How to Reduce Static Electricity on Objects

Static electricity is caused by an imbalance of positive and negative charges between two objects. Although static electricity seems inevitable and frequent, especially during the dry winter months, eliminating static electricity is actually easier than you think. Once you understand what causes static electricity and how it is transmitted, you can take steps to limit the generation of static electricity and control the transmission of static electricity to your body, thereby reducing the phenomenon of static electricity. jerks every time you touch something.

Table of Contents

Eliminate static electricity in the house

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Use a humidifier. Static electricity is more active in dry air, especially in the winter months when the house is heated, reducing the humidity in the air. You can increase the humidity in your home and workplace by using a humidifier. Humidity in the air can help reduce charge build-up. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Planting plants indoors or at work can also help increase humidity.
You can create your own humidity by simply boiling water on the stove. Adding a little flavor like cinnamon or citrus zest also gives the air a pleasant aroma while humidifying the home. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Treat carpets with anti-static chemicals. Most carpet retailers or online carpet companies offer carpet treatment chemicals. There are several types of mats specifically designed with antistatic materials. ^{[3] X Research Source} Spray a thin layer of an antistatic agent onto the carpet and allow it to dry completely before stepping on the carpet. This will greatly reduce the amount of static electricity when you walk on the carpet.

To make your own antistatic spray at home, you can mix 1 cap of a clothes softener into a spray bottle filled with water, shake well, and spray lightly on the carpet. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Use a clothes dryer to clean the upholstery. Wipe upholstered furniture or car cushions with a drying scented paper to reduce surface static. Fragrance paper for drying clothes helps to neutralize electrical charges. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

You can also use a spray bottle to reduce static electricity on upholstered mattresses.

Eliminate static electricity on the body

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Moisturize the skin. Apply lotion on your body when you step out of the shower and before getting dressed, or occasionally on your hands throughout the day.

Dry skin is a contributing factor to static electricity and electric shock, so lotions and moisturizers will help prevent static electricity from building up on the body. ^{[6] X Research Source}

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Change the material of the clothes. Switch to natural cotton (cotton) fabrics instead of synthetic fibers, as cotton fabrics contain less static electricity. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

If the clothes still have static electricity, you can rub the clothes with a dryer sheet or spray a little hairspray.

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Wearing shoes has the effect of eliminating static electricity. Wear shoes with leather soles, a material that is very effective at reducing static electricity, instead of rubber sole shoes, which accumulate electricity and create static electricity. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Experiment with different types of shoes to see which produces the least static electricity. If possible, you should go barefoot indoors.
Some shoes for electricians have woven soles made of conductive fibers, which suppress static electricity as they walk.

Prevent static electricity when washing clothes

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Add baking soda to the washing water. Add ¼ cup of baking soda to the drum before washing. Baking soda creates a barrier between positive and negative charges, preventing charge build-up and the formation of static electricity.

Depending on the amount of laundry, you need to adjust the amount of baking soda in the washing water. For a full wash, you can add ½ cup of baking soda, for a small wash, just 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda is enough. ^{[9] X Research Source}
Baking soda is also considered a water softener and fabric softener.

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Add vinegar to the drum. Pause the washing machine at the start of the rinse cycle, and fill the drum with ¼ cup of undiluted white vinegar. Press the button to continue the discharge cycle. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Vinegar acts as both a fabric softener and an anti-static agent on clothes.

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Add to the dryer a damp cloth. During the last 10 minutes of the drying cycle, set the drying setting to the lowest setting and place a damp cloth in the dryer. Continue to run the dryer through the full cycle. ^{[11] X Research Source}

The damp cloth helps to add moisture in the air, preventing electrical charges from forming in the dryer.

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Wash clothes. As soon as you finish drying your clothes, you should take them out and shake them off. This step helps prevent static electricity from forming. ^{[12] X Research Source}

To help reduce static electricity even more, you can hang it on a clothesline.

Quick solution to static electricity

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Attach the tape to the garment. Attach a pin to the seam in your pants or to the back of your collar. The metal of the tape will cancel the charge on the clothes, preventing static electricity and electric shock. ^{[13] X Research Source}

The tape needle attached to the inner seam of the pants will not be exposed and will help reduce static electricity.

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Use metal clothes hangers to rub the clothes. You can use metal hangers to rub the outside and inside of clothes. This will help reduce the charge because the electrons on the clothes are transferred to the metal hanger. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Carry a metal object with you. Keep a metal object on you, such as a coin, hand-sewn, or keychain. Use any of these objects to touch a grounded metal surface before making skin contact. ^{[15] X Research Source}

This is also self-grounding, whereby you never charge, instead the charges are transferred to the metal object.

Advice

To reduce electric shock, simply use the parts of your body that are least sensitive to electrical suppression, such as knuckles, elbows, legs, or arms.
Suppressing the charge on the concrete wall also helps to reduce the electric shock to the level of only pangolins.

Warning

When spraying fabric softener on carpets and other surfaces, be sure to avoid walking on them until the surface is dry. Footwear can be very slippery if fabric softener accidentally gets on the bottom of the sole.
Keep volatile materials away from areas where static electricity may accumulate.
Do not let anyone get in or out of your car while pumping gas, as this can cause static electricity to build up and release when you come into contact with the metal pump head, or when the pump head comes into contact with the gas tank mouth. .
When handling flammable liquids or flammable powders, you need to ensure that the insulated conductors are connected.

Steps