How to Get Rid of Static Electricity in Your House
Victoria is a stay-at-home mom, author, educator, and blogger at Healthy at Home. She currently lives in Colorado with her family.
Static may look cute here, but it's not always so sweet. Learn how to prevent static in your house this winter.
VVanNess - self
Why Is There So Much Static in My House?
Winter is traditionally the time of year when your clothes start sticking to you, your hair starts sticking up, and you are shocking just about everyone you touch. This is because you probably don't live in the tropics, meaning your wintertime is cold and dry—the perfect conditions for static buildup! To make things worse, people usually respond to the cold by cranking up the heat, further reducing the humidity in the air.
Your clothes are probably crackling, your bedsheets are sticking and popping, and if you're lucky enough to have animals, you can see the little "lightning bolts" when you pet them, and their fur gets caught anywhere and everywhere.
This crackling, popping, sticking up, and lightning you see in your clothes, in your sheets, and on your pets is called static—and it's no fun. Luckily, there are tons of great ideas for reducing and preventing static electricity. I've taken the liberty of eliminating the ones that didn't work for us and adding a few extras that we have discovered.
How to Get Rid of Static Electricity in the House (4 Tips)
As dry air is one big reason static electricity becomes such a problem, it only makes sense to incorporate some water into the air to attack the static. Here are some great ways to do just that!
Tip #1: Use a Humidifier
As dry air is one big reason static electricity becomes such a problem, it only makes sense to incorporate some water into the air to attack the static. Humidifiers are a great no-stress fix for static; they have proven effective at reducing random shocks, static cling, and static in hair.
One of the benefits of humidifiers is that you can run them all day and all night, helping keep the humidity in your home constant.
While it isn't a "forever fix," keeping a pot of boiling water on the stove is an easy way to get rid of static. Adding citrus peels and cinnamon will make your house smell good too!
Tip #2: Keep a Pot of Boiling Water on the Stove
If you don't want to invest in a humidifier, you can do the DIY version with a pot on the stove, though this fix can only be used for a few hours each day. I learned the hard way that you cannot boil water in the same pot every day all day long without ruining both your stove and your pot!
Note: If you add a little cinnamon or citrus peel, it'll double as an air freshener!
Tip #3: Invest in More House Plants
For a technique that will combat static cling and beautify your home, try incorporating more plants into your living space. Crazy as it might seem, house plants are actually very effective humidifiers. Here are the best plants for re-humidifying dry indoor air.
Tip #4: Use Static Guard on Your Carpets
Carpets are a huge culprit behind static shocks, but using a static guard spray, either store-bought or homemade (a mix of two cups of water and two tablespoons each of fabric softener and vinegar in a spray bottle), can significantly reduce carpet-generated static.
Just bear in mind that you don't need to soak your carpet for this fix to be effective. A misting is enough!
Air-drying your clothes is just one of many ways to prevent them from generating static.
How to Get Rid of Static in Clothes (13 Tips)
At some point or another, we've all felt that pesky shock when folding a fresh pile of laundry. But there are many ways to keep that from happening. Here are a few tried-and-true methods for reducing static in your laundry.
Tip #1: Use Vinegar, Less Detergent, and Safety Pins
Hands down, the best solution I have found for getting rid of static in your clothes and bedding is adding a 1/4 cup of white vinegar into the fabric softener area when washing your clothes, reducing the amount of laundry detergent you use by at least half, and adding safety pins to inconspicuous areas on the items before drying.
Then toss a couple of dryer sheets into the dryer, lower the heat level, and make sure not to over-dry your items.
I was shocked when I saw my dog-hair-covered comforter come out of the dryer with NO DOG HAIR the first time! It was awe-inspiring. I even saved it to show my husband when he came home.
Read More From Dengarden
Note: Attaching a safety pin to your clothing discharges the electrical buildup in your clothes, reducing static cling and preventing shocks!
Tip #2: Use Fabric Softener
Fabric softener is to your clothes what conditioner is to your hair. By adding a little bit of fabric softener to the clothes in your washing machine, you can give them the moisture that they need to make it through the drying stage without collecting any static electricity. While this may not completely solve all of your laundry static problems, it will go a long way towards helping.
Tip #3: Use Dryer Sheets
The whole purpose of dryer sheets is for them to work on your laundry in the dryer, just like fabric softener works in the washing machine. They give your laundry some extra moisture, make it all smell wonderful, and take some of the static electricity out of your clothing as it dries.
But this isn't the only area where they can be helpful. If your hair, your clothes, your comforter, or even your couches have static and/or are collecting animal hair like magnets, rub a fresh dryer sheet over them to get rid of it.
Tip #4: Use Wool Dryer Balls
These dryer balls absorb moisture from clothing in the dryer and help to maintain a more humid environment as the clothes are drying, thereby reducing static. If you're feeling crafty, you can make your own DIY wool dryer balls.
Bonus: On top of being more environmentally friendly than a fabric softener or dryer sheets, wool dryer balls reduce drying time and wrinkles, fluff clothes, and keep large items like sheets from getting tangled. They're also pet-hair magnets!
Tip #5: Air Dry Your Clothes
As heat is a major creator of static electricity, especially in your clothing, tossing your clothes in the dryer or pulling out your blow dryer to dry your hair are the worst possible choices you could make if you are trying to avoid static. Instead, consider air-drying the clothing you have the most problems with static-wise (likely the ones made of synthetic materials).
You could even do the same with your hair. Both of these options might take a bit of pre-planning on your part so that your clothes are dry when you need them and you aren't going outside in the cold with wet hair. But if you can pull it off, you'll have much fewer issues with static.
Dryer add-ins are a low-effort way to keep your clothes from getting staticky. From a damp washcloth to a ball of tinfoil, it couldn't be easier.
Tip #6: Toss a Damp Rag in the Dryer
If air-drying your clothes just isn't an option, there is another way to keep the heat in your dryer from completely drying out your clothes and turning them into a staticky bundle of sparks. During the last 10–20 minutes of your drying cycle, toss in a damp washcloth. This will provide the necessary humidity to finish drying your clothes without loading them with static.
Of course, you could always dry them to the point of damp and then take them out before they are completely dry to prevent static from developing, but who wants to have damp clothes that still need to air dry in the WINTER?
Tip #7: Run a Metal Hanger Over Your Clothes
This definitely doesn't sound like it should work (in fact, it sounds pretty foolish!), but it really does help. Running a piece of metal along your clothes will transfer the electrical charges in your clothes to the hanger, returning your clothes to a balanced electrical state.
Tip #8: Dry Synthetic Clothes Separately
Synthetic materials generate far more static than natural ones, so drying natural fabrics separately from synthetic ones can go a long way toward reducing static.
Tip #9: Pop a Ball of Aluminum Foil in the Dryer
Need a short-term fix for staticky clothes? Ball up a sheet of aluminum foil and toss it in the dryer. This will get rid of static, but it only works for several loads. If you like this method, you can simply replace the ball of foil when you find it's no longer working, though I recommend trying a longer-lasting fix.
Tip #10: Shake Out Your Clothes
Shaking out your clothes when they're fresh out of the dryer is a quick way to reduce static buildup and make the folding process more enjoyable.
Tip #11: Put on Lotion Prior to Folding Clothes
I accidentally discovered one afternoon that by putting lotion on my hands before folding and putting away the laundry, I was able to eliminate a great deal of static cling from our clothes. If you try this method, you should only use a small amount of lotion to avoid transferring it to your clothes.
Tip #12: Spray Troublesome Items With Hair Spray
As a last-ditch effort to fix the static on your clothes, on your furniture, in your bed, and in your hair, hair spray might just do the trick. You'd think that hair spray would make everything sticky, but instead, it kind of seals in the static so it isn't a problem.
Tip #13: Spray Static Guard
And finally, why not try something professional if static is still a problem for you. So you've tried all of the above methods and nothing has worked? Spray static guard (either store-bought or homemade) over the problem areas, and this should fix it for you.
