Artemis and I are both heavy shedders. My hair, her fur. Our apartment requires vigilant vacuuming on an almost-daily basis. It is one more thing that we have in common. But unlike me, Artemis doesn’t have to worry about getting dressed and finding my hairs on her outfit right before a meeting. You may be wondering how her fur gets everywhere—but many dog moms would probably agree with me that it always finds a way, no matter how often I brush her or give her baths.
Traditional lint rollers do the trick, but I had been looking for a reusable, sustainable fur removal option, especially since I’ve been going through lint rollers at an alarming rate. Last month, I began using the Pet & Lint Brush by The Laundress, an eco-conscious home cleaning and fabric care company founded by Gwen Whiting and Lindsey Boyd, two fashion industry veterans based in New York.
If you’re in Manhattan, I recommend bringing your dog to their charming 199 Prince Street shop, where you can revel in clean home heaven while your dog enjoys a treat. (Last time I was there, they told me that several dog walkers bring their clients in-store every day for mid-walk treats.) It’s the cleanest store in New York—if your dog decides to lick their gleaming tiled floors, I’m sure it’s just as clean as the dog bowl at home.
The Pet & Lint Brush, as my friend and makeup artist Jane Meng describes it, is like a portable car wash. The hefty handmade wooden brush—very graspable—has dense natural rubber bristles that attract lint, fur, hair, and dust like a magnet. It’s perfect if you are wary of how fur clings to black tights. (The static!) Doggy daycares, in fact, also use rubber brushes. To clean the brush, you simply remove the lint and fur after each use, and rinse under cold water.
It’s $60. I know. That’s 20 lint rollers. But The Laundress claims that this brush, made by Germany’s Redecker, will last a lifetime. If you’re like me, your home will never be as spotless as 199 Prince Street—but you can, at least, keep your outfits under control when you exit the door. Saks Fifth Avenue also sells an exclusive 5-piece kit including the brush, curated just for people with pets!
What’s your stance on dog fur and hair on your clothes? Embrace it? Fight against it? Passively accept your dog as part of your wardrobe?
Photography by Sylvie Rosokoff