The Best Blankets for Dogs That Shed a Lot

Using blankets to protect furniture and cushion your pet's crate can be a great way to contain shedding hair, but having the right fabric is crucial to disposing of the hair they collect. Some fabrics tend to lock pet hair into their fibers, making them difficult to clean, but modern synthetics make cleanup easy.

Synthetic microfibers such as microsuede and microfleece have tiny fibers that attract and hold pet hair, keeping nearby areas free from billowing hair. The synthetic fibers are much smaller than normal, less than 1 denier in size, which makes for a tight weave that won't stain or lock pet hair in. Simply shake out excess pet hair and launder as normal.

Tightly woven cotton fabrics such as plain weave, twill or jersey can provide your dog a soft place to rest. Cotton fabrics will stain more easily than microfiber with urine, vomit, feces or body oils, but most stains will come out with pre-treating. Simply rub the spot with a few drops of laundry detergent and a soft scrub brush to loosen the stain before laundering as normal.

Not all microfiber and cotton materials are suitable for shedding dogs. The best blanket choices allow you to brush or shake off pet hair before laundering to avoid clogging your machine with dog hair. Avoid loosely woven fabric or "waffle-weave" blankets, which will tend to trap hair in the material's fibers.