Sara Cornell
Black is the backbone of my wardrobe. Black dresses, black skirts, black pants, black Ts and sweaters…if it’s black and can be worn, it’s probably in my closet. And contrary to some belief systems, there is, in fact, a difference – sometimes big, sometimes subtle – in shades of black and cuts of black apparel. Not all LBDs are the same, and you can never truly have too many black cashmere sweaters. The one common denominator in black clothing, however, is its ability to attract pet hair. If there is a cat two blocks away and you are wearing black and need to look crisp, I guarantee you the cat hair will miraculously attach itself to you from a great distance. And then stay there all day… In addition to a closet full of black, I have a house full of pets. Two golden retrievers and 3 cats. We had 4 cats at one point, but after 19 years Griffen departed for greener catnip. Just as I am a sucker for a well cut pair of black trousers, I am a complete softie when it comes to animals in need of a home. Got a stray? Give me a call… The problem of course is that my animal hoarding and clothes hoarding are in direct conflict with one another. I have to budget in extra time to de-fur my clothing, and plan strategic exits so there are no tell tail (sic!) bits of dog and cat hair on my ensemble. I remember years ago my then-husband and I had a meeting in our home with a snooty vendor. She was about 6 feet tall, and swarthed head-to-well-heeled-toe in black. Her attitude was superior and condescending as she preached to us from the living room sofa. Leaving the appointment she stood up, turned around, and walked away – covered in white cat hair (well done, Griffen…) I had a moment when I thought I should tell her, but decided against it, karma being a bitch and all. The point is, I am well armed with lint rollers, and masking tape, and all sorts of lint and pet hair removal devices. And the point again is, none of these really seem to do the trick quickly and efficiently. I’m always twisting, and rolling, and changing direction, or blotting or swatting myself in an attempt to return to basic black. Until now… My monthly PetBox arrived (yes, we did talk about all those membership sites last week…) and inside was a small flat envelope containing a SwiPets Glove. Closely resembling a latex dishwashing glove, it promises to end your embarrassment over unwanted pet hair. According to their website, “…The SwiPets™ glove has a special coating and texture on the palm that is patent-pending. The formula and fabric create an electro-static charge, while ‘grabbing’ the pet hair and clumping it so you can simply pull it off and throw it away.” Already dressed in my ubiquitous black, I rolled on the sofa, coated myself in the debris of 3 cats and one of the dogs, and pulled on the glove. Yes indeed…IT WORKS! I ran my hand down my legs, down my arms across my chest and removed enough fur to make another cat. I was fur free and dander free in moments, without having to turn myself into a contortionist or use an entire roll of masking tape. I couldn’t believe how clean I was! It was like magic. I immediately went to their web site and ordered 3 more SwiPets gloves to keep in my car, purse and guest bathroom. Apparently the glove is machine washable too, which makes it even more valuable! I feel like a whole new world opened up to me. I can love my pets AND my clothes and we can all peacefully co-exist. At $9.99 a pop they aren’t exactly cheap, but it will give your lint brush a run for its money. I’m going to order a bunch more as stocking stuffers for Christmas. You can find SwiPets gloves on Amazon or the SwiPets website. After I’m done ordering, I might even try to Swipet the cat herself – just to get to the root of the problem…