Imagine crawling into bed after a long day only to experience literal shock from your precious blanket, that keeps you comfy at night. Or imagine the shock multiple times while doing laundry. All the shocks and sparks are connected to the presence of static energy or electricity in our blankets. The sparks are harmless except you have gas in the air.
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Blankets contain static energy, and the main reason behind the creation of static energy in our blankets is the friction they go through in the dryer. The blanket collects extra protons or electrons, which creates an imbalance in its positive or negative charges. It will then generate static energy charges or sparks when you touch or rub the blanket.
To assist you in having a smooth laundry or having a good night’s sleep without being shocked, we have put together a list of ways to get rid of this energy and give you a pleasant rest.
1. Use Metal Objects
Metal objects such as wired hangers can discharge the already built-up static in your blanket. All you need to do is run the metal object over the blanket surface before crawling into bed.
2. Hand and Body Lotion
The application of lotion to your arms, legs, hands, and face before bed helps to keep your skin moist, therefore discharging any possible static on your body prevents you from being shocked. It would be also advisable to run your moist hand through your hair or use a damp brush or comb on your hair.
3. Ventilate The Blanket Outside
When you hang your blanket on a clothesline instead of a dryer, you reduce static cling and deodorize and freshen it at the same time. The ultraviolet rays of the sun kill germs and bacteria giving you a germ-free blanket, killing four birds with one stone.
4. Moisturize Your Room
Dry air is a major reason for the build-up of static. It is best to keep the humidity level of your room’s atmosphere at an optimal level to effectively fight the static build-up. The addition of a humidifier in the room will keep the atmosphere moist, therefore reducing the chances of you being shocked. During dry climates, having a humidifier in your room would be beneficial not just to reduce static but also to help prevent dry skin.
Another way to increase the quality of moisture in the air is by hanging plants in your room. Plants can provide moisture as they breathe.
5. Fabric Softeners
Fabric softeners are made with ingredients that help coat and soften fibres in your blankets when added to your laundry load in the form of liquid, powder, or dryer sheets. When used in laundry, they help stop electricity from building in clothes. After usage, they give clothes a fine fragrance and a soft feeling. The side to them is that they add a waxy substance to laundered items.
6. Distilled White Vinegar
Vinegar has proven over time that it doesn’t only come in the kitchen but also laundry. It is a great household cleaner that can be used in so many applications, with static reduction being one of them.
Since some blankets aren’t compatible with fabric softeners, distilled white vinegar is highly recommended as a supplement. All you need to do is add a half cup of distilled white vinegar to your rinse cycle. Another benefit of distilled white vinegar is that it also softens clothes. Vinegar can also be used to fight tough stains and remove odor in clothes.
7. Baking Soda
Baking soda is another multipurpose agent in the laundry just like vinegar. Adding baking soda during the washing cycle makes it resistant to static shock when it goes into the dryer. Just like vinegar, baking soda also softens your blanket and helps stains and unpleasant odor.
Usage of baking soda and vinegar together in the same laundry is not advisable since they react to each other unless you plan on destroying your washer.
8. Use Of Shock Absorbers
If you don’t have an item for the listed methods above, and you are desperate, you can throw in a damp hand towel with your blankets during the last 20 minutes of your dryer cycle. The damp towel will remove the static from your blanket.
Note: Don’t over dry. Those miniature strands in your blanket could turn into little spikes, creating friction with your skin that results in static shocks.
Another shock absorber method is the use of Aluminum Foil. All you need to do is roll up an aluminium foil into a ball. Throw it in with your blanket for the last 20 minutes in the dryer and relax.
9. Use Of Anti-Static Sprays
Another method of fighting static is by using products created for the job. Anti-static sprays are products created to absorb humidity around your bedroom, lowering the positive-and-negative electrical charge imbalance that causes static cling and shock. All you have to do is spray it over your blanket before bedtime to instantly eliminate static electricity.
10. Avoid Blankets Made Of Static Materials.
The best way to avoid any shock in bed will be by avoiding blankets whose material supports static. Blankets made from rayon, acetate, polyester, and nylon give off static electricity. And if you wash your blanket with your other clothing, they’re likely to infect them as well.
Blankets made from materials like cotton, wool, linen, or silk in your blanket would give you the comfort you need, without a doubt. Chances are, you might not have to struggle with getting rid of static in your blanket with these materials.
How To Get Rid Of Static In Your Bedsheet
We can all agree that treating your blankets from static alone isn’t enough to prevent shock and sparks in your bed. From your pillows to your bedsheets can give you a dose of shock once in a while. Since dry air is a major factor in the static build-up, moisturizing the air should be an effective way to prevent static buildup. To prevent this, here are some ways to reduce static in your bedsheets.
1. Use A Humidifier
Humidifiers are a great solution for static. They have proven effective at reducing shocks, static cling, and static in hair. The benefit of humidifiers is that you can run them all day and all night, helping keep the humidity in your home constant.
2. Use Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets can come in to help discharge your bedsheets before you use them at night to be sure that there’s no static in them. To use this, rub a dryer sheet over your bed before sleeping at night.
3. Use Damp Towel
You can use a wet washcloth to create enough moisture to dispel and prevent static charges on your bedding by wringing it out and lightly scrubbing it.
4. Hang Bedsheet To Dry Outside
Hang your bedding outside on a clothesline to dry, and it will accomplish two things: It reduces static cling while refreshing bedding as it dries. Also, UV rays from the sun kill germs and bacteria besides eliminating static charges. When using a dryer, throw in a tightly crumpled aluminum ball to help discharge static electricity in the last 20 minutes of the cycle.