How to Deal with Static Cling in Laundry
Read this article to learn how to deal with static cling in laundry, if you can prevent it, and what actually causes it – your life will never be the same.
Wondering how to deal with static cling in laundry, but don’t actually know where to start? We will go through what you need to know, including preventative measures and what causes it, so you can move on with your life and deal with it like a boss.
At Love2Laundry, we understand that there are numerous challenges that you might face in your day-to-day life regarding laundry. However, this doesn’t need to be something that makes you dread the work even more – because there are workarounds. When it comes to static cling, it’s no different.
If you want to learn about summer laundry tips, hacks for people who don’t have time for laundry, and how to make laundry easier with ADHD, we have articles for it all. We also talk about if a 30-minute wash is enough for your clothes, and 7 great hacks you need to try to make your laundry life easier.
Now, let’s learn about static cling.
What Causes Static Cling?
Simply put, static cling is caused by friction, which creates static electricity. The electrostatic charge gradually builds up as different clothes continuously rub against each other in the tumble dryer.
When you then put the clothes on, the positive and negative charged surfaces of the clothes will then cause the fabric to stick to you – a frustrating and incredibly irritating phenomenon.
The good news is, there are ways to deal with this particular issue, and there are things that you can do to prevent it from happening in the first place. We will explore both of these areas in the sections below, so make notes or bookmark this page to come back to it!
How to Deal with Static Cling in Laundry
Every problem will have a solution, and in the case of learning how to deal with static cling in laundry, there are several solutions at your disposal. However, if you want to get rid of static cling altogether, we will also explore that later on – because prevention is always better than a cure (but it’s good to have a cure on hand regardless, right?).
Moisturise Your Skin
Moisture reduces static electricity. So, by adding moisture to your skin, you are increasing the humidity of the surface (your skin), which will prevent your clothes from doing the dreaded static cling.
There are no rules of lotion types, just use your favourite to get the job done, and you will immediately see an improvement in static cling.
Rub Garments With a Damp Paper Towel or Cloth
This follows the same rule as moisturiser. By adding some moisture back, you get rid of the static charge, and your clothes won’t cling. Just be sure not to use a wet paper towel or cloth – you don’t want the moisture to seep through your clothes.
Use Static Reducing Spray
Or hairspray. Both static reducing spray and hairspray will work wonders to eliminate the static from your clothes and prevent them from sticking to you. Just be sure to use them at a distance to avoid getting any residue on your clothing and accidentally ruining them.
If you’re using status reducing spray, you can spritz some directly onto yourself or your undergarments to reduce friction. We don’t recommend doing this with hairspray – spray that over the clothing.
Run Metal Down Your Clothes
If you want to get a bit scientific, it makes perfect sense to use some kind of metal to transfer the static electricity that has built up on your clothing onto it. You could use a metal hanger, aluminium foil, or anything else that is metal to do this.
To ensure that you don’t deal with static cling during the day, you could even bring some aluminium foil with you wherever you go and give yourself a touch up when you feel the fabric starting to stick again. You will probably end up helping your friends with this same issue, so there’s no downside!
How to Reduce Static Cling
Below are some useful ways to reduce static sling easily and efficiently in your everyday laundry life. You can choose one or more of these options, but whatever you do, pick something that works for you and that you can maintain if you want to be rid of static cling.
Here are some fantastic options to try out:
- Let clothes air dry – using a tumble dryer is the top reason for clothing becoming static. So, by allowing your clothes to air dry, you will be reducing the chances of this happening significantly as the fabrics will not be rubbing against each other and creating static due to friction.
- Make it more humid – dry air makes status so much worse. If you can use something (a humidifier, plants etc) into your home, or at least wherever you do your laundry, you can reduce the severity of static, or maybe even get rid of it entirely.
- Leather-soled shoes can help – because leather soles will allow electricity (aka static) to flow through the body after you build up electric energy (e.g. by walking on a carpet), you won’t get the same shock as you would from wearing shoes with, for example, rubber soles.
- Fabric softener is a must – by adding fabric softener to your clothes during the wash cycle, you are adding some moisture back into your garments, which will help to reduce or eliminate the static. Just remember that you must not add too much, or else there will be too much moisture. This can result in clothing smelling like mildew or mould.
- Use dryer sheets – another option is to use dryer sheets. These come in packs and are typically scented, acting as a form of fabric softener and fragrance, and they absorb friction to eliminate that pesky static.
- Dryer balls help, too – dryer balls come in different shapes and colours, but their purpose remains the same: reduce friction and therefore reduce static. These products also help to keep clothes soft and reduce the need for ironing.
- Separate clothing – finally, separating natural and synthetic fibres will also help to reduce the chances of static cling in your clothing. Separate your clothes before you dry them, and for the best results, air dry all clothes made from synthetic fibres.
You might find that some options work better for you than others, so you may need to try a few different methods to find the one that’s perfect for you. Have some patience, because once you get to the button of the issue, you will be grateful to have a solution to the frustrating issue of static cling.
Make Your Laundry Life Easier With Love2Laundry
At Love2Laundry, you can learn about keeping up with laundry in a large family, laundry hacks to save time, how to effectively plan laundry, and so much more. These tips and tricks will help your laundry life be easier than ever. We offer easy online services to help you take a load off in your easy life. Our app is perfect for anyone who wants to get their laundry back within 24 hours.
From personal to commercial, our pricing can’t be beaten – especially with our membership discounts!
Knowing how to deal with static cling in laundry can make a huge difference if you live in dry climates and always use the dryer for your laundry. However, there are ways to reduce the changes of it happening as well as dealing with it when it does happen.
If you think pick-up laundry services would be a good fit for you, why not give us a call to learn more through the phone number or email address below?
Phone
0203 600 0296
info@love2laundry.com
