Sean
When you run your clothes through the dryer, a lot of friction happens between the different pieces of clothing as they spin around and rub against each other. When friction occurs between two articles of clothing, some of the electrons from one of them tend to rub off on the other, due to the energy introduced by friction. The result is that one of the articles of clothing is more positively charged and one is more negatively charged. Throughout the course of drying, some clothes get a net positive charge and some get a net negative charge. As a result, when you take your clothes out of the dryer, some of the clothes tend to cling together because opposite charges attract.
An interesting aside, you will also notice static cling in the link catcher. And you can even use it to your advantage to make it easier to remove the lint from the lint catcher. Lint is nothing but strands of fabric from your clothing that have come off during the drying process. Like the clothes in the dryer, some of the strands of lint are positively charged and some are negatively charged. To easily remove the lint from the catcher, don’t just pull at the lint with your hand. You should keep some lint in your fingertips and gently rub it against the lint that is stuck on the catcher. The static charge of lint in your hand will attract the oppositely charged strands of lint in the catcher, making it easier to pull off.
Now fabric softener, in either liquid (used in the washing machine) or dryer sheet form, helps reduce static cling. It does this by coating the strands of clothing with a layer of liquid which reduces the exchange of electrons when your clothes rub together in the dryer.
On a side note, fabric softener also helps reduce wrinkles, softens your fabrics, and adds a nice touch of scent to your clothes.
