Prevent static before washing

1. Baking soda to the wash. Sprinkle 1/4 cup (60 mL) of baking soda over your clothes before starting the wash cycle of your washing machine.

• For larger loads, you may need to increase this amount to 1/2 cup (125 mL) of baking soda. 

• Why it works? Baking soda effectively creates a barrier around each garment, preventing negative and positive charges from building up and causing the garments to stick together or to themselves.

2. Add vinegar to your washer's rinse cycle. After the washing machine completes its initial wash cycle, pause the machine and pour 1/4 cup (60 mL) of white distilled vinegar over your clothes. Restart the machine and allow it to continue its rinse cycle.

• If you have a softener dispenser in your machine, you can pour the vinegar inside at the start of the entire cycle.

• Do not use vinegar with bleach, as the two products combined can create a noxious gas.

• White vinegar works best, but in a pinch, apple cider vinegar can also be used. You may not want to use apple cider vinegar on white or light coloured clothing, though.

• Why it works? Vinegar softens fabrics, preventing them from becoming too stiff and dry. This also helps to reduce the amount of static build-up.

Reduce static after washing  

1. Slide the affected clothes through a metal hanger. Immediately before putting your clothes on, glide a wire clothes hanger through the interior of the item.

• Why it works? The metal discharges the electricity, thereby removing static. You could accomplish the same task by running another metal item, such as metal thimble, over your clothes.

2. Hide a safety pin inside your clothes. Tuck a metal safety pin into the inside seam of your garment.

• Place the pin on the inside seam of your clothes or any other covered area. Avoid placing it on the front or near an exposed hem, since others will be able to see it if you do.

• Why it works? The metal discharges the electrical build-up in your clothes, preventing that build-up from shocking you or causing your garment to stick to your skin.