201
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by boogetyboo@aussie.zone to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

I wear UGG boots in winter because it's fucking cold.

I also wrap myself in a blanket on the couch, and have a lovely area rug so I don't have to walk on a cold floor. All these things are necessary to survive the winter; my house isn't well insulated.

The problem with all this, is that I build up a static charge. So when I go to pat my beautiful sweetheart of a dog, I zap him. It's audible and I'm sure, quite unpleasant. Often on the head. He obviously doesn't like that, I think he's taking it personally, and I feel awful. It completely cancels out the affection I'm trying to show him.

So the question for the Lemmy community is:

How do I discharge the static before I pat my dog? I have started shocking my partner (which he doesn't like, but accepts over the alternative), before patting my dog. But as he's out tonight, I have no human vessel to offer as tribute?

What can I touch in my house before patting my dog so that he doesn't receive a shock?

Edit: standard Australian house and furniture

Another edit: I'm all the sheets to the wind so the engineering advice is not sinking in. But I'm loving the immediate response that I'd never have gotten on Deaddit.

Again: I can't stop giggling at how helpful everyone is being and how short m, drunk and silly I am, in a house with apparently no metal

And again: I should probably take me and my baby to bed now, but a big thank you to everyone who replied. You've all been lovely. Lemmy is really a different space to ask these questions! I'll be trying out many of your suggestions over the weekend; big thanks from me and my boy x

Final: thanks to everyone who responded. I did try the kitchen tap again last night and this time it worked! Mustn't have built up enough charge when I tried the night I posted. I will still primarily zap my partner's leg as it's usually closer and doing it makes me laugh. It's important he understands where he fits in the household hierarchy as well. I also learnt that American houses are very different (screws and radiators everywhere!) so that was interesting too.

(page 2) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] Flyberius@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

A metal radiator might ground you.

[-] boogetyboo@aussie.zone 2 points 1 year ago
[-] Flyberius@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

Do you have anything else that might be earthed? A metal tap will probably work, so long as it is attached to a metal pipe.

[-] boogetyboo@aussie.zone 2 points 1 year ago

Like my kitchen tap? I think it's coated metal rather than, I dunno, an outdoor tap.. Would that still work?

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] Today@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

Internet says to touch the screws on a light switch panel.

[-] Kyle@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

Damn, I was going to suggest this, I do it all the time. Perhaps shuffle around and touch everything in sight until you find something that zaps and therefore discharges you. Once you find something grounding (zappy) touch that before you touch your dog.

load more comments (6 replies)
[-] thepreciousboar@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

If you really don't have anything metal in your house (metal sinks or any appliance with an outer metal shell that should be grounded), grab an extension cord, cut it and completely remove any cable that is not the yellow and geeen one, that is the earth cable (assuming in Australia that is the correct color scheme), expose that wire and touch it to discharge. Make sure the other cables are in no way exposed. If yoy want to be extra safe, buy a plug and only connect the earth cable.

/s of course, don't do that unless you know your way around AC power

load more comments (4 replies)
[-] Wea@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Can you touch the wall with your full palm before touching your pup and see if that helps?

[-] CatWinner@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I too live in a hilariously dry climate in the winter and become a human lightning rod for several months at a time. Here’s what helped me: a quarter! I carry a quarter in my pocket all winter to touch to metal (I deeply hate getting shocked myself, especially the huge static charges). You’ll need something made of metal that is grounded, though. We have metal shelves or the aforementioned light switch screws. You can also look for screws on your washing machine, doorknob, dishwasher, sink, etc. Anything with a little metal should work. Then - touch the quarter to it, hear (but don’t feel) the zap, and enjoy your dog with no fear. Hope you can find something metallic somewhere in your home!

load more comments (8 replies)
[-] krigo666@lemmings.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Simple, just touch the ground. That's what your dog conducts to. Just take the dog out the equation.

load more comments (5 replies)
[-] riku12124@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

Do you have a desktop computer? If so, and you know where the power supply is, you could touch the metal grate on that. The power supply will be earthed due to requiring a ground, and the cage itself is properly made so maintenance can be done safely by connecting an ESD wrist strap to the power supply cage.

If you don't feel or hear a shock, you have not discharged.

If you have more patience, you can wash your hands for 2 minutes and you wouldn't be statically charged. Though, that may be really cold as an after affect.

[-] boogetyboo@aussie.zone 4 points 1 year ago

Computer is so far away and dog is so close and gorgeous

Cold water on this skin? No thanks. I'll set myself on fire instead .. At least I'll be warm for the rest of my life

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Sacha@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Oh man, I feel this one. I moved to a colder climate with my cat in winter and every time I pet her, if I got close to her ears... zap. She was always like ?????? About it.

One day it just stopped happening one day and I'm not sure why. So I don't really have any advice.

You could try rubber soled footwear instead?

load more comments (7 replies)
[-] local_taxi_fix@lemmy.one 2 points 1 year ago

I usually go with the light switch/outlet screw but you said those are covered. There must be grounded metal somewhere in your house. The microwave body, a pipe or faucet, you could even get one of those grounding wrist straps that plug into the ground port on your wall socket.

[-] boogetyboo@aussie.zone 2 points 1 year ago

I could try the microwave? It's very plastic though ..

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] squaresinger@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago

Why do you wear boots on the couch? Or indoors at all?

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] mwknight@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

This happened with my cat often enough that once I went to pet him and saw him wince from my hand 😢

So after that I started doing the same things suggested here Try touching stuff around your house to see what discharges you, but also what I got in the habit of doing was tapping my cat on the back haunch before petting him. That discharged me in a much more manageable place for him and then subsequent skritches were still pleasant and appreciated.

I've tried for years to figure out how to lower the static electricity in my house, but keep coming up empty. I think it's the combination of rubber-soled slippers, carpeting and anti-static mats in the office. So at my desk, I have ran a thin sliver of tinfoil along the edge and grounded that, so when I sit it discharges through there instead of my computer.

[-] boogetyboo@aussie.zone 4 points 1 year ago

You're lovely. What a nice modification you've made for your and your pet.

I'm just a dickhead drinking on my couch and the UGGs are only for a few months. Then it's thongs (that's flip flops for you other colony types) for the rest of the year

load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›
this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2023
201 points (92.4% liked)

Asklemmy

44064 readers
756 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS