Static electricity is the result of a potential difference existing between a positively charged object and a negatively charged one. Although the occurrence of electrostatic discharges may seem like an inevitable and inexorable event, especially in the months when the climate is cold and dry, the solution to this problem is much simpler than you think. After understanding why a static electricity discharge occurs, you can apply some simple measures to reduce the occurrence of this unpleasant electrical phenomenon. In addition, you will be able to control how static electricity charges your body, reducing the discomfort of the electric discharge triggered by contact with conductive surfaces.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Eliminate Static Electricity Inside the House
Step 1. Use a humidifier
Static electricity is much more present in environments where the air is very dry, especially in the winter months when domestic environments are heated and the level of humidity in the air is further reduced. Increase the humidity level inside your home or workplace by using a humidifier. The small particles of water present in the humid air help to dissolve the electrostatic charge quickly.
- Having plants in your home or workplace helps to increase the level of humidity in the air.
- You can make a simple humidifier by boiling water using the hob. If you wish, you can also flavor the water with your favorite fragrances, such as cinnamon or citrus peel.
Step 2. Treat the carpets with an antistatic chemical
Spray products to eliminate static electricity from carpets and rugs are available for purchase in specialty stores and online. There are also rugs that have been created with antistatic materials. Spray a light amount of antistatic product on the carpets and wait for it to dry completely before walking on them. This trick contributes greatly to reducing the electrostatic charge that you can accumulate when walking on a carpet.
To create an antistatic spray directly in your home, you can mix 240ml of fabric softener with water. Pour the mixture into a spray dispenser and shake the container carefully before use, then spray the product onto the carpets to be treated
Step 3. Scrub the fabric covers with a dryer softener wipes
These wipes contain a softening product and can be used to treat the upholstery of the sofa at home or the upholstery of car seats. This measure reduces the static electricity that is created in contact with these materials. Tumble dryer softening wipes help neutralize electrostatic charge.
Alternatively, you can treat these areas with an antistatic spray product
Method 2 of 4: Eliminate Static Electricity from the Body
Step 1. Keep your skin well hydrated
Apply a moisturizer to your body immediately after showering or before getting dressed. Alternatively, apply a moisturizer to your hands at regular intervals throughout the day.
Dry skin facilitates the onset of electrostatic discharges, moisturizing it regularly will then create a sort of barrier that prevents the body from being charged with static electricity
Step 2. Change your clothes
If you wear clothes made from synthetic fabrics (polyester and nylon), switch them to more natural fabrics, such as cotton, which are less prone to static buildup.
If your clothes still get charged with static electricity, try treating them with dryer softening wipes or a small amount of hair spray
Step 3. Wear shoes that dissipate static electricity
Wear shoes with a leather sole. Unlike the common rubber used for soles, which favors the accumulation of static electricity, leather is an excellent material capable of reducing the occurrence of electrostatic discharges.
- Try wearing different types of shoes to be able to try out which ones minimize the occurrence of electrostatic discharges. When you are at home, if you can, walk barefoot.
- Sometimes the soles of shoes worn by those who work in contact with electronic devices are equipped with filaments created with conductive material to discharge the electrostatic charge present in the body to the ground.
Method 3 of 4: Eliminate Static Electricity from the Laundry
Step 1. Add baking soda during washing
Before starting the washing cycle, add 45 g of baking soda to the drum. Bicarbonate creates a barrier that prevents positive and negative charges from generating static electricity.
- Depending on the amount of laundry to wash, you may need to change the amount of baking soda needed. For a large load, you can add around 90g of baking soda, while for light laundry you can only use 1-2 tablespoons.
- Baking soda also acts as a water softener and fabric softener.
Step 2. Use vinegar
When the washing machine is about to start the rinse program, pause it and pour 60 ml of white wine vinegar into the drum, then restart the rinse program.
In this case the vinegar acts both as a fabric softener and as a deterrent against static electricity for the laundry
Step 3. Place a small damp towel in the dryer
In the last 10 minutes of the drying program, set the appliance's working temperature to the lowest setting, then add a small damp towel to the drum. At the end, wait for the dryer to finish the selected program.
The damp towel helps maintain the correct air humidity inside the dryer, preventing static electricity from building up in the fabrics
Step 4. Shake your clothes
As soon as the drying cycle comes to an end, remove all clothes from the dryer and immediately shake them one by one. This will prevent the build-up of static electricity.
Alternatively, to further reduce the static charge on your clothes, you can choose to air dry them using a common clothesline
Method 4 of 4: Quick Solutions Against Electrostatic Discharge
Step 1. Attach a safety pin to your clothes
Place it somewhere hidden in your clothing, for example in the back of your shirt collar or in the seam of your pants. The metal of which the brooch is made will dissipate the electrostatic charge present in the fabrics avoiding the occurrence of an annoying electric discharge.
Attaching the pin to an inside seam of the pants will make it invisible, but still guarantee the desired antistatic effect
Step 2. Slide a metal hanger over your clothes
Rub the underside of the hanger (the longer one) back and forth across the fabric. This device helps to reduce the electrostatic charge present in the fibers because the electrons are transferred to the metal of the hanger.
Step 3. Take a metal object with you
Always keep a sewing thimble or metal coin in your pocket and use them to touch metal objects before making them come into direct contact with bare skin.
Basically you will do nothing but download to the ground. The electrical charge in your body will be transferred to the metal object rather than accumulating
Advice
- To reduce the discomfort of electrostatic discharge, simply try using a less sensitive part of your body, such as your knuckles, elbows, legs, or arms.
- Discharging static electricity through a concrete wall helps to minimize the annoyance generated.
Warnings
- When you are at a gas station, make sure that no one gets in or out of your car. Otherwise, your body could become charged with static electricity and then discharged with a dangerous spark when you touch the dispenser pump or as you bring the gun close to the fuel tank filler.
- Keep volatile and flammable materials away from areas where static electricity builds up.
- When using fabric softener on carpets or similar surfaces, try not to walk on it until the surface is completely dry. Shoe soles moistened with fabric softener can become very slippery.
- When handling flammable liquids or powders, make sure that all objects that may be electrical conductors are connected to a ground.
