Have you suffered from static in your hair, clothes and hands?
Annoying isn’t it, and it can be embarrassing when your clothes are hugging you more than they should!
What makes static and shocks happen?
Static electricity leaps between two objects that have opposing electrical charges. You can experience a “shock” when shaking someone’s hand or touching a door handle, if one has a negative charge and the other a positive one. If you have a large amount of static electricity that has built up in your body, you may find that your clothes cling, especially with today’s non-natural materials, or your hair seems to stand up when you don’t want it to! Static is also caused (or caused more) by friction.
Why do we suffer from static in our clothes, hair and body more in the autumn/winter?
There are a couple of reasons why we suffer more from electricity in our bodies and “electric shocks” more during the autumn and winter, and this blog will also cover what you can do about it.
Very dry air or cold weather increase static electricity, so static shock takes place more often in the winter when the air is especially dry.
We’ve all got off an aeroplane and had our hair stand on end, or seen someone else’s. The negative electrons passing through the air conditioning in that environment are attracted to positive electrons in objects such as our bodies, and hair and some fabrics accept the electrons more readily than some others.
What can be done to reduce or eliminate static in us?
Firstly, synthetic fabrics attract or retain static more than natural fibres like wool, cotton and linen. Therefore, you can help yourself by wearing more natural fibres, even if that is cotton underwear or a cotton slip. This seems easier said than done these days, as spandex, polyester, nylon and other fabrics with stretch seem to be added to most clothing, to increase comfort and ease.
There are some products we can use, for example for our hair, house cleaning, or clothes washing that are purposely designed to counteract static.
Be aware of where you are experiencing friction – for example, perhaps you could reduce using a hair dryer with a plastic brush. Try leaving your hair to dry naturally, or use a wooden handled brush with natural bristles.
If you are particularly suffering from static, you could try putting your bare feet directly on a floor, and hopefully the negative electrons will travel down your body and into the earth.
I also found these ideas with an internet search:
- Lightly wet your hands then brush them over the surface of your clothing to reduce static.
- Target extra clingy areas by applying talcum powder to your skin.
- Rub a dryer sheet over offending articles while dressed.
I hope you find these ideas useful. Please let me know if you have tried anything and it has worked for you!
