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5 Best Ways to Get Pet Hair Out of Your Washing Machine (Ranked by an Engineer with 30 Years in the Trade)

Dog hair trapped inside a washing machine drum

Some of these methods are a waste of your time. One of them actually works. Here is the difference, ranked from worst to best.

If you own a dog, you already know the problem. Pet hair does not just get on your clothes. It gets into your washing machine. And once it is in there, it does not come out on its own. I learned this the hard way. For months, I could not figure out why everything I washed came out covered in a fine layer of dog hair, or why my machine smelled like a damp Lab no matter how many times I cleaned it. It was driving me nuts.

Then I asked my grandpa. He spent over 30 years fixing washing machines. I asked him to rank the most common methods from worst to best. Here is what he told me.

White vinegar and bicarbonate of soda next to a washing machine

Method 5: White Vinegar and Bicarbonate of Soda

Ranking: 5 / 5. Genuinely useless for this problem.

What it is: Pouring white vinegar into the drum, sometimes with bicarbonate of soda, and running a hot cycle. Why people try it: It is cheap, natural, and every cleaning account on social media recommends it for everything.

What actually happens: “Vinegar is fine for a lot of things,” my grandpa said. “But the moment it mixes with a full drum of water, it is so diluted it cannot break through anything. The layer underneath never moves.” The bicarbonate of soda adds physical agitation, but it cannot dissolve the protein-based buildup that traps pet hair.

The verdict: It is better than doing nothing. But only just. And it will not touch pet hair.

Washing machine running a hot empty self-clean cycle

Method 4: Running a Hot Empty Cycle (90°C)

Ranking: 4 / 5. Temporarily effective, zero long-term benefit.

What it is: Running the machine's self-clean programme at 90°C with no detergent. Why people try it: High heat kills bacteria. It does. Temporarily.

What actually happens: “Hot water kills bacteria on exposed surfaces. But the water does not reach behind the drum, inside the outer tub, or in the drain hoses. Which is exactly where the problem lives.”

The verdict: The smell vanishes for a few days. Then it returns, because the source was never touched.

Supermarket washing machine cleaner tablets on a kitchen worktop

Method 3: Supermarket Washing Machine Cleaners (Calgon, Dr Beckmann, Dettol)

Ranking: 3 / 5. Designed for a different problem entirely.

What it is: Any tablet or liquid from the supermarket shelf. Why people try it: The box says “cleans and deodorises.” It is what everyone buys.

What actually happens: “Every single one is built on oxygen bleach. It handles limescale and light detergent residue in a household without pets. It was never designed to break down pet hair, dander, or the grease that holds them in place.” Oxygen bleach cannot dissolve protein, cannot dissolve fat, and cannot dissolve starch bonds. It cleans the drum. The drum is not the problem.

The verdict: Better than vinegar. But still not designed for pet households. The smell returns within a week or two.

Hand pulling back the rubber door seal of a washing machine

Method 2: Manual Cleaning (Pulling the Seal, Scrubbing the Drum)

Ranking: 2 / 5. Effective but incomplete.

What it is: Physically pulling back the rubber seal, wiping the drum, cleaning the filter. Why people try it: It is the only method that actually removes visible buildup.

What actually happens: “Manual cleaning gets what you can see. That is the 30% on the gasket. But the other 70% behind the drum, in the outer tub, in the drain hoses, you cannot reach by hand. You would have to disassemble the machine.”

The verdict: The best non-chemical method. But a partial solution, and it takes 45 minutes of scrubbing every time.

Multi-enzyme washing machine tablet dropped into an empty drum

Method 1: Multi-Enzyme Washing Machine Tablets (PrimeDrum)

Ranking: 1 / 5. The only method that actually targets the source.

What it is: A tablet with three specific enzymes (alpha-amylase, protease, and lipase) designed to break down the buildup that traps pet hair. Why people try it: It is the only product on the UK market that addresses the actual problem.

What actually happens: “This is the only method I have ever found that actually gets behind the drum. The enzymes travel with the water and attack the structure of the buildup itself.” Alpha-amylase dissolves the detergent film trapping everything. Protease breaks down the protein in pet hair. Lipase strips the greasy layer from dander and skin oils. Once the grease is gone, the bacteria lose their food source and the smell stops coming back.

Dark brown water draining from the first enzyme cycle

What Happened When I Tried It

What happened when I tried it: I ran one tablet through an empty hot cycle. The water that drained out was dark brown. Second cycle: pale grey. Third cycle: clear. I opened the door the next morning and there was nothing. No smell. No residue. Just clean.

The verdict: The only method that addresses all three layers of the problem (the film, the protein, and the grease). One tablet, one hot cycle, every two weeks. The smell does not come back.

The five methods ranked from worst to best

The Full Ranking At A Glance

5. White vinegar and bicarbonate of soda — genuinely useless for this problem.

4. Hot empty cycle at 90°C — temporarily effective, zero long-term benefit.

3. Supermarket washing machine cleaners — designed for a different problem entirely.

2. Manual cleaning — effective but incomplete.

1. Multi-enzyme tablets — the only method that actually targets the source.

Retired appliance engineer in a UK kitchen

What My Grandpa Said About Method 1

“The reason most of these methods fail is that they are treating the symptom. The smell is the symptom. The trapped hair is the symptom. The biofilm is the cause. And only one method on this list actually addresses the cause.”

PrimeDrum Washing Machine Cleaner Pro tablets

The Product

The tablet is called PrimeDrum Washing Machine Cleaner Pro. Made in London. Formulated specifically for pet households. Multi-enzyme, not oxygen bleach with fragrance.

Right now they are running a buy two get one free deal with free delivery. Over 580 verified reviews. Five-star average.

★★★★★ I honestly thought my washer was ruined. One tablet later the wet dog smell was gone. — by verified PrimeDrum customer

★★★★★ I have two dogs and my clothes finally come out cleaner with way less pet hair stuck to them. — by verified PrimeDrum customer

Free delivery on orders over £30. Ships from the UK.

This article reflects the personal experience and professional opinion of the author. Individual results may vary.

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