FAQs

1. The concrete sidewalk will ground you. Take a barefoot walk or go sit on the curb.
2. The copper cold water pipe in your home is grounded, so washing your hands and taking a shower will ground you. If you have access to the pipe, you can sit with your hands on it.
3. Other surfaces that will ground you include:

• Soil (Must be touching the earth. Cannot be in an enclosed box or plant pot.)
• Sand
• Gravel
• Rock
• Unsealed brick
• Bodies of water (like the ocean, lakes, and streams)
• Living trees

The earth is endowed with a virtually limitless supply of mobile electrons that gives the ground we walk on (as well as our lakes and oceans) a natural negative electric charge. Making direct contact with this negative electric charge, AKA “grounding,” replenishes the electrons that we use up in our normal body processes like breathing, digestion, etc.

Because we no longer sleep on the ground or walk barefoot everywhere we go, we have disconnected ourselves from this important source of electrons.

Grounding is accessible to everyone and is as simple as walking or sitting barefoot outdoors. If outside is impossible and/or you need more time grounded each day (which most people do!), you can use our indoor Earthing® products to connect to the earth while you sleep, relax, or work.

Your body is a good conductor of free electrons. We have seen that when people are grounded in experiments with Earthing® Patches placed on the bottom of their feet (simulating standing barefoot on the Earth), they sometimes feel a tingling sensation moving up the legs. We associate this with the movement of electrons from the Earth up into the body. People say they often feel the same sensation when walking barefoot along the wet sand at the beach.

In our research, we have “clocked” the speed of this activity. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to reach the upper body, such as your shoulder. A knee would be reached faster as it is closer to the grounded feet.

No. However, everybody’s body needs to be grounded and will benefit from being grounded in some way, but we are all different and so we will all have different experiences.

Your experience with grounding may be quick and obvious, or subtle and gradual over time.

Yes, as long as you’re touching the person he or she will be grounded!

It depends on the water!

Pure water like distilled water or snow has no minerals or salts dissolved in it and so is a poor conductor of grounded energy. When certain minerals, such as salt, are added to pure water, then the water becomes conductive (as a result of dissolution that breaks the salt into its components, electrically-positive sodium and negative chlorine).

The following types of water WILL ground you:

• Ocean Water: It’s full of dissolved salts and minerals and represents a superb conductive medium for grounding.
• Lakes & Rivers: They generally contain less minerals and salts than the ocean but they are still good conductors.
• Mineral Hot Springs: The high mineral and salt content will ground you.

The following types of water MAY ground you:

Swimming pool: Yes if you have a salt water pool and the water is in contact with a metal drain pipe going into the ground. Normal tap water in a pool can also be conductive, but again, it needs to be in contact with a metal fixture going into the ground.

Bathtubs, Showers, and Facets: Tap water contains minerals and salts and is conductive, but as with the pools, it must be running through metal pipes that go into the ground in order to ground you..

No. Ideally, you would be grounded 24/7 so sleeping grounded gives you a large block of grounded time, so it’s a great idea in that regard. Additionally, because your body is undergoing its normal repair cycles while you sleep, this is a great time to be grounded.

There is no hard and fast answer to this question because the health of your body is different from the health of everyone else in the world.

The best answer: Ground as often as you can, as much as you can.

Ideally, you would be grounded 24 hours a day, which is one of the reasons why sleeping grounded is so helpful – it gets you grounded for a large block of time.

Trees are made of wood, which is an insulating substance that does not ground you. However, the sap of the tree is grounded and so trees do have the ability to ground you, especially when the tree is wet from rain or moist from humidity. The grounding effect from a tree isn’t as strong as when you’re in direct contact with the Earth because wood is insulating, but it is still generally present.

If you’d like to know for sure if a certain tree will ground you, test it with our Continuity Tester.

A final thought: Trees resonate with their own frequencies and energies which also creates a positive, calming experience when you touch or hug it. So we suggest hugging a tree any time you feel the need! Just watch out for ants. 

No, it’s not. Throughout practically all of history, humans have walked barefoot on the Earth. They have sat and slept on conductive animal skins, and fashioned those skins into footwear. Living like this enabled our predecessors to absorb the Earth’s natural energy into their bodies at all times.

Over time, as we’ve “advanced” as a society, we’ve disconnected ourselves more and more from touching the Earth. Today, everyone is chronically disconnected from ground and as a society, we largely live our lives indoors.

