This $30 Tool Cleans Sofas and Rugs in a Flash — and It’s Perfect for Pet Parents
I wasn’t raised to be a lint roller fanatic. It wasn’t until after college that I even encountered one in the wild (i.e. at my then-girlfriend’s, now-wife’s apartment). But since adopting two cats many years ago, lint rollers have become part of my routine whenever I work from the office or go any place where I don’t want to show up covered in pet hair. A couple passes with a lint roller are just part of my pre-leaving-the-house keys-wallet-phone pat down ritual.
Lint rollers are so good at removing lint, hair, and fabric pilling from clothes that I’ve long suspected they might work just as well on larger surfaces: chairs, sofas, rugs, and maybe even floors. Someone would just have to make a lint roller that is much bigger than the standard ones, and it would be great if they added a longer handle that let you wield it with two hands like a paint roller. Sure enough, that exact kind of jumbo lint roller exists — I’ve just been late to the party!
There are a couple versions in the marketplace, but the best extra-large lint roller starter kit we found is on Amazon: For just under $30 you get five, 9.5-inch wide rolls of 60 sheets each and a handle that extends from 9 inches long to 49 inches long. At its shortest length you can use this roller on your clothes like you would a regular lint roller, only you’ll get cleaner more quickly because each swipe covers more surface area. The longer lengths come in handy for removing hair and dust from sofas and beds, as well as hard-to-reach places like the tops of curtains.
Considering you can easily pay $5 for a single small lint roller, getting 300 sheets (that are each much larger) and an adjustable handle system for $30 is a good deal. When you need to restock, you can grab a five-pack of refill rolls for $22. Each one pops into place on the reusable handle and is ready to roll. Plus, I personally like that the sheets peel away on a diagonal, which makes them less likely to tear than traditional straight-sided sheets, but don’t just take my word for it.
“I use this before vacuuming to keep my vac clog free,” A reviewer raves. “Picks up my cat’s hair without hurting my back. Works well so I highly recommend it.”
One of my biggest cleaning pet peeves is when I realize, only after vacuuming my whole apartment, that there is still stuff on the floor. Picking up hair in particular doesn’t seem to be my vacuum’s strong suit. So it would be super convenient to be able to grab something like an oversized lint roller and remove those last remaining hairs for good. Right now, I sometimes end up taking out ye olde Swiffer to give my floors a brief once-over, but I’d prefer to not have to dirty a new duster head every time (it’s just wasteful).
Although I don’t own a car, I imagine a big lint roller would come in handy for keeping your seats free of dirt and crumbs. And unlike a handheld vacuum, which some people like to stash in their cars, a lint roller doesn’t need to be charged; it’s always good to go! Grab this set to make easy work of removing hair — human and pet — from your sofas, upholstered chairs, and mattress, and help you quickly de-lint your clothes before heading out the door. And if someone makes an even bigger lint roller, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Buy: RIKMSS Large Lint Rollers, $28.87 (normally $32.95)
This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: This $30 Find Is the Ultimate Tool for Cleaning Sofas and Rugs in a Flash — It’s Perfect for Pet Parents