Q&A for How to Remove Static Electricity

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  • Question
    How do you get rid of static electricity on my clothes?
    Ayad Mirjan
    Dry Cleaner & Laundry Specialist
    Ayad Mirjan is a Dry Cleaner and Laundry Specialist and the Founder of OrangeBag®, a toxin-free, sustainable, Los Angeles-based laundry and dry cleaning delivery service. Ayad has over four years of experience in the industry and he specializes in providing easy laundry and dry-cleaning solutions to professionals, families, and businesses. Ayad received his Bachelor's degree from The University of California, San Diego, and an MBA from Henley Business School. He is also a board member of the Entrepreneur's Organization Accelerator (EOA).
    Dry Cleaner & Laundry Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Use wool dryer balls during the dryer cycle! These balls absorb moisture from clothing in the dryer, maintaining a more humid environment and helping you get rid of static cling and friction.
  • Question
    Can water be used to prevent static electricity in clothing?
    Community Answer
    Yes, it can. Spray some water (although not too much) on the clothing and the static electricity should be gone for a while. However, the effect is only temporary.
  • Question
    How do I stop static electricity in my cloth chair?
    Community Answer
    Drape a cotton towel over the seating area or use static spray. A little damp wipe helps if there are no other means available. Saltwater is best.
  • Question
    How can I remove the static cling from a pair of curtains I just hung up?
    Community Answer
    Try attaching a safety pin to the the inside or back of the curtains, or try running a metal hanger over them to remove electrons.
  • Question
    Is static electricity bad for my health?
    Community Answer
    There is nothing good or bad about static electricity for human health under normal conditions. However, static electricity is dangerous for open electronic items like micro-controllers and ICs. They can be damaged by static electricity and this is the reason all operators wear a static discharge belt while soldering on work stations.
  • Question
    Does a buildup of static electricity cause arthritis?
    Community Answer
    No, definitely not. Static charge will only build on the surface of the skin or clothing from rubbing on other objects.
  • Question
    What can I do for my daughters who get shocked by their metal bunk bed?
    Community Answer
    Rub dryer sheets all on the metal surfaces and put a humidifier in their room.
  • Question
    Is static electricity harmful? How can I get it to stop?
    Community Answer
    Static electricity is not harmful. To get it to stop happening, stop creating friction, like sliding your socks over the carpet.
  • Question
    How do I stop having static electricity in my house?
    Ariane Li
    Community Answer
    You cannot get rid of static electricity fully, there is always a chance but to make it less of a chance you can get a humidifier because static electricity forms easier when it is less humid, so during the cold dry winter there is more of a chance.
  • Question
    My brother is in a wheelchair permanently and when we touch him we have the most awful electric shocks. What can we do?
    Community Answer
    Wrap a 1/16" copper wire to some metal part of his wheelchair so that a small part of the end of the wire always touches the ground. The wire will drain off the excess static charge.
  • Question
    How can I prevent myself from getting shocked when I touch a doorknob?
    Community Answer
    Touch the doorknob first with a metal object, like a key or a thimble. This will stop the spark from concentrating on one point of your body. It will spread out the charge over the area of the metal that you are holding, and you will not feel the discharge.
  • Question
    How do I remove static electricity from my hair?
    Community Answer
    Rub a dryer sheet on your brush or comb before running the hair tool through your locks. Alternatively, rub a dryer sheet directly over your hair to smooth out the static.
  • Question
    At work, there is a composite material shaft that I get static shock from every time I touch it, and I have to touch it to work. What can I do to stop the shock from happening?
    Community Answer
    Wear gloves or put it on something that is grounded. Or, touch something else that is metal first.
  • Question
    How do I remove static electricity from my quartz counter top?
    Community Answer
    Bicarbonate of soda, diluted, will leave a slightly conductive surface that will keep static down and not damage the surface. Do not use any acid wash (i.e., vinegar or lemon juice).
  • Question
    Can I remove my hand quickly when I feel the electricity?