During the late 1880s, a back-to-nature movement in Germany featured walking barefoot and sleeping directly on the Earth. For more on this movement, refer to the Earthing book.

At Earthing Canada®, we’re committed to spreading the message that we all need to reconnect. We encourage everyone to get outside and put their bare feet on the ground whenever possible. We’ve created products that allow you to be connected to the ground while you’re sleeping, working, and living your life indoors.

No, it’s impossible to be grounded too much. (You can definitely be UN-grounded too much though!)

Your body uses up electrons in many metabolic processes each day, including the basic process of cellular energy production, so there is always an ongoing demand for electron replenishment.

When you ground yourself on a routine basis, you are, in a sense, filling your electron tank which maintains the electrical stability of your body.

Most footwear today is made with plastic/rubber composite soles and do not conduct the Earth’s electric energy.

Shoes with leather/hide soles, which were the primary footwear material in the past, or specially designed conductive/electrostatic discharge shoes will ground you if you are walking on a conductive surface.

Please note: Dry leather isn’t conductive, but damp leather is. When your foot perspires and moisture from the ground dampens the leather, the energy from the Earth is able to travel through the leather and into your body. Also, very thick leather soles may not allow moisture through, so a thinner sole is better for conduction.

Check out our Grounders Flip Flops that will ground you while walking on a conductive surface.

It depends on the floor! You can check your floor using the Earthing® Continuity Tester.

NOT GROUNDED:

• Wood floors
• Vinyl floors
• Glazed tiles
• Unfinished tiles applied over wood, plywood, plastic, or vinyl understructure and/or tiles adhered with a petrochemical bonding material

GROUNDED:

• Unsealed concrete floors built directly on the Earth (polished is fine)
• Unsealed stone built directly on the Earth (polished is fine)
• Unsealed/unpainted tile attached without a petrochemical bonding material to a concrete slab that is built right on the Earth

1. Go barefoot (sit, stand, walk, run) outside on the Earth for half an hour or more each day. Conductive surfaces include: soil, grass, sand, gravel, rock, unsealed concrete, and unsealed brick.
2. Moist, living trees are usually conductive so hugging a tree is always an option. (Test with a Continuity Tester to be certain.)
3. Swim/wade in the ocean/lake/river for a half and hour or more each day.
4. Connect to the ground indoors using our Earthing® products while sleeping, working, watching TV, etc.

Conductive Surfaces Include:

• Soil
• Grass
• Sand
• Gravel
• Rock (that is touching the earth)
• Unsealed concrete or concrete with a water-based sealant
• Unsealed brick or brick with a water-based sealant
• Bodies of water (like the ocean, lakes, and streams)
• Most living trees, especially with wet bark (test with the Conductivity Tester to verify)
• Living plants

Note: Moist surfaces will be more conductive than dry surfaces.

Non-Conductive Surfaces Include:

• Asphalt
• VinylPlastic
• Tar or tarmac
• Cut wood
• Painted or chemically-sealed concrete

Most sleeping bags are made of insulating and synthetic materials and you will not be grounded in them unless you stick an arm or foot out of the bag and make direct contact with the Earth.

Many people like to take our Earthing® Universal Mat or an Earthing® Pillow Cover along with an Earthing® Ground Rod camping with them. By attaching the Earthing® product to the Ground Rod, which then goes directly into the earth, you can be connected to the ground and still be warm and protected in your sleeping bag.

We always advise people to make grounding part of their daily routine. Your body has an ongoing need to replenish the negative electrons that the earth provides, so if you aren’t grounding daily, you aren’t able to take in new electrons to replace the ones used up by your body’s cellular activity.

ESD shoes are primarily designed for discharging static electricity, but to a degree they ground the body beneficially. They are better than regular shoes but not as good as going barefoot.

The difference between grounding and static discharge is that grounding instantly equalizes your body at Earth’s potential.

Static discharge (generally called a soft ground or a dissipative ground) is designed to slowly bleed off static electrical charges (contact and separation charges). These charges are created on the body by clothing and shoes whenever you move your clothing with arm movement or when you walk or sit on any synthetic material.

We do not recommend this.

