# Avoiding Static Discharge When Exiting a Car

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/avoiding-static-discharge-when-exiting-a-car/9858>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [January 26, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/avoiding-static-discharge-when-exiting-a-car/9858 "2008-01-26T16:36:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bikefortwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bikefortwo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bikefortwo)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/avoiding-static-discharge-when-exiting-a-car/9858/1 "2008-01-26T16:36:12Z")

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I used anti-static strips when I had a car with tires that caused static build-up, but they wear out fairly quickly. To avoid the problem, I developed a habit of holding onto a metal area of the door as I exit, so the charge dissipates through my shoes with no pain.

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/avoiding-static-discharge-when-exiting-a-car/9858/2 "2008-01-26T17:54:31Z")

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Seems like you’ve found a simple solution. Keep it up.

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**Author:** ![handlebar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b77776/32.png) [@handlebar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/handlebar)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 8:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/avoiding-static-discharge-when-exiting-a-car/9858/3 "2008-12-16T08:09:28Z")

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I don’t think tires are often a problem. Working with electronic components far more sensitive than humans, anything less than 35 million ohms to ground is ideal. When I was getting shocks, I found that my car tires presented only 230,000 ohms.

Some car upholstery won’t dissipate static. A driver may handle only plastic while exiting, and polyurethane shoe soles can present billions of ohms. A soap film will dissipate static. I solved my problem by using a soapy washcloth to wipe my upholstery all the way to grounded metal.

Another approach is to wipe the edges of polyurethane soles with a soapy cloth. The resulting film will let static drain past the soles to the carpet or pavement. If you lose your soap film walking on a wet lawn, you may start getting shocks later.