How to Remove Static Electricity from Your Body

Water is a good conductor, so taking a shower will help to eliminate all the energy that has accumulated in the body during the day and remove static electricity from your body. What's the science behind this? According to stylists, static hair, for example, is a sign of lack of moisture. Water is in fact a very good insulator for electricity, which means that it will help get rid of ions in your body.

As our body is electrically conductive, it is good to wear leather soles shoes to prevent the electricity from staying within us. With leather soled shoes all the electricity we have accumulated goes directly to the ground.

If you have problems with static electricity at home, walk barefoot as sometimes rugs and carpets can produce static electricity. According to a study on the ESD Journal^[1], unnatural electric currents happen in the body due to our body being insulated from direct ground contact. This is why walking barefoot in direct contact with the floor can also be a solution to avoid static electricity in your body.

Have your clothes stuck to your body? If you have a can of hairspray, use it to remove static electricity from your body. Spraying garments with hair spray will get the clothes back to their natural state, thereby eliminating static electricity.

When you buy new clothes, it is best to go for garments made from cotton, wool or linen as these are natural tissues that absorb electricity.

The way you wash your clothes may also affect static electricity. A great trick if wearing synthetic clothes is to add one quarter cup of baking soda in your usual wash load. As your washing cycle begins, baking soda will avoid static electricity from being produced in your clothes by blocking both positive and negative charges. Another trick to avoid static electricity on your clothes is to use fabric softener when washing them, which acts in the same way baking soda would.

It is advisable to leave your clothes to dry in the open air instead of putting them in the dryer to avoid static electricity.

A quick fix to get rid of the extra energy is by touching something metal, as metal is a material that absorbs electricity and conducts it to the ground.

You can grab a key and touch some other metal material with it. This way the electricity won't stay in your body.

Another trick that is often used to get rid of static electricity in your body is to put a safety pin on the back of your t-shirt, especially when wearing synthetic fibers. The metal with avoid the static in this type of clothes.

Many people using wheelchairs complain they get electric shocks when in contact with others. In order get rid of the static electricity in this case, it is advisable to use a copper wire attached to the metal on the wheelchair.

Water and humidity are great allies against static electricity. Another solution to get rid of this problem at home is to use humidifiers in the driest rooms. If you don't have a humidifier you can always use small bowls of water or even indoor plants to create a more humid environment at home.

If you are prone to getting electric shocks with everything you may try using body lotion or moisturizer after having a shower. This way your skin will be hydrated and it will be more difficult for electricity to stay in your body.

Regarding your hair, use hairspray when brushing it to avoid them sticking up. If you have any further problems with static electricity in your hair you can read our article on how to get rid of static hair.

Using dryer sheets to get rid of static electricity in your body and hair can also discharge static electricity in fabric. Use it on upholstered sofas, your car and/or your bed sheets if you notice you get static when you have been sitting or lying there. You can also rub a dryer sheet on your pillow if you notice you wake up with static hair every morning.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Remove Static Electricity from Your Body, we recommend you visit our Learning category.