How do I get rid of static in my dryer

Static in your tumble dryer can be incredibly annoying. It can make all of your clothes stick together, causing embarrassing incidents when clean pants fall out of your trouser leg, or there is a sock stuck on the back of your jumper. Even if you check your clothes carefully, folding your clothes when they are all stuck together adds time to the chore that you could better spend elsewhere.

So, how can you get rid of dryer static for good?

What Is Dryer Static?

In the tumble dryer, clothes are thrown around and will rub against each other. When they do, they exchange electrons, with one clothing item becoming positively charged while the other is negatively charged.

After the dryer has finished, clothes all fall to the bottom of the dryer and the negatively charged garments will stick to the positively charged pieces. It doesn’t matter about the size or shape of what will stick together or not. This is called the static cling.

How To Prevent Dryer Static

Many people buy expensive dryer sheets to add to their load which can help to reduce the static in the machine. However, there is another method that is cheaper, and you are highly likely to have the item in your home already. The answer is foil.

By creating aluminium foil balls, you can get rid of static for good, so how can you make foil balls work for you in the dryer?

You’ll need to make the balls around 3-inches in diameter. This means you’ll probably need about a four-foot long piece of foil, to begin with. Start to squish and mould the foil into a ball shape, pressing down tightly and firmly to increase the density of the ball. When you are at the outer layer, you need to make sure this is as smooth as possible, so that it doesn’t snag any of your clothes. You also need to make sure that the ball will not start to unravel or undo.

Ideally, it would help if you made three or four of these balls and they will help to eliminate the static for your next load of washing that goes into the dryer. The number of balls you’ll need will depend on the size of the dryer, but usually three to four work in a standard home tumble dryer.

These foil balls are so effective because aluminium works to discharge the static, it also helps to keep clothes separated as well. This can help to speed up drying time so that you use less energy which is great for your bills too!

The Benefits Of Using Foil Balls In The Dryer

• Cheap to make
• Uses an item that is probably already in your home
• Incredibly efficient
• Can reduce energy usage
• Will last for months (when they break, they are easy to replace)
• No harsh chemicals
• Minimal expense compared to dryer sheets.

The Benefits Of Dryer Sheets

For some people, dryer sheets are a preferred option because;

• They add fragrance to the clothes which foil balls will not do
• They soften the clothes (however a fabric softener in the wash can do this)
• They don’t make a sound in the tumble dryer, while you may hear the foil balls rattle inside the drum.

Whichever you decide, it’s a far better solution than explaining your sticky clothes to colleagues at work!