If you want to avoid staticky hair in winter, frequent deep conditioning is essential.
How to Get Rid of Static in Your Hair (5 Tips)
There's nothing like taking off your hat to reveal a staticky do. Here are some simple ways to keep your hair static-free this winter.
Tip #1: Condition Regularly
Using a moisturizing conditioner is essential during winter, not only for the general health of your hair, but also to reduce static! In addition to regular conditioning, you should do a deep-conditioning hair mask once every two weeks throughout the season.
Tip #2: Use a Boar-Bristle Brush
Just like synthetic clothes generate more static, so do hairbrushes with synthetic bristles. Using a boar-bristle brush is a great natural alternative that can significantly reduce static (not to mention frizziness!).
Tip #3: Use Hairspray or Leave-In Conditioner
For an extra static-fighting boost, spray your brush's bristles with a light coat of hairspray or leave-in conditioner before brushing.
Tip 4: Use Serums and Oils
Conditioning in the shower just isn't enough, sometimes. If your hair is still feeling staticky after trying these other tips, consider using products like silicone-based serums and conditioning oils to add an extra barrier against static buildup.
Tip #5: Avoid Wool or Synthetic Hats
Both of these options generate much more friction (and therefore much more static) than cotton, cashmere, or silk alternatives.
If you dress your pet in winter, make sure you use all-natural materials. Synthetics like fleece generate far more static. (Ideally, you should also use a sweater that is made for pets!)
How to Get Rid of Static in Your Pet's Coat (4 Tips)
There's nothing worse than giving your poor pup a nasty shock when you go in for a pet. Luckily, there are a few tricks to help reduce the static electricity in your pet's coat.
Note: Do NOT use dryer sheets to remove static from your pet's coat. While this can be a great fix for car seats and flyaways, the chemicals in dryer sheets can be seriously harmful to your pet.
Tip #1: Replace Fleece Beds and Blankets With Natural Alternatives
Fleece generates static like crazy, so replacing fleece pet bedding with natural alternatives (at least in winter) can really help reduce the static buildup on their coats.
Note: The same thing goes for sweaters; if your pet wears a sweater, make sure that it's made of all-natural materials.
Tip #2: Bathe Your Pet With Moisturizing Conditioner
During the winter, moisturizing conditioner is just as important for pets as it is for humans! Aloe and oatmeal are two natural ingredients that are particularly good at moisturizing hair, so look for pet shampoos and conditioners with those ingredients.
Tip #3: Mist Your Pet's Fur With Animal-Safe Conditioner
If using conditioner when bathing your pet isn't enough, consider mixing a small amount of pet conditioner with water in a spray bottle (1 teaspoon conditioner to 2 cups water should do) and mist your pet's fur with it prior to brushing.
Note: It's essential that you only use a pet conditioner (animal-safe) for this mixture. Using a conditioner intended for human use could result in a sick pet if they lick it off.
Tip #4: Supplement Your Pet's Diet With Omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids promote coat health and can help reduce static, though seeing as these supplements can be pricey, you might want to try the other fixes on this list first and use this method as a last resort. (If you have the extra bucks, though, go for it! Your pet will thank you.)
Tapping a metal object with anything from a thimble to a keychain before touching it with your skin will save you from static shock!
General Ways to Prevent Static Shocks (5 Tips)
Youch! That zip of electricity known as a static shock, however familiar it may be, is never fun.
Tip #1: Use Plenty of Lotion
Make sure to keep lotion on hand during the cold months. Not only will this help you to prevent eczema and other dry skin conditions prevalent this time of year, but it will also help you to diffuse any static that may be created in your clothes, on your furniture, and in your bed.
In addition to putting on hand lotion throughout the day, rubbing lotion all over your body right after your shower will help get rid of a great deal of surface area that electricity can travel, further reducing the static you will experience throughout the day.
