Banish Static With Our 3 Favorite Anti-Static Sprays
Some of the sprays we tested were no better than water
When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.
Fresh laundry is one of life’s perennial delights, but the static cling accompanying it often is not. And because we don’t recommend dryer sheets (read all about why here), it does leave the question of what to do when your clothes are sticking to themselves as you head out the door.
- Products We Tested: Begley's Bounce Downy Grove Co. Anti Static Spray Static Guard Static Schmatic
- How We Tested
Begley’s aced our anti-static test, eliminating static from freshly dried socks and microfiber cloths for 30 minutes. It has an easy-to-use bottle and an unscented formula. I detected an ever-so-slight floral scent despite its unscented claim, but there’s nothing on the ingredients list that would indicate fragrance, and it’s so faint, anyway, that I had to press my nose directly against the sprayed fabric to detect even a hint.
This is the anti-static spray I’ll continue to buy once winter hits the East Coast and all my clothes begin to stick to themselves again.
This anti-static spray extinguished the static electricity in our test for 30 minutes. It has an even spray from an aerosol can that’s easier to use than a standard spray bottle, so it’s a good option for those with sensitive hands and wrists. The scent is artificial but light, so it’s unlikely to be noticed by others unless you really go wild with it. Keep in mind that aerosols can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), so use sparingly.
Grove’s anti-static spray has a light, lovely scent that I’d happily use on clothes that needed a refresher. The formula eliminated some, but not all, static in our tests.
Other Anti-Static Sprays We Tested
These products failed to impress us. Definitely skip them.
This had absolutely zero smell, comparable to water. In our anti-static test, we found that its performance is also comparable to water, so you might as well use H2O from the tap and save your money.
To its credit, the Bounce Instant Static Remover+ was able to remove some static from our staticky microfiber cloths and toddler socks in our tests, but its fragrance is so overpowering that it’s not really worth it unless you’re fond of strong artificial scents that are supposedly modeled after the outdoors. It comes in a tall, pressurized can with an easy-to-use sprayer.
The Downy Wrinkle Releaser+ failed each and every one of our tests. It was unable to abolish static better than water; the large bottle is ungainly and difficult to hold, with an overly wide and aggressive spray; and most egregiously, it projects a horrendous scent that in no way smells light and fresh. It is, instead, reminiscent of a spray a teen uses in the basement to cover up illicit odors.
How We Tested
José Amézquita performed several tests in the lab at Consumer Reports, while I evaluated certain aspects of the sprays at home.
José washed new microfiber cloths and toddler socks in a washing machine, then dried them on high heat for 30 minutes. After ensuring that all the fabric samples were staticky, he sprayed each with an anti-static spray or water, then threw it back into the dryer for 5 minutes. He did this for a total of 30 minutes. He then repeated the test from the beginning but changed course by tossing the items sprayed with anti-static back into the dryer for 10 minutes rather than 30.
Finally, he washed and dried the socks and cloths, sprayed the cloths with anti-static spray or water, then put them one by one into the dryer for 10 minutes accompanied by four socks. He scored each spray by how well it was able to keep the cloths and socks static-free. (Fun fact: Water works at eliminating static for a few minutes, but once it evaporates, the effect is gone.)
At home, I looked at how easy the spray cans were to hold and use, how even the spray was, and how each spray smelled. I did this by spraying microfiber cloths with the anti-static sprays and evaluating the process and the fragrance left on each.