Official Earthing® products are specifically designed for safe, biological grounding of people. They have a built-in resistor that limits the flow of current in order to prevent the possibility that electricity could flow through the connecting wire and possibly hurt someone. The resistor allows the Earth’s natural energy to come through but not any potentially harmful electricity. In this respect, the resistor acts like a “kink” in a hose, curbing the flow. This is similar to the system utilized throughout the world to prevent electricity and static from damaging sensitive electronic parts.

Earthing® products are a convenient and safe way to get grounded for more hours each day.

Our ancestors walked barefoot on the earth, wrapped their feet in conductive leather, and slept on animal hides on the ground. Such practices were part of the ordinary way of life throughout history. Our ancestors were always grounded. This is the ideal but no longer how we all live.

We rarely go outside barefoot, except as kids romping in the summer, or when we’re at the beach. We wear insulated shoes and we sleep on elevated beds inside our insulted houses.

Earthing products were created to address the issue of comfort, convenience, reality, and practicality. The products are basically “extension cords” that bring the Earth’s energy from outside into the office and home, simulating being barefoot outside. They were developed to satisfy the growing requests from people wanting to sleep, work, or relax while grounded indoors.

You can’t ground yourself to the Earth while driving a vehicle. However, you can put an Auto Seat Mat on the car seat and connect the cord with an alligator clip to the metal chassis under the seat. The sweat from your body will create a channel of moisture and conductivity through your clothes to the mat.

The chassis represents a relative ground plane, enough to act as a “sink” into which you discharge the static electricity that builds up on the body as a result of the clothes you wear rubbing against the seat. This rubbing action, brought about by the vibration of the moving car, creates the static electricity on your body.

Direct skin contact is always best. However, the Earthing® Sleep Mat may be placed under your fitted sheet with complete grounding success!

Shortly after lying down, perspiration and environmental humidity will hydrate your fitted sheet more than enough for your body to absorb electrons from the Earthing Sleep Mat and equalize your body with the negative electrical charge of the earth.

Helpful Tips:

• SHEETS: Natural fiber sheets like cotton or bamboo allow a faster and stronger grounding connection than man-made materials like polyester.
• PAJAMAS: If you choose to place your Earthing® Mat under your fitted sheet, please don’t wear pajamas. If you place your Earthing® Mat on top of your fitted sheet, then wearing pajamas is fine.
• SOCKS: Your feet are one of the most readily conductive areas of your body, so sleeping without socks is best.

Yes! There is nothing that would cause conflict with the function of either.

The Sleep Mat and Mattress Cover are 100% conductive and create the perfect ground plane on your bed. Direct skin contact is always best. However, you can wear pajamas with complete grounding success.

Shortly after lying down, perspiration and environmental humidity will hydrate your nightwear more than enough for your body to absorb electrons from the Earthing Sleep Mat and equalize your body with the negative electrical charge of the earth.

Helpful Tips:

• SHEETS: If you wear pajamas, place the Sleep Mat on top of the fitted sheet so there is only the layer of the pajamas in between you and the Mat.
• PAJAMAS: Thin natural materials like cotton or bamboo allow the fastest and strongest grounding connection.
• SOCKS: Your feet are one of the most readily conductive areas of your body, so sleeping without socks is best.

Yes, you can. Feet naturally sweat and will hydrate socks, particularly thinner socks and socks made from natural fibers like cotton and bamboo, which facilitate the ability of the Earth’s energy to rise up into the body.

You can wear thicker socks and socks made from synthetic materials, but it will take longer for the sweat to penetrate through them and create the conduction needed to transfer the Earth’s energy.

Yes, absolutely. They are as safe for your pet as walking on the earth outside.

No, because Earthing® products do not run on electricity. They are used in your home through the grounded port of your wall outlet. No electricity runs through the grounded port.

If your outlet ISN’T grounded, you two options:

• Use an Earthing® Ground Rod to connect the Earthing® products to the ground outside
•  Call an electrician to come convert your outlets to a grounded system.

(Generally older homes, built before the 1960s, will not have grounded outlets and will require the use of a ground rod or the services of an electrician to do some updating on the electrical system.)

Your Earthing® order comes with an Type F Outlet Checker to see if your outlets are grounded. If you live in a country that has a different type of outlet, you will need to purchase an Outlet Checker for that outlet type as well as an Outlet Adaptor.

Yes. Using Earthing® products is akin to placing your bare feet on the earth. There are no contraindications.

