Reducing Static

What causes Static in Dryers? 

Static in clothes and static electricity in dryers both stem from the same fundamental principle of physics: the transfer of electrons between materials. When clothes are tumbled together in a dryer, they experience friction, causing electrons to be transferred between the materials. This transfer leaves the materials with either a positive or negative charge.

When the drying cycle ends and the clothes stop moving, these positively and negatively charged materials are attracted to each other, leading to the buildup of static electricity. Factors such as the dry, heated environment inside the dryer drum and cold, dry weather outside can exacerbate static cling.

In essence, it's all about the exchange of electrons and the subsequent attraction of oppositely charged materials, resulting in the static we experience in clothes and dryers.

Ways to Reduce Static in the Dryer: 

• Dryer Sheets: Dryer sheets are a popular method for reducing static in clothes. The positively charged electrons in the fabric softener counteract the negatively charged electrons on clothing, effectively eliminating static.

• Anti-Static Dryer Balls: Using dryer balls is an effective method for reducing static in the dryer without the need for dryer sheets. Dryer balls come in various materials, such as aluminum or wool, and work by absorbing moisture in the dryer, which makes it more difficult for static to form on clothes. Wool dryer balls, for example, absorb moisture from the clothes during the drying process, helping to prevent static buildup. Similarly, aluminum dryer balls work by absorbing static electricity in the dryer, thereby reducing static cling on clothes.

• Separate Clothing: Separating your laundry by material is an effective strategy for reducing static cling, particularly with synthetic fabrics. Synthetic materials such as nylon and polyester tend to hold onto electric charges for longer periods compared to natural materials like wool or cotton. As a result, when mixed with natural fabrics in the dryer, synthetic fabrics can generate more static electricity.

• Use the Static Reduce Option (on some models): Touch to add the Static Reduce option to selected Automatic cycles. The dryer will automatically tumble and introduce a small amount of moisture into the load to help reduce static. NOTE: The Static Reduce option is intended for standard size loads, using this option with a smaller load size may result in slightly damp loads.