Okay, admit it: You’ve probably got cat hair all over your house. No matter how often you vacuum, sweep, and groom your cat, it seems like there’s always hair on your sofa, chairs, quilts, and even in your clean laundry. Here are a few nontoxic tools that can help you get rid of the cat fur without gagging on chemical smells.

1. Carpet rake

I first discovered the wonder of the carpet rake thanks to my mother. She was the proud owner of a white Akita–Samoyed cross with the thickest double coat I’d ever seen. The dog had two shedding seasons, July through December and January through June, so naturally there was always fur everywhere. With a few passes of the specially designed rake, her carpets went from white to dark blue, no vacuum cleaner needed.

2. Handheld rubber squeegee

Several pet supply companies sell squeegee-style pet-hair removal devices. The rubber head pulls the fur out of fabric and gathers it into clumps you can pick up and remove.

3. Pledge Pet Hair Fabric Sweeper

I got one of these in my swag bag at last year’s Cat Writers’ Association conference. When I tried it, I was amazed at how well it worked: I got about a kitten’s worth of fur out of my dark-red velveteen bedspread with minimal effort. Originally these were one-use models, but Pledge has recently come out with a version that can be emptied and reused.

4. Reusable lint brush

I swear by my lint brush. It works so much better to get fur off my office clothes than those tape fur-removal rollers ever did. It also reduces the amount of waste generated by throwing tape after tape into the trash. The level of effectiveness varies from product to product, so check the reviews before buying.

5. The old standby: a damp washcloth

If you’re short on cash or you have to do an emergency de-furring, a slightly damp washcloth rubbed in one direction across furry fabrics will pull the hair together into clumps you can easily remove. You can even use it on your clothes if you’re in a hurry.

Do you have any other suggestions for environmentally friendly, reusable pet-hair removal products? Please share them in the comments!