Our non-toxic Earthing® mats are made from our patented conductive carbon leatherette. The leatherette is a composite of Polyurethane (PU) resin infused with conductive carbon pigment. It has a buttery soft feel akin to a vegan leather. It has been 3rd party tested to be free of lead, Azo dyes, and phthalates.

Polyurethane (PU): This material is what makes the Earthing® sleeping mats so durable while being environmentally-friendly, breathable, soft, and flexible. This leather look-alike is consumer-friendly and safe, unlike older PVC leathers which were full of plasticizers and heavy metal elements like lead. It is vinyl-free and phthalate-free.

Conductive Carbon Pigment: Carbon is the 2nd most abundant element in the human body (after oxygen) and is what conducts the earth’s energy. It also makes the mat naturally flame-resistant without needing to add harsh chemicals.

FABRIC BACKING: The sleep mat has a soft fabric backing made from a cotton/polyester blend that is latex free.

MAT STRAPS: The mat straps do include a latex yarn to ensure a secure fit to your mattress.

OFF-GASSING: Prior to packaging, the mats undergo a thorough off-gassing procedure to ensure a peaceful, grounded rest right out of the box.

CLEANING: The sleep mat may be wiped down using soap and water on a damp cloth or sponge. Don’t ever spray with household products like furniture polish or Armor All® which will make the mat lose its conductivity. Air dry the mat. Never put it in the dryer.

Direct skin contact is always best. However, the Earthing® Sleep Mat may be placed under your fitted sheet with complete grounding success!

Shortly after lying down, perspiration and environmental humidity will hydrate your fitted sheet more than enough for your body to absorb electrons from the Earthing Sleep Mat and equalize your body with the negative electrical charge of the earth.

Helpful Tips:

• SHEETS: Natural fiber sheets like cotton or bamboo allow a faster and stronger grounding connection than man-made materials like polyester.
• PAJAMAS: If you choose to place your Earthing® Mat under your fitted sheet, please don’t wear pajamas. If you place your Earthing® Mat on top of your fitted sheet, then wearing pajamas is fine.
• SOCKS: Your feet are one of the most readily conductive areas of your body, so sleeping without socks is best.

Yes, as long as you have grounded outlets and you may need an outlet adapter. Please see below for details about each type of wall outlet.

Please note: If you are outside of Canada your country may have more than one type of outlet so read this page in its entirety.

Ground Rod: The most simple way to use Earthing® anywhere in the world is with an Earthing® Ground Rod placed in the soil outside a window or door. This is especially helpful if you don’t have grounded outlets.

Universal Adapter: Do not buy a universal adapter. Some universal adapters look like they have the Earth/ground connection but when tested they do not work. Others have loose intermittent connections that will minimize the benefits you expect from Earthing® products. If you do not have a grounded outlet, you will have to use a Ground Rod or have an electrician connect your electrical outlets to the Earth.

Voltage: Earthing® products do not operate on electricity, so it does not matter what the electrical current is in your country (whether 110 volts or 240 volts, etc). All Earthing® product connection cords do contain a current limiting 100k ohm resistor.

TYPE “B” WALL OUTLETS

Used in: The United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and parts of the Carribean

1. Ensure your outlet is grounded. Check it with the Outlet Checker provided in your Earthing.com order or with a simple outlet checker you can purchase at your local electrical supply or hardware store.
2. The cords that come with Earthing® products are designed to fit directly into the ground port (bottom hole) of your three prong wall outlet or they may be used with an Earthing® Ground Rod placed in the soil outside your window or door.

Please Note: Outlets with only two holes have no Earth/ground present. This is quite common in older homes. In this situation, you must use a Ground Rod or have an electrician come in and ground your outlets.

TYPE “I” WALL OUTLETS

Used in: American Samoa, Argentina, Australia, China, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Okinawa, Panama, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent, Tajikistan, Tonga, and Uruguay

1. Ensure your outlet is grounded. Check it using a simple outlet checker that you can purchase at your local electrical supply or hardware store or buy the Earthing® Type I Outlet Checker. If you do not have grounded outlets, you must use the Earthing® Ground Rod or have an electrician come in and ground your outlets.
2. To successfully use Earthing® products in your grounded Type I wall outlets, please use the Earthing® Type I Outlet Adapter.