Tip #2: Wear Leather-Soled Shoes and Cotton Socks
Leather-soled shoes can help reduce the static you experience from shoes rubbing against carpeted flooring throughout the day. If you normally wear rubber-soled shoes and experience bad static in the winter, consider making the switch to leather. You should also consider wearing cotton socks rather than wool ones.
Tip #3: Wear Natural Fibers in the Car
If possible, wear clothes made of cotton or other natural fibers when driving in winter. Synthetic fabrics, such as polyester or nylon, generate far more static electricity.
Tip #4: Keep Something Metal With You
Use your metal object (e.g., a coin, key, or even an anti-static keychain) to touch the grounded metal object (such as a doorknob or door handle) before touching it with your skin. That way, the static charges will transfer to the coin instead of to your fingers!
Tip #5: Run Wet Hands Over Staticky Items
Just as dryness and heat promote static cling, some nice cold water is just the trick for getting rid of it. For electrically charged hair, clothes, or anything else, run your hands through some water and gently glide your hands over the problem area. Ta-da! The static will be gone.
What Is Static Electricity?
Materials are made of atoms that are normally electrically neutral because they contain equal numbers of positive charges and negative charges. Static electricity is essentially when imbalanced electric charges accumulate within an object or on its surface.
Static can be created by one or more of either a contact, pressure, heat, or even charge-induced charge separation. Here are a few examples:
- Your feet on the carpet are a pressure-induced charge separation.
- Touching a doorknob or kissing a loved one is a contact-induced charge separation.
- Drying your clothes in the dryer creates a heat-induced charge separation.
- Your hair, having been charged with pressure (or friction) in your bed, creates a charge-induced charge separation as it is attracted to other objects around you.
- Lightning is a dramatic natural example of static discharge. The initial charge separation is thought to be associated with contact-induced separation between ice particles within storm clouds.
Most of the time, static happens when two objects or materials rub together and cause friction. The charge remains until it is able to be discharged (e.g., on a doorknob or your loved one's lips).
Two Common Examples of When Static Occurs
- Static occurs in your sheets because you're rubbing the sheets with your body when you get into bed (especially with all of the electricity already in your body) and toss and turn throughout the night.
- You create static when you rub your hands down your pet's body, and your clothes can develop a great deal of static as they rub on each other being tossed around your dryer.
The friction in the examples above passes electrons back and forth between the objects, increasing the positive and negative energies between them. This causes pops of electricity when you touch other objects and passes that electricity between you. With your clothes, this causes them to cling to one another and to you.
But friction is not the only cause of static electricity; otherwise, we would experience static problems all year round. This is because, on top of friction, dry air and colder temperatures encourage static electricity as well.
We usually see these additional characteristics during the winter, when dry air and colder temperatures increase the amount of static you are creating and make it much easier to create static in everyday situations, like in bed.
Is There a Way to Prevent Static in the First Place?
Absolutely! Live in the tropics where it is always warm and humid. Easy peasy, right? For all of us normal people living in areas that are perfect for the dry air and cold weather that static electricity needs to survive, even if for only a short bit of time throughout the year, we need real solutions.
The truth is, you cannot completely escape static electricity without drastically changing your life, but you can do your best to prevent it as much as possible. That's where the tips above come in handy.
Further Reading
- Review of the Kyvol Cool Mist Humidifier
I was searching for an inexpensive humidifier that could keep my kitchen comfortable without requiring a lot of effort to set up and operate. Kyvol's Vigoair HD3 appeared to be a good option. - How to Choose and Use an Ultrasonic Humidifier for Your Home
It is possible to reduce colds, allergies, and dry skin with an affordable ultrasonic humidifier. Here are some tips for choosing and using one of these appliances. - How to Eliminate Static Cling With Homemade Remedies
Here are my homemade anti-static recipes to eliminate static cling on synthetic fabrics, including homemade fabric softener, static spray and fabric-softening dryer sheets.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
Questions & Answers
Question: Could a faulty electric water heater cause a static magnetic effect?
Answer: No.
