# is the lack of humidity here causing static electricity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783 "2003-02-13T07:38:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/1 "2003-02-13T07:38:07Z")
This apartment i just moved into has static electricity everywhere, but its not just the apartment. When i drive around town, and try to exit or enter the car, touching the car door shocks me too sometimes. Not only that, but i had 3 nosebleed last month, and my snot is bloody sometimes (like today). I’m guessing this is caused by low humidity, would i be right? What is a regular humidity %? the weatherbug software program i has says it is 62% humidity in this town right now. Would buying a humidifier for my apartment be my best bet to avoid nosebleeds & static shock? i’m pretty sure low humidity is to blame for them. ---
**Author:** ![something\_clever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@something\_clever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/something_clever)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/2 "2003-02-13T07:45:03Z")
sounds about right. i would blame it on the car, as i had to drive a rental ford mustang for a month and i always got shocked no matter what, but i doubt you got a new car and moved into a new apartment. when it gets dryer static electricity seems to increase around here too… but that isnt very often so i dont have a big problem with it. have you seen office space? you should just buy a drill 😃 ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/3 "2003-02-13T11:18:01Z")
Yeah it is the humidity. You can wear special shoes that leak charge from your body to the floor. These are products used in industries where static sensitive equipment is used. I wonder if a thumbtack put through the sole of your shoe, from the inside, would work. A water feature in the house would be nice. Maybe a saline nose spay can help minimise nosebleads. 62% isnt that low. Does the apartment have air conditioning? If so that would drop the humidity much lower. Also the type of carpet and shoes you wear affect the static. Very good insulators tend to build up static. A spraybottle turned to mist is a cheap humidifier. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/4 "2003-02-13T11:52:09Z")
I’m betting that you mean that the tack should be stuck into the OUTSIDE of the shoe sole. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/5 "2003-02-13T12:12:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cardinal \* > \*\*I’m betting that you mean that the tack should be stuck into the OUTSIDE of the shoe sole. \*\* No, inside. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/6 "2003-02-13T12:15:40Z")
No, outside. Let me demonstrate. Ouch! Ouch! Wait a minute, maybe it _was_ supposed to be inside. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/7 "2003-02-13T13:17:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by antechinus \* > \*\* > 62% isnt that low. \*\* When the weather person says 62% humidity he/she means 62% _relative_ humidity. That means the air is holding 62% of the humidity it can hold _at that temperature_. Cold air can’t hold much moisture. So, if the air temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit (or whatever) the air is going to feel dry even if the relative humidity is 100%. Buying a humidifier is probably your best bet. Even getting one of those little ones to put in your bedroom when you sleep will help. Fabric softener will help with static in your clothing, too. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/8 "2003-02-14T03:35:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AllShookDown \* > \*\*When the weather person says 62% humidity he/she means 62% _relative_ humidity. That means the air is holding 62% of the humidity it can hold _at that temperature_. Cold air can’t hold much moisture. So, if the air temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit (or whatever) the air is going to feel dry even if the relative humidity is 100%. > > Buying a humidifier is probably your best bet. Even getting one of those little ones to put in your bedroom when you sleep will help. Fabric softener will help with static in your clothing, too. \*\* Yes, thank you. 40-60 % relative humidity is the range that we air condition our offices at. 60% relative is at the high end for indoors. We start to get static at about 35 - 40% relative indoors. At 60% rh, I would be surprised to find static; if it is 60% outside it may be about 40% inside, due to air conditioning. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/9 "2003-02-14T05:10:44Z")
Just to clear things up a little, a lack of humidity doesn’t cause static electricty. Rather, humidity makes it difficult for charges differentials to build up on surfaces as the water in the air makes for a good conductor to drain those charges away. Low humidity = dry air = less conduction. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/10 "2003-02-14T05:25:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Calculus of Logic \* > This apartment i just moved into has static electricity everywhere, but its not just the apartment. When i drive around town, and try to exit or enter the car, touching the car door shocks me too sometimes. And this should be a warning not to enter/exit your vehicle while refueling. You run the risk of a static discharge igniting fumes and causing a fire. See [http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/static.asp](http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/static.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/11 "2003-02-14T21:05:58Z")
