Get Rid Of Static On Laundry With A Simple Clothes Hanger Trick

If you've ever had your favorite silk dress cling unflatteringly to your legs, or had your hair unglamorously stick straight up on your head after removing your bonnet, look no further than the culprit that goes by the name of static cling.

The term "opposites attract" best describes static electricity, although let's all agree that there's nothing attractive about sticky clothes or tiny electric zaps. When two objects rub against each other, their positive and negative electrical charges come into contact. While similar charges will flow in a current, an unbalanced amount of positive and negative charges will naturally attract one another, causing static cling. Clothes, particularly when they are in the dryer, are subject to static charge build-up due to the increased friction in a dry, moisture-reduced environment.

While there are plenty of ways to get rid of static cling in your laundry, including the use of fabric softeners, dryer sheets, or even a DIY static-cling laundry spray, you can actually use a wire clothes hanger to even out the electrostatic charges on fabric, effectively eliminating static cling.

Use metals to reduce static cling on laundry

A common staple in every household, a wire hanger works to smooth static away from your clothes. As metal is considered a great conductor of electricity, gliding a metal hanger across static-prone garments will help discharge electricity. Run it along the inside of your clothes, down your stockings, or across the front of your sweater — basically along any piece of clothing that causes static cling grief.

No metal hangers nearby? Aluminum foil works just as well, maintaining the same principle of using metal to absorb static electricity. Don't throw it away after using it on your clothes: A crumpled ball of aluminum foil in your dryer will help protect future loads from static cling. Another clever and discreet hack to reduce static cling is to attach a metal safety pin to the inside of your clothes — you can also attach safety pins to your dryer balls for the same effect.

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