Tips to reduce static electricity
Static electricity is extremely prevalent, especially during dry weather. Everything you touch may give you a little shock due to static build-up in the house.
Static Electricity At Home
While adjusting your blankets at night, you might have seen or even felt the sparks coming out from them; your clothes may stick to your back, and your hair might stand right up while brushing them!
If this is the case, you are experiencing static electricity all over your house. And you may be seeking strategies to lessen or eliminate it from your area.
For your ease, Agency21 International is here to state a few tips to reduce static electricity at home.
What Is Static Electricity And What Causes It?
Simply defined, static electricity is a fixed electric charge caused by friction that creates sparks or crackling. As the charge transfers from one entity to the other, electricity is emitted, resulting in a shock.
Static electricity can be commonly observed in drier climates and is more prevalent when the air is cold with no humidity. Carpeting and synthetic materials are also the main culprits for causing static electricity.
Is Static Electricity Dangerous?
Static electricity cannot cause serious harm, however, one must be careful around it. Touching a surface with a high static electricity build-up will enable the charge to flow into your body causing an electric shock.
On the bright side, you do not need to worry much. The common static charge has a low intensity, therefore is usually safe. You just need to be careful around flammable substances.
Some Tips To Reduce Static Electricity At Home
Fortunately, there are loads of ways to alleviate static electricity. Following are a few tips to reduce static electricity at home:
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Purchase A Humidifier
The Summer weather produces enough humidity to prevent static build-up. On the other hand, cold and dry weather reduces humidity in the air, thus paving the way for static electricity.
To bring back moisture in the closed space, you can always buy a humidifier and place it wherever you need it. A humidifier can provide a continual supply of moisture throughout the day. This can altogether solve the problem of static electricity at your home.
If for some reason, you are unable to purchase a humidifier, you can place a water pot on the stove which upon evaporation will naturally add moisture to the air.
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Invest In House Plants
As unbelievable as it sounds, house plants can decrease static charge in your home by a great amount. House plants will be a worthwhile investment, giving off good results. You can perform thorough research on indoor plants and keep plants that are easily available in your area.
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Utilise A Fabric Softener
Static electricity is easily produced through fabrics. You can either use fabric softeners or dryer sheets to alleviate static from certain fabrics. Synthetic materials build the charge on surfaces, therefore it is better to avoid such clothing and even carpets.
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Moisturise Your Hands
Dry skin is scaly and harsh. When clothes rub across dry skin, static electricity builds up. One strategy to mitigate the effects of static shock is to keep your skin moisturised. Static electricity can be avoided by using lotions and moisturisers throughout the day. It is for a fact that dry skin attracts more charge.
Consequently, try to keep your hands moisturised before touching your laundry as well. Keeping a pocket-size lotion with you will be extremely handy!
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Add Vinegar To Your Washer
Static charge can be reduced by adding a tiny bit of vinegar while you are washing your clothes. Moreover, try to reduce the amount of washing detergent that you use to avoid getting zapped!
Also, try not to use the dryer to dry your clothes, instead, go for natural air-drying to avoid the chances of charge build-up.
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Protect Your Hair
Static electricity is quite apparent when it comes to your hair. Whenever you brush your hair or take off your hat, friction builds up, thus generating static electricity.
A natural bristle brush must be used to style your hair. Plastic and synthetic hair brushes generating static electricity are insanely annoying.
To retain moisture in your hair, use a good conditioner and hair oil before washing them. This will reduce the possibilities of friction and will also keep your hair looking silky and soft!
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Baking Soda For Your Laundry
without exaggeration, baking soda is a miracle ingredient to get rid of static electricity. Baking soda prevents static build-up by acting as a buffer between positive and negative charges. Moreover, it works as a fabric softener as well!
You can utilise baking soda by adding ¼ cup in your usual laundry cycle to reduce the chances of static electricity.
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Avoid Wearing Rubber-Soled Shoes In Your House
Rubber is a good insulator, allowing static electricity to accumulate on your body. You either avoid wearing rubber-soled shoes in your house or wear leather-soled shoes to eliminate the possibility of static build-up.
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Get Your Floors Cleaned Up Thoroughly!
It is best to keep your floors and carpets clean to get rid of unnecessary dust around the house. You just need to vacuum and mop the floors and you are good to go!
If you are unable to do the cleaning due to any reason, you can call up cleaning companies to do the work for you.
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Keep A Metal Coin With You
Carrying coins or anything metal will help you a lot in this case. Any electrons clinging to your body will flow through the metal, preventing the possibility of shocks. Coins are also extremely convenient to carry with you at all times.
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Make Use Of Safety Pins!
Safety pins metal will prevent the electrical charge from accumulating on your clothes. You can pin it anywhere on your clothes, it is deemed to work perfectly in any way!
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Shield Those Sofas
Sofas are infamously made out of synthetic fabrics. And of course, until now you must have figured out how synthetic materials are static electricity’s favourite surfaces!
Cover your sofas with a natural fabric e.g. cotton. You can also use an anti-static spray over them.
Conclusion
Even if it is low-intensity, static electricity can be very annoying, especially in dry and cold seasons. No one likes to feel a static shock every time they touch a surface! If you apply the aforementioned tips to alleviate static electricity at home, you may be able to reduce the chances of static charge to zero.
We would suggest you invest in a humidifier as it will greatly eliminate the chances of static electricity for a while. The mentioned DIYS are also a great way to solve the problem. Following these tips properly will free you from static electricity.
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