Vamoosh Pet Hair Dissolver and Washing Machine Cleaner review: are they worth it for hairy pet bedding?

RRP: £15 for 6 | Buy now from Amazon

How I tested

I tested Vamoosh Pet Hair Dissolver on a dog bed with pet hair firmly stuck to the fabric. I have two cats and two dogs, so there's plenty of pet hair in my home - most of it clings doggedly to fabrics after a standard wash. Putting things through the dryer often helps remove the hair, but I worry about clogging up my machine with it. So I put Vamoosh to the test as an alternative way to deal with dog hair.

The dog bed was washed on a 90 degree wash, with Vamoosh and my normal laundry sheet added to the wash, as per Vamoosh's instructions. I took notes on ease of use, dosing, wash requirements and how much hair remained after washing.

I also tested the Vamoosh Washing Machine Cleaner on a 60 degree wash, to see if it got rid of the hair clinging to the inside of the washing machine and left it smelling fresh and clean.

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My verdict

Vamoosh Pet Hair Dissolver did exactly what I wanted it to do. I used it on a dog bed and it removed pet hair that would normally stay stubbornly stuck to the fabric after a standard wash. That's the result most pet owners care about. A dog bed can come out clean but still look as though you could knit a whole extra dog from the fluff still stuck to it.

If you don't fancy removing hair by hand with a lint remover, a powder that dissolves the hair, making it easy to wash away is an ingenious solution.

There is one important catch. Vamoosh says the Pet Hair Dissolver should be used with one sachet, or two for larger loads, alongside your usual detergent. It also needs the longest, hottest wash your machine offers, between 85°C and 95°C. That makes it better suited to sturdy pet bedding, blankets and towels than everyday laundry.

If you regularly wash dog beds, blankets and towels, hair, detergent residue, damp smells and general grime can build up inside the machine over time.

The Vamoosh Washing Machine Cleaner did the trick, clearing almost all the hair that stubbornly sticks to the drum, door seal and window.

If your dog's bedding still comes out covered in fur after washing, the Pet Hair Dissolver is definitely worth trying. The Washing Machine Cleaner is also useful for homes where the washing machine deals with pet laundry every week.

How do you use the Vamoosh Pet Hair Dissolver and Washing Machine Cleaner?

The Pet Hair Dissolver is easy to use, although you do need to plan around the wash temperature. Vamoosh says to pour the sachet into the detergent drawer, add your normal detergent, avoid overloading the machine and run the longest, hottest programme available. There isn't much to it, but it isn't a quick wash.

The biggest limitation is the temperature. If your machine has a 90°C programme and your pet bedding can cope with it, there's no problem. If the care label recommends washing at 40°C or below, you'll need to decide whether it's worth the risk. According to Vamoosh's FAQ, pet hair needs a long wash between 85°C and 95°C because of its strength and structure.

The Washing Machine Cleaner is even simpler. Empty the machine, add the sachet to the dispenser drawer and run a long, hot cycle. My AEG 8000 Series Washer Dryer has a dedicated machine clean cycle, so that's the one I used. Vamoosh says you can use a 60°C wash if you're cleaning the machine rather than dissolving pet hair, and recommends using the cleaner once a month.

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How well does the Vamoosh Pet Hair Dissolver remove pet hair from dog bedding?

In our test, it worked well. The dog bed went into the wash with pet hair clinging to the fabric, exactly the sort that normally survives a wash and has to be brushed or picked off afterwards. After using Vamoosh Pet Hair Dissolver, that stubborn layer of hair had gone.

That's where this product makes the most sense. It's aimed at heavily used pet bedding where fur has worked its way into the fabric, rather than clothes with the odd stray hair. If you've ever pulled a dog bed out of the washing machine and wondered why it still looked furry, you'll know the problem it's trying to solve.

That said, it isn't a magic fix. It still needs a long, hot wash to work as intended. Mumsnet users discussing pet hair often mention combining different approaches, including brushing bedding before washing, using horse blanket wash bags, running extra rinse cycles and cleaning the machine filter regularly.

As it involved washing the dog bed at a much higher temperature than the care label recommends, the fabric did lose some of its softness during the process. However, my dogs don't seem to mind, and curled up on the bed as normal when I put it back in its spot in the kitchen.

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How well does the Vamoosh Washing Machine Cleaner clean the washing machine?

After washing the dog bed, I emptied the Vamoosh Washing Machine Cleaner into my empty machine and set a machine clean cycle.

Vamoosh says the cleaner dissolves pet hair, removes bad odours, helps prevent blockages, tackles limescale, removes dirt and detergent residue, and kills 99.9% of bacteria. It recommends using it in an empty machine on the longest, hottest cycle, or at 60°C if you're simply cleaning the machine rather than dissolving pet hair.

Afterwards, I noticed the drum seal looked cleaner, with less visible build-up. The drum smelled fresh and clean, and I was happy with the results.

Are the Vamoosh Pet Hair Dissolver and Washing Machine Cleaner good value for money?

The Pet Hair Dissolver feels worthwhile if you're regularly washing dog beds, blankets or towels that come out of the machine still covered in fur. At £15 for six sachets direct from Vamoosh, it isn't especially cheap, but it can save you rewashing bedding or reaching for the lint roller every time.

The Washing Machine Cleaner makes more sense as occasional maintenance. At £10 for two sachets from Vamoosh, it's aimed at households where the washing machine is constantly dealing with pet bedding and muddy towels.

If you only wash pet bedding every now and then, I'd spend the money on the Pet Hair Dissolver first. If your washing machine is in constant use for dog laundry, adding the cleaner every month also seems reasonable.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She researches and reviews the products Mumsnetters swear by, with a particular focus on home essentials like steam irons, vacuum cleaners and heated throws.

From a highly recommended retractable washing line to the best quiet fans money can buy, and Mumsnet's favourite dehumidifier to the steam generator iron that'll cut your ironing time in half, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the very best products on the market.