Winter season could be your favorite, but all the charm out of it can be drained away with the excessive dryness all around. Lack of moisture is evident whether it is your skin or the environment.
It leads to one of the prominent phenomena of static electricity, which often shocks you. Although not harmful, you won’t like getting a mini electric current now and then.
If you want to get rid of such an annoying experience, you must read this article till the end, as it contains some of the best and easy suggestions to get rid of static electricity.
What is Static Electricity?
In simpler words, static electricity is the electrical charge that is collected on the surface of objects when specific materials come in contact. It happens due to the transfer of electrons from one material to another. Basically, the accumulation of electrical charge results in an imbalance.
Let’s learn more about static electricity through an example:
One of the most common examples of static electricity—rubbing a balloon against your hair. But how it works; what’s the phenomenon behind it?
- Take a balloon and rub it against your hair for a few seconds.
- Once you remove the balloon from your hair, it becomes negatively charged. The balloons have picked up electrons from your hair.
- Your hair is now positively charged because it has lost the electrons.
- Try to stick the balloon to a wall, you will notice that the balloon is attracted towards the wall. The wall is positively charged, and the balloon will stick to the wall for a brief moment.
The rubbing action of balloons and hair has caused the transfer of electrons. The balloon becomes negatively charged, and the hair becomes positively charged. The opposite attracts the balloon sticking to the wall because the wall is positively charged. This basic example clearly defines static electricity.
What Causes Static Electricity?
Before we discuss how you can get rid of static electricity, it is important to find the reasons for its creation.
When there is little or no humidity in the air, you are most likely to experience this phenomenon. It occurs when two objects made from different materials come in contact. The electrons from the two surfaces switch places. The longer the connection between the two surfaces, the more electrons transfer.
For example, when you wear a hat on your head. Your hair and hat, made of two different materials, exchange a significant amount of electrons, thus resulting in the static electricity that shocks you.
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Why is static electricity felt in some cases?
Static electricity works with conductive materials. For example, you’ll feel the electric shock when you touch the metal knob, keys or other products, but it won’t be there with non-conductors.
Why does it happen in winter only?
In winter, the environment is dry, so the charge on the skin doesn’t leave the body, which otherwise would become a part of the environment in the presence of moisture. So, when a positive charge remains on your body every time, you are highly likely to feel the electric current, unlike the other seasons when there is moisture in the environment.
How to get rid of static electricity?
Here are a few ways to get rid of static electricity:
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Use humidifier
When the air is getting excessively dry, it is best to use a humidifier. It will bring some moisture into the air, and the flow of electrons from your body to the environment will normally occur without creating any impact.
Surround yourself with more insulators
You can wear the rubber slippers and surround yourself with cotton as they are insulators. They won’t let the positive charge develop in your body. With no positive charge, static shocks can be avoided.
Apply anti-static spray on carpets and rugs:
You can find anti-static spray for your carpets and rugs from the market. Applying it won’t change your carpet; thus, the electron stream that was supposed to travel from your body to the mat would no longer be possible, hence no static electricity shock.
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Use baking soda in laundry:
Baking soda can help reduce the chances of movement of positive and negative particles. Thus, you can expect lesser cases of electrical shocks when your body isn’t charged.
Use metal objects
Keeping metal objects with you can transfer all your body’s electrons. So, if you keep a coin handy in your pocket and touch it before touching anything else, you can avoid electric shock.
Summing up:
Static electricity shock isn’t dangerous, but it isn’t very pleasant. So, you can use the tips mentioned above to avoid getting these mini shocks in the winter.
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