    Community Answer
    You can try to, but the transfer only takes less than a second. By the time you move your hand it might be over.
  • Question
    How do I prevent static charge on my computer?
    Community Answer
    First, discharge your computer. Never, ever touch the inside, or any circuit boards without first grounding yourself and discharging the electricity from your body by placing one hand on the metal side of your case and your other hand against something metal.
  • Question
    How would a person remove static electricity from a speaker?
    Community Answer
    Keep the speaker on any earthed conducting surface like a metal stool, to discharge the static electricity.
  • Question
    When the air is very dry and I drive up to the gate and punch in the key code, I am getting some very strong static shocks. How can I change the environment to prevent shocks for my visitors?
    Community Answer
    You could use a grounding wire for the keypad. Simply take a copper wire and attach it to the keypad somehow (even tape would work, or you could use a screw or glue) and ensure the wire is long enough to reach the ground. To prevent the elements from taking the wire, you could fasten it to the wall, or even put it through a pipe or wrap it around a pole and make sure it's anchored into the ground.
  • Question
    I wear metal rings. Why does that not ground me like a metal keyring or a thimble would?
    Community Answer
    It could be one of two things. One, you must let the ring touch the object directly (i.e not your finger). Two, the ring must not be conductive, or not conductive enough, for it to be of use. You'd need to know what metals constitute it as a whole to fully explain why it fails to work.
  • Question
    We make rubber components in our workshop. These components attract dust after the manufacturing is complete. We think this is due to static charge on the components. Can I have a solution to this?
    Dean Olson
    Community Answer
    You can direct deionized compressed air in the direction where the rubber components exit the mold tooling. Also, place a large plastic bag inside the hopper, let the rubber components fill the bag, then close the bag when the hopper is full to protect from dust.
  • Question
    My static electricity is very bad during using my halfway-dead mobile or when the phone is being charged. I cant even hold the charging cables. Are these signs of static electricity?
    Community Answer
    Get rid of your phone and cables. They sound damaged and unsafe to use.
  • Question
    We have an overhead crane, and while working on the crane, some operators get shocked. Is it due to static charge?
    Aasim
    Top Answerer
    Not necessarily. Make sure that all sources of power are switched off except for the crane, as the metal bits of the crane can get tangled in electrical wires.
  • Question
    Does static electricity cause weight or hair loss?
    Community Answer
    No. Static electricity is caused by an unbalanced distribution of positive and negative energies.
  • Question
    How do I prevent my Under Armour shirt from getting static electricity?
    Community Answer
    Wetting the shirt will neutralize the unbalanced negative and positive energies.
  • Question
    How is static electricity produced?
    Community Answer
    The phenomenon of static electricity requires a separation of positive and negative charges. When two materials are in contact, electrons may move from one material to the other, which leaves an excess of positive charge on one material, and an equal negative charge on the other.
  • Question
    What is the best material of clothes used in medical devices to clean an area?
    Community Answer
    Cotton, ideally damped with sterile water, although any fabric that is holding water will not impart a charge to a surface because the ions in the water will dissipate the static. Dry cotton is the least static dry cleaning material because there is always slight moisture absorbed in the fibers. Any additives such as detergents or antiseptics if acceptable also dissipate static readily.
  • Question
    How can I stop my dog's hair from getting on my nylon coat?
    Community Answer
    You can't, really. You just have to keep after it when it accumulates.
  • Question
    Why does water stop a cat's fur from standing up?
    Community Answer
    The water takes the static electricity out of the cat's hair.
  • Question
    How do I stop static electricity on my Amazon Fire TV stick?
    Community Answer
    Unplug the power and the stick from the TV. When you reconnect it, the static pops should be gone. This is a temporary fix. The static may return after a few days.
  • Question
    What is static electricity?
    Community Answer
    Static electricity is the buildup of an electrical charge on the surface of an object, which results from unequal positive and negative charges between two objects.
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