Eliminating Static Electricity During Winter: Tips for Hair and Clothing

Remember that day in science class as a kid when your teacher brought in the cool electric metal sphere that would cause your hair to stand on end if you touched it? Maybe you rubbed balloons on your head at birthday parties to entertain all your friends by making your hair stand straight up? Or maybe you would drag your feet around on the carpeted floors of the house so you could zap your siblings with the resulting static electricity. However it happened, we have all experienced some form of static electricity. For those of you who live in northern states that have very cold and dry winters you maybe more familiar than others with what a menace static can be. Your clothes cling to your body, your hair stands on end, and you find yourself getting zapped whenever you touch a doorknob or any other metal surface. So, what can you do to deal with this season pest?

When it comes to your clothes, you may have noticed that your fleece jackets, polyester pants, and nylons are most prone to static cling. For whatever reason synthetic materials are more susceptible to static than natural fabrics like cotton. So, if you can, try to watch your natural fabrics separately, and throw in a dryer sheet just for good measure, the dryer sheet will "absorb" the static. When washing your clothes made of synthetic materials try pulling the clothes out of the dryer while they are still a little damp to prevent them from over-drying, after all, dry conditions are a breeding ground for static, so moisture would be the obvious antidote. If you do find yourself battling static, even after taking the above precautions, run a metal hanger over your clothes, since metal works as a conductor to electricity, the metal hanger should attract the electric energy in your clothes, keeping them from zapping and clinging to you.

Now that your clothes are static free, what about your hair? It's cold outside, so going without a hat isn't really practical. But who wants their hair to stand on end once they remove that winter hat? Just like with your clothing, moisture is key to combating static. Make sure that you use a moisturizing condition when showering, and if you can, avoid blow drying your hair, using styling products, such as hairspray, that dry out your hair. If you can, try to find a warm hat that is made mostly of natural fibers. You might also consider using a leave in conditioner or detangling product, both are designed to put moisture back into your hair.

As for those zaps that occur every time you touch the door, well, you're on your own on that one. But at least your hair with look good and your clothes won't be clinging to your body for dear life.