© 2013 Victoria Van Ness
Sandra Zylstra on February 09, 2020:
maybe the long lost practice of wearing brooches as jewellery was our grandmothers clever way of reducing static in the clothing ....... perhaps we need to go back to wearing the static stopping brooch?
Kelly Ann Christensen from Overland Park, Johnson County, Kansas on January 25, 2020:
Then, there was that black burn mark next to one of the electrical outlets that apparently caught fire during the previous tenant's stay.
Kelly Ann Christensen from Overland Park, Johnson County, Kansas on January 25, 2020:
Thank you for these tips on static electricity. I had a large, plush philodendron in 2005 in our Overland Park, Johnson County, Kansas home that just died, like the beta fish and guinea pig, appearing to have suffocated, just like to two baby kittens in my Lenexa, Johnson County, Kansas home years later. Can static electricity bellow at the edge of the ceiling with the appearance of black smoke? I think I had a humidifier that year, too. I also started standing on the bare earth, trying to be careful not to pick up a T-gondi parasite (a neighbor freak let his mangy looking cat run loose to poop all over in Mission, JCKS, perps use it as idiotic symbology, among this freak and his buddies' other adventures and their many toys), for 20 minutes with bare feet to balance the internal electricity, which seemed to be rising with the single installation (not installed on all of the houses on the street) of a gas smart meter, an electricity smart meter, and then the neighborhood smart meter reader installed by two KCPL contactor Altec trucks directly across the street at 12:30 a.m. I tried to call regarding the smart meter reader, which had an antenna pointing down and two little satelite dishes pointing up, but the City of Mission said it was KCPL, and KCPL, who was more helpful, said it was the City's responsibility. So, I was like girlfriend, I'm just going to stand barefoot on the earth for 20 minutes, which made me feel much better.
Jecfrey on August 04, 2018:
Wow nice article.... that is why in the Philippines i dont experience static shock because its a tropical country. In KSA almost all of the time...
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on July 24, 2018:
Sounds like a lot of fun Shauna! We do the same.
That is strange Liz. How interesting!
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on July 24, 2018:
Sounds like a lot of fun Shauna! We do the same.
That is strange Liz. How interesting!
Liz Elias from Oakley, CA on July 23, 2018:
Very interesting. I have problems with static; always have. The funny thing is, though, we don't live in all that dry of an area.
I grew up in San Francisco, surrounded by water and its moderating influences, and lived for 22 years just south of there in Pacifica, even closer to the Pacific Ocean, and still we had static, even though there was enough moisture in the air to cause an ongoing battle with mildew!
I have gotten shocked in the stream of water coming from the kitchen tap, which is weird, because you'd think the shock would happen when I touched the metal faucet handle to turn the water on!
I've learned, when getting out of the car, BEFORE I move or slide on the seat, I first open the door, and grab the metal top of the door, THEN get out. This ground me, and prevents the shock.
We currently live only about 4 miles (probably fewer, as the crow flies) from the confluence of California's two biggest rivers, the Sacramento, and the San Juaquin (pronounced "Wah-keen).
And, winter is the rainy season here, so what the hey? What 'dry air?'
Weirdness abounds!
Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on July 23, 2018:
Interesting fixes, Victoria. Living in Florida, I don't have a static electricity problem. However, when I was a kid living in Philly, my brother and I would scoot across the carpet in our socks and intentionally shock each other. Cheap entertainment, huh?
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on March 12, 2018:
Sarah, they would need to be on the clothing, otherwise they would just get caught by the lint trap.
Tammy, I would use a cool mist humidifier. We have one going in our bedroom every night while we sleep because we live in a very dry climate.
sarah on March 12, 2018:
can you just throw the pins in the laundry or do the need to be on the clothing?
Tammy on January 05, 2018:
So if I use a humidifier is it the cool mist or the warm mist one and also I have a lot of sinus infection because of the dryness what would be better for that
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on February 25, 2014:
Lol I'm so glad you enjoyed it! With our two labs we were desperate for some help. I hope this works for you as well as it did for us. Thank you for your story and your comments!