I still don’t get this. Are you guys saying that the tack’s point would manage to go through the sole of the shoe and stab you? I don’t know of any tacks that long (unless you’re wearing women’s heels or something). Wouldn’t the point be to ruin the insulating effect of rubber soles by having the piece of metal make contact with the ground? ---
**Author:** ![Lagged2Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lagged2Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagged2Death)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/12 "2003-02-14T21:57:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Calculus of Logic \* > **When i drive around town, and try to exit or enter the car, touching the car door shocks me too sometimes.** This is caused by your clothes rubbing against the seat as you enter and exit the vehicle. I’m guessing you have cloth seats, which are full of highly static-prone synthetic textiles. And your coat is probably either made of synthetics or wool, both of which are static-friendly. And your coat has probably never been exposed to any static-fighting fabric softeners - after all, how often do you launder a heavy winter coat? My SO has had a couple of company cars that exhibited this problem badly. We solved it by hosing the seats down with a heavy dose of static-guard areosol spray. It has to be re-applied every few weeks, so we just keep a can in the car. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/13 "2003-02-15T00:41:17Z")
As to relative humidity: when the weather report tells you that the (relative) humidity is, say, 60%, that means that the outdoor air, at whatever temperature it is, contains 60% of the moisture that it can. But - and there’s a big but - (and don’t take that personally) - when that winter air is brought indoors and warmed up, it doesn’t also get additional moisture added, so at its new warmer temperature it’s still holding the same amount of moisture it came inside with. That’s a lot less than it CAN hold, now that it’s warmed up. So its relative humidity drops to very low levels - often well below the minimal comfort levels of 30% or so. So, that means that despite what the weatherman says, your house is a whole lot drier - ergo, static electricity, nosebleeds, etc. Yes - get a humidifier. It will make a world of difference. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/14 "2003-02-18T00:02:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cardinal \* > \*\*I still don’t get this. Are you guys saying that the tack’s point would manage to go through the sole of the shoe and stab you? I don’t know of any tacks that long (unless you’re wearing women’s heels or something). > > Wouldn’t the point be to ruin the insulating effect of rubber soles by having the piece of metal make contact with the ground? \*\* I will explain - If you put a thumbtack through the sole of the shoe, from the inside, the point is sticking towards the ground. The flat bit would be up against your sock - right?. Yes, yes?. OK. The idea was that the tack would leak charge from the body (moist sock) to the ground. What you dont want is a well insulated body, as this is what leads to a buildup of charge. This is a large potential between the body and surrounding objects which discharges when the two are brought close enough together. OK. Get it? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/15 "2003-02-18T03:21:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Calculus of Logic \* > \*\*Not only that, but i had 3 nosebleed last month, and my snot is bloody sometimes (like today). > > I’m guessing this is caused by low humidity, would i be right? \*\* Yes, low humidity can lead to nose bleeds. For remedy, drink lots of liquids and humidify. Or, (and remember, I’m not a doctor) sesame oil: [SESAME OIL FOR NASAL CONGESTION](http://www.drmirkin.com/morehealth/9833.html) [Pure Sesame Oil vs Isotonic Sodium Chloride Solution as Treatment for Dry Nasal Mucosa](http://archotol.ama-assn.org/issues/v127n11/abs/ooa10013.html) And the only two sites I’ve found where you can get Nozoil shipped to the U.S. … [Nozoil Nasal Spray 10ml](http://www.westons.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Nm_Nz_684.html) [Nozoil Dry Nose Nasal Spray 10ml](http://www.expresschemist.co.uk/product_2268_NOZ2268.html) ## Peace. Pokénose League: “I pick you, Scabby!” ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-lack-of-humidity-here-causing-static-electricity/154783/16 "2003-02-18T03:25:27Z")
For the carpets in your home try a spay bottle of water with some fabric softner. For your car just make sure you’re touching metal as you get out.