TYPE “E/F” WALL OUTLETS

Used in: Algeria, American Samoa, Aruba, Austria, Azores, Balearic Islands, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Chad, Croatia, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Korea, Laos, Luxembourg, Madeira, Monaco, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Niger, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Turkey, and Uruguay

1. Ensure your outlet is grounded. Check it using a simple outlet checker that you can purchase at your local electrical supply or hardware store. If you do not have grounded outlets, you must use the Earthing® Ground Rod or have an electrician come in and ground your outlets.
2. To successfully use Earthing® products in your grounded Type F wall outlets, please use the Type E/F Outlet Adapter (Europe).

TYPE “G” WALL OUTLETS

Used in: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Channel Islands, China, Cyprus, Dominica, El Salvador, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

1. Ensure your outlet is grounded. Check it using a simple outlet checker that you can purchase at your local electrical supply or hardware store or buy the Earthing® Type G Outlet Checker. If you do not have grounded outlets, you must use the Earthing® Ground Rod or have an electrician come in and ground your outlets.
2. To successfully use Earthing® products in your grounded Type G wall outlets, please use the Earthing® Type G Outlet Adapter.

TYPE “K” WALL OUTLETS

Used in: Bangladesh, Denmark, Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Guinea, Madagascar, Maldives, St. Vincent, Senegal, and Tunisia

1. To ensure your outlet is grounded. Check it using a simple outlet checker that you can purchase at your local electrical supply or hardware store or buy the Earthing® Type K Outlet Checker. If you do not have grounded outlets, you must use the Earthing® Ground Rod or have an electrician come in and ground your outlets.
2. To successfully use Earthing® products in your grounded Type K wall outlets, please use the Earthing® Type K Outlet Checker.

Our conductive black carbon material is inherently antimicrobial and can be wiped down with a damp cloth.

For an occasional deeper clean, we recommend a simple 3-step cleaning process:

1. Wipe down the outside of your product using a damp cloth mixed with a small amount of mild household soap.
2. Use a clean, damp cloth to thoroughly wipe away the soap. (This prevents buildup which blocks conductivity.)
3. Let your product air dry.

Important: Never use a cleaning agent containing bleach, disinfectants, oils, or whitening agents as they can ruin the conductivity of your Earthing® product. Never put your product in the washing machine or dryer.

Our conductive black carbon material is inherently antimicrobial and can be wiped down with a damp cloth.

For an occasional deeper clean, we recommend a simple 3-step cleaning process:

1. Wipe down the outside of your product using a damp cloth mixed with a small amount of mild household soap.
2. Use a clean, damp cloth to thoroughly wipe away the soap. (This prevents buildup which blocks conductivity.)
3. Let your product air dry.

Important: Never use a cleaning agent containing bleach, disinfectants, oils, or whitening agents as they can ruin the conductivity of your Earthing® product. Never put your product in the washing machine or dryer.

Yes, you can! Even if the silver in your Earthing® fitted sheet is no longer conducting on its own, the semiconductive properties of cotton combined with your body’s heat and perspiration will allow the mat to work perfectly through the fitted sheet.

Yes, you do. Plugging the Coil Cord into the Outlet Adapter ensures you will have a tight grounded connection.

The Safe-T Cube Adapter included in your order is also a space-saving device that gives you the ability to use two Earthing® Products in a single 3-prong outlet within the U.S. Simply plug both Earthing devices into the Outlet Adapter and then plug it into one of your 3-prong outlets.

Please Note: Use the Outlet Checker (Ground Tester) first to make sure your outlet is properly grounded before plugging in the Outlet Adapter.

For convenience sake, many people like to leave their Patch Kit (90) Count on their body even when they’re not connected to a cord.

Two to three days is the maximum amount of time we recommend leaving a Patch on your skin at one time.

When you remove the Patch, if you would like to put on a new Patch, place it in a slightly different spot so you don’t irritate your skin.

Yes, you absolutely can take the Patch off when you are done using it each time. You don’t need to leave it on for 2-3 days. It’s a matter of preference.

Over many years of observation and study, we have found that there are three prime locations for placing the patches.

1. To target your upper body (from the waist up), place the patches on the palms of your hands.
2. To target your lower body (below the waist), place the patches on the K1 spot on the soles of your feet.
3. To target a specific area, place the patch directly on that area of the body, or adjacent to it.

