How do I get rid of static electricity?

Question

I have a knee-length jacket that has 100% polyester lining inside. I wore a polyester sweater one time with the jacket and every time I touch metal I get static electricity. Another time I wore a 93% cotton and 7% polyester sweater with the same jacket and I still get static electricity.

How do I get rid of static electricity? And are there certain fabrics than when they rub together, they create static electricity?

I'm considering getting Static Guard but then I read that it smells bad. I read that Bounce works (though it makes me get static electricity after I touch it...) and so does Downy but my mom's not too keen about using them too much for whatever reason she has.

Well, the lotion worked well yet I still got zapped from my jacket when I hung it on a chair that had a metal frame to it.

I'm going to try a friend's mother's suggestion and put a light coat of lotion over the polyester jacket. Then I'm going to get Static Guard when I get home.

Answer 1

Static electricity is generated by unbalancing the molecular construction of relatively non-conductive insulators such as plastics and paper. Clear as mud right?
Ok, so several solutions without going into a lot of chemistry and physics;

- Use dryer sheets, (and softener in the wash), dryer sheets are coated with positively charged substances that rub off on the clothes in the dryer in the presence of heat. With the clothes positively charged, there is no static cling.

-Increase the humidity in your home, The water in the air helps electrons move off you more quickly, so you can not build up as big a static charge. Everyone who has brushed really clean long hair in a low humidity environment knows how easy it is to generate static.

-Use lotion to reduce the dryness on your skin.

-Purchase an air ionizer. Air molecules are alternately given a positive and a negative electrical charge by an ionizer and effectively reduce static.

-Antistatic sprays , (Static Guard - in the orange can), attempt to reduce static generally by attracting a layer of moisture which acts as a conductive film.

-I've heard this one but not sure if its 100% effective, (tks to my girl friend). Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and no more static.

Answer 2

Static Shock Puff

Answer 3

If you have a spray bottle, you can mix a little bit with some water and then mist the mixture on your clothes. I'd use about a 1to 4 ratio of liquid fabric softener to water. Don't spray enough to actually get your jacket wet, just a little spray. Otherwise, Static Gaurd does stink a bit at first, but the smell eventually does go away.

Answer 4

In the winter time, when the air is dry, like 20% humidity...static electricity is more likely to occur, no matter what you are wearing.

Buy a humidifier and a thermometer/ hygrometer to view the moisture in the air. Try to saturate the air up to about 50%+, if you can hit 50-60, you should see static electricity dissappear.

You can always buy a strap, like I use when building PC's, and ground yourself to a metal table. :)

Answer 5

I heard that you can pin safety pins on the inside of your pieces of clothing, at the hem line to stop static electriciry.

Other than that, there is Static Guard, which does smell kinda weird, in a spray can, in the Laundry aisle.

Answer 6

You can either spray the inside of the coat,or the outside of the sweater with hairspray, or rub the fabric with any dryer sheet. They both work great.

Answer 7

Go ahead and spray it with Static Guard and then follow up with a couple of sprays of Febreze for fabrics. It will smell nice and be static free.

Answer 8

Sorry, but you haven't got much of a chance of losing that static electricity. The polyester fibres pick up and store electricity quite well, so there aren't many options:
a) wear natural fibres, like cotton or wool
b) stay out of very dry places (I know, that's some stupid advice, but in humid surroundings electricity can't build up)

Answer 9

Touch the jacket with metal before you wear it and it should absorb all of the static electricity.

Answer 10

I like females in jeans. It makes them look more city like and it generally does not look like they are trying too hard but if you are looking to get this men attention, this might not exactly be what you want