Laura Schneider from Minnesota, USA on February 25, 2014:
I'm totally trying the wire coat hanger trick! I hadn't heard that one before, or several others you suggest that I'm also going to try. Thanks for the great information! (Sincerely, owner of a shedding Black Lab. Luckily my wardrobe leans toward darker, more-concealing colors.) I've never heard the safety pin trick, but I'm definitely trying it!! I get a lot of static on my slips (under my skirts), so I'll add a safety pin and see how that works. Thanks again! Voted up and so very useful!
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on January 19, 2014:
That's so funny, but you're probably right. We didn't have quite so many problems when we had metal hangers on all of our clothes.
Thanks for the comment!
Susan McLeish from Rindge, NH on January 19, 2014:
I knew there was a reason I miss metal clothes hangers! great hub.
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on January 10, 2014:
Thanks DzyMsLizzy! Our biggest problem was dog hair on our comforter. I've been looking for what feels like forever to find a good solution for this, but every suggestion I found just didn't do the trick.
I was in your situation. If I have to lint roll it AFTER washing and drying it, what is the point of even washing it? I kept researching, asked around, and did everything I could to find a solution, and one day, these two suggestions put together solved the problem.
I was just as shocked as you were to learn it. When I opened the dryer, there was no hair on the comforter. I almost dropped it on the ground. As soon as my husband came home I had to show the comforter to him and tell him about my results.
I even made sure he was there to witness it the next time just so I knew I wasn't crazy. Awesome isn't it!! I'm so glad it helped! Thanks for sharing your story and letting me know!
Liz Elias from Oakley, CA on January 10, 2014:
Well, here are some novel ideas! Vinegar and safety pins! Who would have thought?? How did you think that one up?
We have 7 cats, and even after washing and drying, our clothes still come out needing to be gone over with the lint brush! LOL SOME of it comes off into the filter, but not all of it by far. (One of our cats is a medium-long hair, who perpetually looks as if he's been brushed with a balloon!)
I've been astonished many times to get a jolt at the kitchen sink, but NOT when I first touch the faucet to turn it on, but in the stream of water when I first stick my hand under!
I used to almost always get a jolt getting in and out of the car. I've learned the fix for that: as you open the the door, next grab the metal edge of the door, and keep your hand there as you open the door the rest of the way and exit--presto, no jolt!
Voted up, interesting, useful, shared and pinned.
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on January 10, 2014:
I wholeheartedly agree. Thanks for your helpful comments!
RTalloni on January 10, 2014:
Interesting and useful! Thanks for sharing your experience and solution here. I'll be trying it soon. A side note about keeping lotion handy is that in this day of super bugs and the use of hand sanitizers, lotion is important for protecting against bad boy germs that can get into the tiny cracks of dry hands.
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on January 01, 2014:
Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it. Living here in Arizona static is a problem year round, dry air and all. However, when the cold weather and snow come around, it gets even worse.
You'll have to let me know how the fixes you try work out for you!
Mackenzie Sage Wright on December 31, 2013:
This is great-- we get static sometimes during the dry season and it just gets annoying. Usually I spray static guard around and use lots of fabric softener, but I'm going to try some of these fixes like a pot of boiling water. Great hub, nice work here. Voted up & useful.
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on December 31, 2013:
Thanks!! Happy New Year to you too!
Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on December 31, 2013:
I just dropped by to say Happy New Year! Thank you for your following and friendship.
bill
Victoria Van Ness (author) from Fountain, CO on December 31, 2013:
I'm so glad! Try out the safe pins and dryer sheets. I've removed more dog hair in the laundry than you could possibly imagine. Even I was impressed.
Thanks for the wonderful comment.
kikalina from Europe on December 31, 2013:
Great helpful hub. I do use vinegar with my clothes and it does help.
How to Get Rid of Static Electricity in Your House
Source: https://dengarden.com/cleaning/How-to-Remove-Static-From-Your-Home