Explain my static-free winter
March 7, 2023 10:05 AM Subscribe
Dear Click and Clack: As long as we've lived in our house, every night in the winter when my wife goes to bed, she kisses me good night and we get a static shock. We've taken to discharging with our fingers before we kiss. This has been going on for years. This winter, it hasn't been an issue. Why?
I generally am on the couch, your typical fabric couch, sometimes wrapped in a fleece blanket, when she says good night. Sometimes our cat is on the couch with me. The couch sits on an Oriental carpet.
My wife might have been on the couch, or she might have been in the kitchen, or wherever. She goes to bed before I do so she says goodnight and we give each other a kiss. ZAP. Every time.
We have not had one single shock this winter.
Why?
We are in Massachusetts and while the winter has been somewhat more mild, we've still had plenty of the dry air that I usually associate with static season. I've had to use just as much moisturizer on my dry skin as every other winter.
We haven't changed up our clothing at all, we wear basically the same stuff we've always worn. Same blankets. Same cat.
Here is what is different, and maybe this has something to do with it:
Before this winter, we rearranged the furniture in our living room. And while this winter I tend to sit on a leather chair more than the couch, I still sit on the couch plenty. If it was the couch that was causing the shock, it seems like it would still be happening. I'd have to check my log book, but I'm pretty sure I got shocked last winter when I was on the leather chair.
(the part about the log book is a joke. Please do not ask me to verify something against the log book.)
The couch and the chair are still on the same carpet as before.
Ahhh... but before we rearranged the furniture, the couch was against the window, with maybe a foot and a half between the back of the couch and the exterior wall. On the floor, between the couch and the wall, is a heating register that blows warm air upwards. This would have blown warm air against the back of the couch.
Now the couch is in the middle of the room, facing the window. Warm air no longer blows against the back of the couch.
Had I not been sleeping and/or stoned in high school science, perhaps I could explain why re-arranging the furniture caused the static to go away. I suspect it has something to do with the warm air causing friction on the back of the couch. This is my theory. My theory could be completely wrong.
Is there a physicist in the house? A science teacher? Someone who paid slightly more attention in high school than I did?
Thank you, and remember, don't drive like my brother.
I generally am on the couch, your typical fabric couch, sometimes wrapped in a fleece blanket, when she says good night. Sometimes our cat is on the couch with me. The couch sits on an Oriental carpet.
My wife might have been on the couch, or she might have been in the kitchen, or wherever. She goes to bed before I do so she says goodnight and we give each other a kiss. ZAP. Every time.
We have not had one single shock this winter.
Why?
We are in Massachusetts and while the winter has been somewhat more mild, we've still had plenty of the dry air that I usually associate with static season. I've had to use just as much moisturizer on my dry skin as every other winter.
We haven't changed up our clothing at all, we wear basically the same stuff we've always worn. Same blankets. Same cat.
Here is what is different, and maybe this has something to do with it:
Before this winter, we rearranged the furniture in our living room. And while this winter I tend to sit on a leather chair more than the couch, I still sit on the couch plenty. If it was the couch that was causing the shock, it seems like it would still be happening. I'd have to check my log book, but I'm pretty sure I got shocked last winter when I was on the leather chair.
(the part about the log book is a joke. Please do not ask me to verify something against the log book.)
The couch and the chair are still on the same carpet as before.
Ahhh... but before we rearranged the furniture, the couch was against the window, with maybe a foot and a half between the back of the couch and the exterior wall. On the floor, between the couch and the wall, is a heating register that blows warm air upwards. This would have blown warm air against the back of the couch.
Now the couch is in the middle of the room, facing the window. Warm air no longer blows against the back of the couch.
Had I not been sleeping and/or stoned in high school science, perhaps I could explain why re-arranging the furniture caused the static to go away. I suspect it has something to do with the warm air causing friction on the back of the couch. This is my theory. My theory could be completely wrong.
Is there a physicist in the house? A science teacher? Someone who paid slightly more attention in high school than I did?
Thank you, and remember, don't drive like my brother.
I have no explanation, but I’m here for this question’s style and drama.
I hope someone knows so you can get the spark back into your marriage.
posted by creiszhanson at 10:57 AM on March 7, 2023 [36 favorites]
I hope someone knows so you can get the spark back into your marriage.
posted by creiszhanson at 10:57 AM on March 7, 2023 [36 favorites]
Response by poster: "We are in Massachusetts and while the winter has been somewhat more mild, we've still had plenty of the dry air that I usually associate with static season. I've had to use just as much moisturizer on my dry skin as every other winter."
humidity in the house has not changed.
posted by bondcliff at 11:05 AM on March 7, 2023
humidity in the house has not changed.
posted by bondcliff at 11:05 AM on March 7, 2023
I suspect it has something to do with the warm air causing friction on the back of the couch.
