How to Get Cat Hair Off a Pool Table's Felt? (The Easy Way)

Cat hair on a pool table’s felt can be a frustrating issue for pool enthusiasts and pet owners alike.

The presence of cat hair not only affects the aesthetics of the table but can also interfere with the gameplay.

This article provides comprehensive solutions to effectively remove cat hair from pool table felt, ensuring a clean and smooth playing surface.

Key Takeaways

Effective Removal Techniques: There are different methods to remove cat hair from pool table felt, including the use of lint rollers, duct tape, rubber gloves, and damp cloths.
Preventive Measures: there are ways to prevent cat hair landing on your pool table, including training your cat.
Maintenance Tips: Regular maintenance of your pool table is very important to preserve the quality and longevity of the playing cloth.

Quick Glance of Effective Cleaning Methods

Method	Effectiveness	Ease of Use
Lint Roller	High	Easy
Duct Tape	Moderate	Easy
Rubber Gloves	Moderate	Easy
Damp Cloth	Moderate	Easy
Handheld Vacuum	High	Moderate
Brushing	Moderate	Easy

Effective ways to get cat hair out of pool table felt

The most effective ways to remove cat hair from pool table felt is to use a lint roller or handheld vacuum.

The sticky roller sheets on the lint rollers are not only great for picking up stubborn hairs embedded in the felt, but also collects other particles of dirt and debris by clinging to the lint sheets.

Make sure that the lint roller is not so sticky that it will pull and damage the fibers.

As long as you use one that is only mildly adhesive, they are great at picking up cat hairs without damaging the material.

Why Cat Hair is a Problem for Pool Tables?

Cats crave attention and when they don’t receive as much as they want, they typically jump onto higher surfaces in an attempt to get noticed.

Seeing them tumble and roll around on your table’s cloth is far from ideal for a couple of reasons;

Their pruning can leave irregularities and little holes in the playing cloth.
Their hair left over can leave a messy playing surface which is hard to play on.

The hair in particular can be very difficult to remove, and you may have already tried brushing the felt, but with mixed results.

Pool table brushes are a fantastic cleaning tool, but when it comes to cat hair in general they can sometimes struggle to catch it all.

What You May Need to Get Cat Hair Off a Pool Table’s Felt?

Lint Roller
Handheld vacuum
Rubber gloves
Damp towel
Duct tape

Depending on the method you choose below, you won’t need all of the above materials to get rid of the cat hair.

How to Use Duct Tape to Lift Cat Hair Off the Table’s Felt?

One of the alternatives you can use instead of a lint roller is duct tape.

In fact, any type of wide grip tape can be used as long as it is not too sticky.

You don’t want to go at your playing cloth with an extremely tacky material, as it does run the risk of pulling the fibers and damaging the felt.

How to use duct tape to get cat hair off a pool table’s felt?

Wrap the tape around the palm of your hand.
Make sure the sticky side is on the outside.
Pat the felt with the sticky tape and let the cat hair cling to it.
Start in the corner and work your way up to the other end of the table.
Repeat the process across the table in straight lines.
Don’t press down hard on the felt. The tape only needs to lightly cling to the cloth.

How to Use Rubber Gloves to Remove Cat Hair From The Table?

Rubber gloves are also another alternative to a lint roller.

The added advantage is that you’re very likely to have a clean pair in one of the kitchen cupboards.

Removing the cat hair couldn’t be any simpler using rubber gloves.

Simply put the kitchen gloves on and gently pat the entire cloth in the same way mentioned above using duct tape.
It’s not the most effective method, however if there’s not much hair on the cloth and the gloves is all you have at your disposal it will do a decent job.

Using a Damp Cloth to Clean Tables Felt

A damp cloth is a popular way to clean the material used by many players.

In general, it is also a great way to remove ANY dust and dirt, as well as any animal hair that has fallen into your table’s drop style pockets.

Similar to the above methods;

Wipe gently towards the foot of the table.
If you have a napped cloth, wipe in the direction of the nap.
Do not soak the cloth, only dampen

You need to be careful not to saturate the felt, as it can cause the fibers to react with unpredictability. The cloth only needs to be lightly dampened, which will be enough to lift loose particles off the fabric.

Quick word of cation;

Never scrub pool table felt or use any kind of soap on it.
Scrubbing can weaken the fibers and wear them away quicker. Soaps can leave stains and marks in the cloth.

Vacuum Cat Hairs Off Pool Table Felt

Once you have removed as much of your pet’s hair as possible, it’s a good idea to go over the cloth with a vacuum.

This is the last thing needed and should completely remove any remaining cat hair in the pool table’s felt.

Using a handheld, or lightweight vacuum, is one of the best ways to periodically maintain your pool table felt.

Start at the same end you break from.
Vacuum in straight lines down the table.

When using a vacuum, you need to be very careful, and it should be done with the utmost care given.

It can be very easy to suck up the cloth if you don’t do it the right way on the lowest settings. And never use one with strong suction on the cloth.

A lightweight budget friendly vacuum, like for instance the Eureka WhirlWind Bagless Canister Vacuum Cleaner, is ideal for playing cloth, but also around the rest of your home on both hard floors and carpets.

How to Protect Your Pool Table from Cat Hairs?

Now you know the best ways to remove your cat’s hair off the felt, you should know how best to protect your pool table from future hairy problems.

Use a Pool Table Cover When Not in Use

Your pool table is just like any other piece of wooden furniture in your home.

When given the chance, you can be sure your cat will use the wooden legs as a scratching post.
The felt is also a material cats tend to like sharpening their claws on, so it’s not only their hair on the cloth you have to guard against.

Covering your table with a good pool table cover, doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

This leatherette pool table cover from GSE is a budget friendly, but quality cover, that offers amazing value and ideal if you have cats.

The durable material is both tear proof and waterproof.
It protects not just against cat claws and animal hair, dust and dirt but also any accidental spills along the way.

Keep Your Cat Off the Pool Table

Obviously, it goes without saying, but keeping your cat off your pool table will be the best form of protection against their hair.

You should also make sure any doors are shut behind you to close off the area to the cat.

This is easier if the table is in a room that can be kept cat free, like a garage, which is a popular place to store a pool table.

If it is kept in a main part of the house, it will be difficult to keep the area closed off, but you can train cats to stay off surfaces.

Train the Cat to Stay Off the Pool Table

Yes you read that right!! Cats can be trained to be taught to stay off your pool table.

Some people use a water bottle to squirt the cat when he/she leaps onto a surface.
I would advise against it, as the water will not be a great way to maintain the integrity of the cloth.
The squeeze bottle method also only deters them from doing it in front of you.

When your back is turned they will be right back up scratching.

Research has shown that teaching your cat the meaning of no, is far more effective and once they understand the term, they can start to develop self-control.

Check out this excellent video below, which may help keep your cat off the pool table.

RELATED VIDEO: Training a cat to stay off surfaces

Final Thoughts on How to Get Cat Hair Off a Pool Table’s Felt?

Cat hair on pool table felt can be a nightmare to get rid. One of the best ways is to lint roll the material, while you can also brush and vacuum. There are other alternatives you can also use if you do not have a lint roller.

Once you clean the hairs off, you should look to protect your pool table with a cover. This prevents hairs from gathering on the felt top, but also from your cat using the table as a scratching post. There are interesting ways you can even train the cat to permanently stay off the pool table in the future.