How to De-Static a Clingy Dress

By: Lindsey Robinson Sanchez

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As you're running errands or keeping up the pace at work, few things can slow you down like static making your dress cling in all the wrong places. Friction from movement, dry air and heat can all cause a transfer of electrons and a mild electrical charge between fabrics -- or between your fabric and your skin. There are anti-static aerosol sprays to nix the cling, but if you don't have any lying around, there are other ways to cut the electrical charge and leave you as un-clingy as a freestone peach.

Step 1

Pop a dryer sheet in the dryer to prevent static cling in the first place. If it's too late for prevention, take the dryer sheet and rub it over the clingy bits on your dress -- the anti-static effect of the sheet works in or out of the dryer.

Step 2

Use plain old water to calm the electrical charge associated with static cling. Wet your hands in the bathroom and gently smooth them over your dress, or use a spray bottle to spritz lightly under and over your dress. An added bonus: If it's hot and dry out (the ideal climate for static) a spritz of water will also help cool you down and refresh your skin.

Step 3

Rub a little body lotion over your skin where your dress is clinging. A dusting of baby powder will do the trick, too. It's even okay to put a light layer of lotion over your stockings or tights, as long as it's not thick enough to leave a greasy mark.

Step 4

Spritz a little hairspray under your dress to stop the cling. Hold the can about 8 inches from your skin and give it a quick spray to eliminate static. Enlist a good friend to help you with the hard-to-reach places.

Step 5

Line dry your dress to prevent static in the first place. Your dryer, with its warm, dry heat and all those clothes rubbing against each other, is ground zero for working up that electrical charge. Line drying your clothes keeps the charge, and the static, to a minimum.

Step 6

Stick to a single fabric type in your outfit -- a cotton scarf with a cotton sheath or silk stockings to go with your silk dress. Certain fabrics, especially synthetics and natural fibers, can have an electrical attraction when rubbed up against each other.