Who would like to know the best ways to deal with winter static? It is annoying, irritating and can really mess with your clothes and hair. Then there is that nasty shock factor to consider. Let’s talk about some ways to deal with winter static so that you can kick it to the curb and go on with your day.
One of the best ways to deal with winter static is to use Static Guard on your clothes and bedding when they seem to have a lot of static. It can be used on other things, too. I do not particularly like Static Guard because of the smell, but I also don’t like dealing with static so I will use it when I have to. There are also generic brands that you can try. A little goes a long way and it really does work.
Be very careful how you walk in your home. If you tend to shuffle your feet along the floor, get ready to get shocked. Shuffling builds up the charge of static to shock you. It is better to walk correctly and avoid the shock. You are especially likely to get shocked when you touch something metal or another person after doing this.
Fabric softener sheets are wonderful little helpers in the fight against static. Throw them in with every load you dry in the winter. You may even want to use two sheets if you are drying sheets or blankets which seem to collect static more than other items. But that is not all that fabric softener sheets are good for. They are also great to help calm down static in your hair. Stash one in your coat pocket and run your hand over it then run your hand over your hair in a pinch.
Static occurs because our homes have less moisture in the winter. You can combat this by running a humidifier. It will help put moisture back into the air. A humidifier can help with other things, too. It helps with dry skin and lips and can even help to prevent the nose bleeds some people get in the winter.
This sounds silly but I promise you, it works. Your hair is much more likely to suffer from static if it has been washed and dried but not styled. If you style it and spray it with hairspray you are taking the chances of dealing with static way down. In fact, if static starts sneaking back in my hair later in the day after I have styled it, I will usually just give it a little shot of hairspray and reposition it and the problem is fixed. It smells a lot better than using Static Guard on my hair.
Don’t be so quick to remove your clothes from the dryer. It is better to wait a few minutes. If you remove them as soon as the timer goes off, you are more likely to have to deal with static. Another option is to not dry them until they are completely dry. You can aim for drying them about 80% and let them finish by air drying.
This is an option I use a lot to keep static down. I just use my dryer less in the winter. I am very picky about how I launder my clothing anyway, so I tend to hang a lot of things up to dry. I do still dry things like towels, sheets and jeans but a lot of my tops and other clothing items are allowed to air dry. I hang them up on hangers over the shower curtain rod or lay them out flat in hidden places in my home.
Static is no fun to deal with but these 7 tips can help you in the fight against it. What is the best tip you have for fighting static? Please share it with us!