Static on clothes isn’t necessarily painful or dangerous, but it sure is annoying. Imagine bumping into a friend in a restaurant, you reach out to greet them, and suddenly a shock nips at your fingers—static electricity.
Or picture this—you put on your favourite satin dress for a date night and thought you looked chic on it, except it clings to your body in all the wrong places. If you’re unfortunate, it may even ride up with every step you take.
Static cling has been the source of far too many embarrassments to just ignore them. Changing how you wash and dry your clothes can prevent this. As a provider of dry-cleaning in Singapore, we have tips on how you can get static out of your clothes once and for all.
What Causes Static in Clothes?
Static builds up when different fabrics rub against each other, creating an electrostatic charge. It can happen while you’re wearing your clothes but it can occur more often if you dry your clothes in a tumble dryer—particularly with synthetic fabrics. It’s a more usual problem in low-humid environments when the air has a low moisture content, which would otherwise make the air more conductive, absorb and evenly distribute excess charges.
How to Get Rid of Static Cling From Clothes
The first step in getting rid of the cling in your clothes is to make permanent changes in how you do your laundry. Let’s get started.
Use fabric conditioner. It will not only freshen your laundry but will also lubricate your clothes, thus reducing friction and static.
Line or air-dry your clothes. Static cling mostly happens as a result of dryness. So, air-dry your clothes instead of drying them in a tumble dryer where they are more prone to static issues.
Add dryer sheets. When you must tumble-dry your clothes, at least use some dryer sheets. It’s effective in preventing the build-up of static during drying.
Dry synthetic fibres separately. It’s also better to separate your synthetic fabrics and wool from the rest of your clothes when washing or tumble-drying. This is so they don’t get charged up with electrons during the process.
Shake your clothes. As you take your clothes out from the dryer, give them at least 2-3 shakes to keep the static from setting in.
Glide a metal hanger through the inside of your clothes. This will discharge the electricity in your clothes, thus removing the static. It works with any other metal items.
Hide a metal safety pin in your pocket. In the same context with metal hangers, keep a metal pin in your inside seam or pocket to prevent static electricity.
Use an anti-static spray. This is a readily-available liquid spray you can use to remove static electricity and prevent static cling.
Static electricity builds up because of several reasons, including low humidity. So, in addition to all these, you should also try boosting the humidity in your home by placing a humidifier where you dry and store your clothes.
You can also skip these steps altogether by letting the professionals do their job. As a laundry delivery service provider in Singapore, Clean Care understands how annoying static cling can be. It’s why we take the necessary measures to keep your clothes static-free.
Visit our website for more laundry tips and information.
Frequently Asked Questions About Static in Clothes
Any metal item can come in handy to get rid of static on your clothes. You may also want to apply a thin layer of lotion on the underside of your clothes that’s sticking on your skin.
