With a king sized bed, washing bedding is a major task - and washing blankets and comforters sometimes necessitates a trip to a laundromat to use the high capacity machines.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How can I keep cat hair off of my bed? (Notice that I didn't ask how to remove the fur.) I "could" keep a blanket over it all the time, like I do now, but then what was the point of getting such a pretty bedspread? Any tips? Solutions? Also, does anyone know how much it typically costs to have a comforter dry cleaned?
By Jennie from Tempe, AZ
If you're wanting to prevent cat hair from ever getting on your bed in the first place, the only way I know is to keep the cat(s) off of the bed. Besides using a throw to protect it.
Every time you see the cat on the bed shoot it with a spray bottle of water. They hate that and will learn really fast. Be sure to close your bedroom door when you leave the house. They are not stupid.
I understand that you want your cats on the bed. after all, they are of ancient royalty. Simple rubber dish gloves are what the pros use when they come into your home to shampoo your carpet and furniture.
If I want my cats to be able to snooze on a piece of furniture but don't want the upholstery or, as in your case, bed covers, inundated with fur, I find a light-weight throw or make one that's easily removed and washed. I found a thin cat-themed quilt at Sears that I use to cover my recliners. I bought several of the same design so I can replace one when I wash it. I got pillow cases to match, and we have covers for our back pillows, as well. My experience with a large pride of rescued cats is that there's really no getting away from fur. Half the time if I cover a piece of furniture, they like to burrow under it and use it as a cover. My "smart" solution is inevitably defeated. Last time I had a queen-sized comforter cleaned it cost around $12.
I have a room ionizer but that does not seem to help me since I have so many cats, however it could be part of your plan. Also, how about a sheer bed throw; your pretty quilt will show through and the sheer will catch some of the fur, though not all.
You can't. I have the same problem. Since my cat sleeps with me I keep a king size sheet over the top cover. I do the same in the spare bedroom where she sleeps in the morning. If company is coming I remove the sheets.
One way to "train" the cats to stay off is to put tin foil on the bed, they won't jump on it after they see how uncomfortable and noisy it is! Try it!
The price to clean a comforter varies according to size and from cleaners to cleaners. Call around. Also, there are often ads for a discount in the Penny-saver. I, however, wash my comforters and dry them in the dryer.
Get one of the plastic gloves with the little fingers on it, and brush your cat regularly, and you will have very little hair to worry about. Rub the glove forward and backward to get the maximum loose hair out. I found this worked better than anything. A lot cheaper than dry cleaning.
I sometimes put the quilts in the dryer with no heat, and it will take off the hair usually.
If your comforter is washable and too large to put in your washing machine, you could wash it in the heavy duty washing machine at a laundromat.
I use one of those sticky lint rollers on my bed each night before I go to bed to remove the cat hair.
Get some pretty flat sheets the size bigger than your normal sheet size, put these over the top of your comforter, etc. This will catch most of the fur, but not all, especially if you have a cat who knows how to burrow.
