't guarantee it won't have allergens trapped in it.

I know the dilemma this issue presents -- I really don't have an answer. At one time, we had three dogs (all fairly small -- none over 30 pounds). We don't have kitties -- we live in a rural area that is plagued with coyotes, who are usually fatal to kitties, so we don't have them. Our furbaby canines have all left us, one by one, and after losing the last one I just didn't have the heart to get another. We are still cleaning dog hair! I'm asthmatic, so I could never have a kitty in the house for that reason and the reason that our canines were insanely jealous! I desperately try to keep quilts clean --but I do wash and dry before gifting!

My two little dogs do not shed. My cats are not allowed in my sewing. There are too many things for them to get into. My fabrics nor finished quilts do not have hair or dander on them. I wash and dry my quilts before donating them or giving them away.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who cleans and still has pet hair around. These are the first long haired dogs I've ever owned (actually they belong to DD & DS) and it just seems there is no end to the hair. Thank you everyone again for your replies, at least now I know what I need to, or can, do. Also, I will either check before donating or make note of the fact that we have pets when donating.