The moving air per se would not charge up the back of the couch, but any dust carried along in the air stream absolutely could, and a floor register is a pretty likely dust pickup zone.
posted by flabdablet at 11:07 AM on March 7, 2023
The moving air per se would not charge up the back of the couch, but any dust carried along in the air stream absolutely could, and a floor register is a pretty likely dust pickup zone.
posted by flabdablet at 11:07 AM on March 7, 2023
The air straight from the furnace is hotter and dryer than the air in the room, and that exacerbates any static build up. The air itself doesn't make static but the particulates in moving air definitely do. Has something changed about the dustiness or filtration? Eg a better air filter in the furnace would also reduce static buildup on the couch.
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:07 AM on March 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:07 AM on March 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Two things that impact the amount of static shock in my life:
1. When I air dry my clothes rather than using a clothes dryer.
2. When my (very straight) hair is shorter rather than longer.
posted by mcduff at 11:21 AM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
1. When I air dry my clothes rather than using a clothes dryer.
2. When my (very straight) hair is shorter rather than longer.
posted by mcduff at 11:21 AM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Literally the only change in our lives since March of 2020 is that we moved the couch back in December of 2022. We have the same hair, same clothes dryer, same fabric softener, same detergent, same clothes, same filtration, same humidity, same moisturizer products, same cat, same overwhelming sense of dread at the state of the universe.
We only moved the couch.
posted by bondcliff at 11:27 AM on March 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
We only moved the couch.
posted by bondcliff at 11:27 AM on March 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Would it be too big of a pain to move the couch back for a week and finally start that log?
posted by trig at 11:46 AM on March 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by trig at 11:46 AM on March 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
humidity in the house has not changed.
How do you know this?
A mild northeast winter generally means higher humidity levels than average. I suspect this is your answer, in whole or in part.
posted by rhymedirective at 11:50 AM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
How do you know this?
A mild northeast winter generally means higher humidity levels than average. I suspect this is your answer, in whole or in part.
posted by rhymedirective at 11:50 AM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Any difference in footwear? When you say the humidity hasn't changed, is that subjective or do you have hygrometers scattered around?
on preview- what rhymedirective said
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 11:51 AM on March 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
on preview- what rhymedirective said
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 11:51 AM on March 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
I think you’re onto something with the furnace blower.
Not only would friction with hot dry air tend to charge your couch (in the so-called 'triboelectric series', air is generally at or near the top in its propensity to lose electrons, and polyester is in the upper half of common materials in its propensity to gain them), but in the original arrangement the furnace could have been bombarding the couch with charged particles.
It’s also interesting that you and your wife would have had such different relative charges. Does either one of you have asthma or reactive airway syndrome? Because I think people with asthma tend to be positively charged to help them repel the generally positively charged particles suspended in the air.
posted by jamjam at 12:29 PM on March 7, 2023
Not only would friction with hot dry air tend to charge your couch (in the so-called 'triboelectric series', air is generally at or near the top in its propensity to lose electrons, and polyester is in the upper half of common materials in its propensity to gain them), but in the original arrangement the furnace could have been bombarding the couch with charged particles.
It’s also interesting that you and your wife would have had such different relative charges. Does either one of you have asthma or reactive airway syndrome? Because I think people with asthma tend to be positively charged to help them repel the generally positively charged particles suspended in the air.
posted by jamjam at 12:29 PM on March 7, 2023
The dryness of your skin is not a great indicator of household humidity levels (unless they are extreme swings).
I live in a 16th floor south facing apartment and run two humidifiers all winter long (my sign is Aquarius - Water Bearer and it is very very true in the winter) but my dryness ameliorating measure is counteracted by having to keep windows open all winter to avoid excess heat (we don't have thermostat control and they heat for the north side of the building's minimum requirement which puts us uncomfortably over room temp). So I only barely managed to hit about 26% relative humidity at best but that's enough to avoid shocking my cat when I give her a nose boop. If it drops to around 16-17% it is a painful zap.
The other changes that can cause shocks is if I do something to induce static charge. Like petting my cat too much, or having her go on a mouse on stick pursuit rip on our bed, or wearing some clothing that has too much synthetic fabric (socks in particular).
This year there has been very little shocking and I have been very negligent with humidifier refilling. In the past I usually had to touch my cat's toe pads to harmlessly discharge built up static shock before giving her a boop or letting her kiss my nose.
posted by srboisvert at 12:41 PM on March 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
I live in a 16th floor south facing apartment and run two humidifiers all winter long (my sign is Aquarius - Water Bearer and it is very very true in the winter) but my dryness ameliorating measure is counteracted by having to keep windows open all winter to avoid excess heat (we don't have thermostat control and they heat for the north side of the building's minimum requirement which puts us uncomfortably over room temp). So I only barely managed to hit about 26% relative humidity at best but that's enough to avoid shocking my cat when I give her a nose boop. If it drops to around 16-17% it is a painful zap.
