The weather is changing and the temperature isn’t the only thing rising. For many individuals, when the weather gets hot and the dry heat comes knocking, you’ll be left trying to figure out how to get static out of clothes.
This phenomenon is not only annoying but also painful to deal with as it can mess with your garments overtime. As static becomes more and more prevalent in your clothing, it can cause static cling, which is a tendency for small pieces of fabric or debris in the air to stick to your clothing due to the static force pulling it in.
Nobody wants extra pieces hanging on to their clothing, and it can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to getting static out of your clothes. There are, however, several ways to get rid of the cling and make your items look new once again!
What Causes Static in Clothes?
Everything around us, including our clothing, is made up of atoms. Atoms are made up of protons, which are positively charged, and electrons, which are negatively charged.
When these atoms get mixed up in any environment (such as a washer) it creates an electric charge and will latch onto the surface that is creating the energy. Toward the end of a drying cycle, the clothing will cause friction in the dryer and the atoms will become more likely to cling to your clothing.
This issue can also be intensified by a hot or dry climate, as having less moisture in the air allows the particles to transfer more freely.
How to Get Static Out of Clothes
Let Your Clothes Air Dry
While it may be easier to throw your clothes in the dryer, this can actually be one of the worst culprits for causing static. Because the dryer throws your clothing around, it creates friction and allows the atoms within the fabric to grab on more easily to your clothing.
When you air dry your garments, you allow them to dry in a calm and still manner that will keep the garment’s atoms in place.
Humidify Your Spaces
Since dryness can cause static to cling to your clothing, it makes sense that a dry environment outside of the dryer can also cause garments to hold onto particles easier. While many people may think that drying is the main culprit of static, where you keep your clothes afterward can also have an effect.
In order to drop static as much as possible, keep a humidifier in your laundry room to keep the air moist and also decrease some of the effects the dryer may have on your clothing.
Moisturize Your Skin
If you find yourself wearing clothing that is already holding a large amount of static, you may be wondering how to find a quick fix when you need to leave the house. Dry skin can actually worsen the effects of static within clothing, so in order to combat this, it is important to keep your skin hydrated.
During your morning routine, or anytime during the day, apply a thin layer of moisturizer all over your body to lessen some of the harsher effects that static can have. With your skin moisturized, it will be harder for static particles to move around and cause problems.
Separate Your Fabrics
Friction within the dryer is often one of the main reasons why clothing comes out of the washing process with static. Because of this, it is important to make sure you are keeping similar fabrics together and different ones apart, if possible.
When washing similar fabrics, there will be less friction caused, and the particles within the garments will be less likely to create static cling.
Mist Yourself With Water
Keeping your clothes from being too dry is one of the most important steps in combating static. While it may be hard to stop static once it has happened, if you find yourself wearing clothing that has built up a lot of cling, there is something you can do.
Once you have gotten dressed, take a small misting bottle, fill it with water, then lightly mist yourself with the water. Just a light dusting of water particles can keep the static more calm and less of a nuisance throughout the day.
Opt for Metal Hangers
After your clothing has gone through the washing process, be sure that you are keeping your garments on metal hangers instead of ones made of plastic or other materials.
Because static is caused by an electric charge flowing through your garment, a metal hanger will give the current somewhere else to move to and remove some of the cling from your clothing.
Try Safety Pins
For a more DIY solution, try clipping safety pins on the inside of your clothing. You can run garments through the wash safely with the pins inside of them, and they will be able to stop static from moving through the garments.
Before giving this solution a shot, just be sure to place the pins in areas that would be less likely to be shown if you are worried about the visual effect.
Cut Down Your Drying Time
While air drying is an incredibly effective method for stopping static in its tracks, not everybody has the time to fully air dry their clothing. In order to keep some of the effectiveness from this method, instead of air drying your clothes for the full length of time, try half and half.
While the dryer may still add a little bit of static, if you allow your clothing to dry when they are lightly damp, the end result will have less static but be more time conscious.
Try Dryer Add-Ins
Sometimes you have to use the dryer and, in those cases, it is always good to add something to the load that will hold back the amount of static that is created.
This can be a damp rag, dryer balls, aluminum foil balls, or dryer sheets.
All of these options will reduce the amount of static by allowing the atoms in your clothing to move through the materials within the add-ins instead of your clothing.
Life hack: For a super quick fix, try rubbing a dryer sheet over your clothing (this can also work for your hair).
In Conclusion
While static may seem like simply a fact of life, it doesn’t have to be.
There are many different methods you can take to limit the amount of static in your clothing (or even remove it completely) and eliminate the annoying shocks that come with it. Though the weather may be hot and dry, your clothing will be looking like new in no time!
