This message isn't OT, it will just sound that way at first.

As some of you may know, I have lived in Asia for almost 3 years now. Coming from South Texas, all my winter clothes has had to be bought here. All of it requires being line dry, unless I want to turn them into kitty-sized clothes. I'm a human ball of static all winter long. I can't find a solution to this problem, as the internet says line drying eliminates static. Apparently not. It can't just be me!!!

Anyway, my cat-related part of this issue is that whenever my cuddle-averse kitty approaches me, I end up shocking her. She now cringes away from me if I reach for her. It's breaking my heart. It wasn't so bad in Japan because they had this anti-static spray, but I can't find a similar product here, since I can't read/speak Korean. Winter in Korea is colloquially said to last 5 months. She's gonna hate me by the time this goes away.

Anyone else suffering from the bane of static?

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Make sure you discharge yourself before going to touch her - touch something metal - you will get a bit of a shock but you won't shock her.

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Have you tried "misting" the clothes you wear to reduce the static? Dryness in the air, skin and clothes tend to increase static electricity you get from friction, so increasing area humidity or lightly misting the clothes will reduce it.

Also, fabric softener or 1/2 cup vinegar in wash helps to reduce static.

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My lifelong ambition is to be a crazy cat lady. The only obstacle is my OH.

Who will go and who gets to stay? Stay tuned...

also wearing natural fabrics between layers of artificial fabrics can help prevent the build up

you can also buy anti static wrist bands like computer technicians wear that help disperse it?

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I doesn't help that I'm highly allergic to fabric softeners. (And the water here. sigh)

Generally, she is getting shocks when she comes to wake me up or comes for cuddles and I don't realize I'm "charged". I seem to be constantly charged. It's the natural fibers that are the problem. I tried tossing all my line dry onlies in the dryer on air dry with a dryer sheet and all the partially synthetic clothes are fine. But my warm layers are all wool and it didn't reduce them at all.

I'm not sure I understand the idea of misting them, since I'm hanging them up to dry when they are soaked. Since I can't actually hang them outside -- fully enclosed balconies, I don't have the benefit of wind like I did in Japan. But, since I am military, I actually have access to white vinegar, so I'll try that. White vinegar is crazy hard to find in Asia and I hear that only white vinegar works on static, cleaning, etc. Those anti-static bracelets sound interesting. Can't tell you how many students I accidentally shocked/was shocked by so far this winter.

Thanks for the ideas. I really can't wait to get back to a warm climate where the static issue is generally caused by little kids deliberately building it up.

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I suffer terribly with static, too. I've read somewhere (maybe here in the PF) that hand cream helps to disperse static through the environment. Coincidence or not, since I've been using more hand cream I haven't had this problem anymore.

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What you need is to ensure that you are 'earthed' at all times, so that any static charge that you build up is immediately discharged. You know those things you used to see dangling off the back of cars and in contact with the road? They did the same thing, to prevent the build up of static electricity. Perhaps a thin, steel chain attached to your belt that will drag along the ground will do it.

I'm only half joking.