Simple Solutions to Combat Static Cling

On a cold winter morning, when you’re in a hurry to get out the door, there’s nothing more frustrating than to find your clothing clinging to your legs.  It’s the seasonal culprit—static cling—and you don’t have to tolerate it.  There are several things you can do to eliminate static cling from your laundry, clothing, yourself, and your home. So try these trouble-free tricks and say goodbye to stand-up hair and clinging clothes!

·         When doing laundry, add ¼ cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.  Try taking your clothes out a few minutes early since over drying them allows more cling to build up. If your clothes have static coming out of the dryer, dampen your hands slightly before you fold the clothes.

·         Keep your home filled with moisture by adding a humidifier.  Plants placed around the house are helpful, too, since they naturally put moisture in the air.

·         Keep your hair and body moisturized.  After showering or bathing, apply lotion, which will help to keep static cling from attaching to dry skin.  And try to avoid using plastic combs and brushes.

·         When getting dressed, run a wire hanger under your clothes; the wire helps to neutralize the charge that might still be lingering in the fabric. If you get static cling at work, wet your hands slightly and rub them over the surface of the clothes.  Or rub a dryer sheet lightly under your clothes to eliminate cling.

·         For overly dry furniture and carpets, try this home-made spray that will eliminate the static charge that is produced when walking or sitting. Fill a spray bottle with water and add a tsp. of liquid fabric softener.  Shake the bottle to mix together, then apply a light spritz. Repeat as necessary.