There are lots of great things about the winter season. You get to experience the mind-blowing phenomenon of snow, you get to welcome the holiday season which you can enjoy with your loved ones, and nothing feels as warm and cozy as huddling under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate in front of the fireplace on a cold night.
Unfortunately, the dry, cold season also brings along the dreaded nuisance that is static discharge.
Today, I will discuss how you can save yourself from electrostatic charge with the help of the best anti-static cloths and anti-static sprays for your everyday clothes.
Best Anti Static Cloth and Clothes Sprays
In this article, I will guide you through some of the best anti static clothes you can get for personal use or for a more professional capacity. We will also talk about anti static sprays that you can use to make your clothes free of static charge and comfortable to wear.
How Does Clothing Accumulate Static Charge?
Static charge builds up on any surface due to friction. As surfaces rub against each other or even against the dry air particles (which become more pertinent during the winter seasons), it causes a transfer of electrons.
Losing and gaining electrons causes the atoms to gain a charge. If these charged particles are not given a safe means to be grounded, they try to find their own way of release.
As such, they can spontaneously discharge at any time and shock you as a result.
Why Would I Need Anti Static Cloths?
How many times have you pulled a sweater over your head and ended up experiencing a jarring shock? Or maybe you have shocked someone else as they came in contact with an article of clothing you are wearing.
The accumulating charge on your clothing can manifest as a spark or zap of electricity which can be rather uncomfortable and surprising.
Not to mention, such a jolt of charges can put you and your surroundings at risk if you are around inflammable material or sensitive electronic devices.
Do Anti Static Cloths Have Professional Application?
Apart from personal use, anti static cloths have a lot of applications in professional fields, such as in manufacturing environments.
This is especially true for manufacturing industries that specialize in electronics and semiconductor technology. These devices are extremely sensitive and electrostatic discharge can render them damaged or inaccurate.
To prevent such damage, workplaces may require the use of anti-static cloths to clean and discharge the relevant surfaces and workstations. In fact, these environments may use carpeting and uniforms that are made from anti-static materials in the first place to prevent static buildup.
How Else Can I Use Anti Static Cloths?
The amazing properties of anti static cloths makes them of great use across a variety of applications. To begin with, the anti static capabilities of the cloth makes it perfect to use to remove dust, dirt, and other contaminating particles off of surfaces.
For example, many people use anti static cloths to remove dust from sensitive surfaces like cameras, lenses, and negatives. This helps retain the quality of the photographic materials while also protecting them from the potential abrasive effects of accumulating dirt.
You can also use anti static cloths to rid any given surface from static charges that may have accumulated overtime and may be ready to zap you as soon as you come in contact with it.
Running an anti-static cloth gently over charged surfaces like television screens, CDs, records, laptop screens, computer monitors, or smartphone and tablet screens saves you from that shock. It also cleans the surface and makes it better to use.
What are Some of the Best Anti Static Cloth Brands?
One of the most common applications of anti static cloths is for cleaning purposes. These cloths are used to wipe off stubborn contaminants from surfaces and remove accumulating static charge.
Thus, you may find that anti-static cloths work best for sensitive devices and electronics that use microchips and semiconductors.
To help you out, we have compiled below some of the best anti-static clothes that you can purchase for personal as well as professional use:
1. Ilford Anti Static Cloth
Ilford Photo is a company that makes a lot of helpful products for photographic equipment and materials. One of these is their anti static cloth.
It is a very effective and useful tool that can be used to clean particles off of your equipment as well as for other purposes.
The cloth is made from a soft cotton material that cleans up the surface without leaving behind any residue and rendering the surface free of static charge.
2. Berkshire Anti Static Cloth
Berkshire makes heavy duty anti static cloths that are industry grade. This means that if you require the anti static effect of such materials on a professional basis, Berkshire would be the way to go.
Made from polyester and static dissipative fibers, the soft, non-abrasive material allows you to safely and effectively clean and discharges all kinds of electronics and sensitive devices.
3. Antistat Clothing Articles
If you are looking for garments that facilitate the safe removal of ESD, then you will enjoy reviewing the Antistat catalogue. Antistat produces a lot of specialized ESD garments that are safe to wear for a static free experience at home, in public, or at work.
They offer a variety of lab coats, fleece sweaters, gloves, sweatshirts, and T-shirts that eliminate static charge.
Which Anti Static Cloth Spray Should I Get?
But what can you do about the static charge that is present in the clothes you already own?
How can you make sure that your clothes do not zap you after they come out charged to the hilt out of the dryer?
The simplest solution is to use an anti-static clothes spray. It is a simple solution that you can spray onto your clothes and any other kind of fabric to remove any accumulated static charge quickly. Here are some of the best anti-static sprays that you can get for your clothes:
1. Static Guard Fabric Spray
Static Guard is one of the most trusted brands when it comes to static safety, especially for clothes and sensitive fabrics.
The Static Guard Fabric Spray is an effective solution for all of your sparky troubles. All you need to do is spray the pleasant smelling solution onto your clothes to prevent static buildup.
It can be used on all types of fabrics safely, including silk. You either spray the fabric before you wear it or even after you have dressed up.
2. Downy Wrinkle Release Spray
Downy is another well known brand that makes fabric care products.
Among these is the Wrinkle Release Spray which is a multipurpose solution designed to not only rid your clothing of static charge but also remove any odors or wrinkles.
All you need to do is spray your clothes with the solution, straighten the fabric out, and hang it out to dry so the solution may take effect. You can use the spray on all kinds of fabrics, including silk and rayon.
3. Sprayway Anti Static Spray
If you are looking for a subtle spray that has an undetectable spray but is just as effective in removing charge, then Sprayway is the way to go. The solution can be used on all kinds of clothing, including wool and nylon, as well as on other fabrics such as carpeting, rugs, and curtains.
Can I Make my Own Anti Static Cloth Spray at Home?
In one of my previous guides, I talked about how you can make your very own anti static dryer sheets at home for frequent use.
You can read more about that over here.
Similar to that, it is also possible for you to make your very own anti-static clothes spray at home.
This is a very helpful tip for those who cannot justify adding an anti static spray to their grocery list due to a limited budget but are sick of the annoying effects of constant electrostatic charge that builds up on clothes. It is a cost effective and simple way to rid yourself of static charge.
You can also make your anti-static clothes spray at home if you find that you have all the required ingredients. You will no longer have to make a trip to the store!
How Do I Make Homemade Anti Static Spray for Clothes?
In a time of need, when you have run out of your anti static spray for your clothes, you can use this recipe to make some at home with ingredients that you will most likely already own.
You do not need a lot of stuff to make your own homemade anti-static spray and it is safe to use on any type of outfit or object. Here is how you can make your anti-static clothes spray:
- Grab an empty spray bottle.
- Add one cup of water.
- Mix in 2 tablespoons of liquid fabric softener.
- Shake the ingredients together until they form an even solution.
- Spray some of the mist onto your clothes to remove any static.
Fabric softener tends to have anti static properties. Adding it to your clothes not only removes static charge, but also gives them a pleasant, subtle fragrance. Make sure to shake the bottle and the mixture before every puff.