The other changes that can cause shocks is if I do something to induce static charge. Like petting my cat too much, or having her go on a mouse on stick pursuit rip on our bed, or wearing some clothing that has too much synthetic fabric (socks in particular).
This year there has been very little shocking and I have been very negligent with humidifier refilling. In the past I usually had to touch my cat's toe pads to harmlessly discharge built up static shock before giving her a boop or letting her kiss my nose.
posted by srboisvert at 12:41 PM on March 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: When you say the humidity hasn't changed, is that subjective or do you have hygrometers scattered around?
I do not have hygrometers scattered around but I don't believe this winter and been more or less humid than other winters and there is nothing that has changed in the house this year that would affect the humidity inside.
Footwear is the same.
posted by bondcliff at 1:18 PM on March 7, 2023
I do not have hygrometers scattered around but I don't believe this winter and been more or less humid than other winters and there is nothing that has changed in the house this year that would affect the humidity inside.
Footwear is the same.
posted by bondcliff at 1:18 PM on March 7, 2023
Has your wife changed slippers by any chance? Or was she wearing socks previously and is now wearing rubber-soled slippers?
posted by Charity Garfein at 1:28 PM on March 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Charity Garfein at 1:28 PM on March 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
I do not have hygrometers scattered around but I don't believe this winter and been more or less humid than other winters
It definitely has been. I just looked up 10 random dates in 2022 and 2023 and the dew point has been about 10 points higher in 2023 than 2022 in the Boston area.
posted by rhymedirective at 2:21 PM on March 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
It definitely has been. I just looked up 10 random dates in 2022 and 2023 and the dew point has been about 10 points higher in 2023 than 2022 in the Boston area.
posted by rhymedirective at 2:21 PM on March 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: I'm having a hard time accepting that it's the humidity. This is something that happens every single night. Every single night my wife says good night to me. Every single night.
Up until this winter, every single night we got a shock. This winter, every single night there is no shock. So while on average the dew point may be higher this winter, surely there have been days when it's been similar to days last winter.
Nobody has changed slippers.
posted by bondcliff at 2:48 PM on March 7, 2023
Up until this winter, every single night we got a shock. This winter, every single night there is no shock. So while on average the dew point may be higher this winter, surely there have been days when it's been similar to days last winter.
Nobody has changed slippers.
posted by bondcliff at 2:48 PM on March 7, 2023
Possible that your fabric softner manufacturer slipped a formula revision in on you that more effectively manages static.
How often do you wash the blanket(s)? Could they be living a more fabric softened existance?
Did your municipality change its water treatment regiment or source? Maybe the water is interacting with your softner differently.
posted by Mitheral at 3:18 PM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
How often do you wash the blanket(s)? Could they be living a more fabric softened existance?
Did your municipality change its water treatment regiment or source? Maybe the water is interacting with your softner differently.
posted by Mitheral at 3:18 PM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Totally anecdotal but I also live in Massachusetts and have noticed a definitely lack of... dryness around here as well. Normally my hands are flakey and the skin on my face is a mess by this time of year... and now that you mention it, no static shocks on the reg (normally I static shock my cats a few times a week at least just by trying to pet them after walking across the room). Can we blame climate change since we've had such a mild winter so far?
posted by danapiper at 4:28 PM on March 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by danapiper at 4:28 PM on March 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm sorry, you're in this too deep to get out without moving the couch For Science.
posted by away for regrooving at 5:14 PM on March 7, 2023 [14 favorites]
posted by away for regrooving at 5:14 PM on March 7, 2023 [14 favorites]
Does the cat have a paw in this? Cat tax, please.
Also, the sweet husband and I have a shocking relationship, too. Sparks in the dark, huzzah!
posted by TrishaU at 1:52 AM on March 8, 2023
Also, the sweet husband and I have a shocking relationship, too. Sparks in the dark, huzzah!
posted by TrishaU at 1:52 AM on March 8, 2023
A friend of mine suggested that as a couch, blanket, whatever gets older it slowly gets less staticy. I would add to that drier things tend to be more staticy. So perhaps the combo of the couch getting older and more full of skin flakes and oils it is getting less staticy. Then the move of getting the air off the couch is doing less 'drying' of the couch through air movement from the dry air furnace.
This *summer* was also hotter than normal and would have shoved more oils and sweat into the couch.
posted by creiszhanson at 5:19 AM on March 8, 2023
This *summer* was also hotter than normal and would have shoved more oils and sweat into the couch.
posted by creiszhanson at 5:19 AM on March 8, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 10:57 AM on March 7, 2023