TIPS:

• Use two patches on your palms and two patches on your soles, by purchasing either an additional Earthing® Patch Kit or two additional Coil Cords.

If the adhesive on your individual Earthing® Patch isn’t sticky anymore, this doesn’t necessarily mean the Patch is no longer conductive.

What matters is that the gel in the centre of the patch is still in contact with your skin. If it is, then the Patch is still conductive and you can use tape or Band-Aids or whatever works to keep the Patch on your body.

If the gel is no longer in contact with your skin, then discard the Patch and open a new one.

The Sleep Mat and Mattress Cover are 100% conductive and create the perfect ground plane on your bed. Direct skin contact is always best. However, you can wear pajamas with complete grounding success.

Shortly after lying down, perspiration and environmental humidity will hydrate your nightwear more than enough for your body to absorb electrons from the Earthing Sleep Mat and equalize your body with the negative electrical charge of the earth.

Helpful Tips:

• SHEETS: If you wear pajamas, place the Sleep Mat on top of the fitted sheet so there is only the layer of the pajamas in between you and the Mat.
• PAJAMAS: Thin natural materials like cotton or bamboo allow the fastest and strongest grounding connection.
• SOCKS: Your feet are one of the most readily conductive areas of your body, so sleeping without socks is best.

Yes, you can. Feet naturally sweat and will hydrate socks, particularly thinner socks and socks made from natural fibers like cotton and bamboo, which facilitate the ability of the Earth’s energy to rise up into the body.

You can wear thicker socks and socks made from synthetic materials, but it will take longer for the sweat to penetrate through them and create the conduction needed to transfer the Earth’s energy.

Yes, there is no conflict using Earthing® products at the same time as these electric devices.

Yes, you can Earthing product on TOP of a magnetic mattress pad.

Magnets will not interfere with grounding and may even help the electrons involved in grounding get distributed faster in the body.

Do NOT place the Earthing® Mat under the magnetic mattress pad. You will lose the grounding effect.

No, Earthing® products are designed to give you the same amount of electron transfer as you would receive if you were barefoot on the earth. They are the same.

The difference is when you go outside you’re also receiving fresh air and sunshine and those will positively affect your body in other ways.

There is no constant measurable current flow beyond the instant equalization charge transferred to the body when a person makes contact with an Earthing® product.

Once your body is grounded, the rate of influx changes, and you continue to absorb enough electrons to maintain the same electrical potential as the Earth and to restore what is being lost as a result of ongoing metabolic processes within you.

This amount of electrons varies significantly between people depending upon their lifestyle and activity and is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to measure.

Type B Outlets: Earthing® products are designed to be used with an Earthing® Ground Rod placed in the soil outside through a window or door, or via a grounded three-prong wall outlet inside the home or office. (We do have Extension Cords to extend the length of the Ground Rod cord if you need an additional 40 ft of length.)

In the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and parts of the Caribbean, the electrical systems in homes and offices that have been grounded utilize what is known as “Type B” electrical wall outlets. The third hole is the grounded port. This is the type of outlet the Earthing® products will fit into without needing an adapter.

Other Types Of Outlets: There are many different three prong outlet configurations around the world though and some are grounded and others are not. For this reason, if you want to plug into a wall outlet you will need to determine first whether your outlet is indeed grounded. An electrician can determine this for you, or you can purchase a simple outlet ground checker at an electrical supply or hardware store locally.

Once you have determined your outlet is grounded, depending on what country you are in, you will need to purchase an outlet adapter. We sell Earthing® adapters HERE.

Ungrounded Outlets: Outlets with only two holes and no earth/ground strip or earth/ground pin or hole mean there is no earth/ground present. In this case, you must use a Ground Rod. Or, if you don’t mind a cord running through your apartment or house, you can connect (clamp or tape) the prong end of the Earthing® cord to the cold water pipe under your bathroom sink as long as the cold water pipe is entirely made of metal all the way into the ground.

Please Note: Earthing products do not operate on electricity, so the electrical current in your country doesn’t matter (whether 110 volts or 240 volts, etc)

In North America, most modern homes have a three-prong outlet system for the Earthing® products to plug into. However, it is possible that your home has been wired incorrectly and so you must check it with an outlet checker (there is one included in your order) to verify that your outlets are grounded.

If two orange lights show on your outlet checker, then your outlets are grounded and you’re ready to use your Earthing® products. If you see any other combination of light colours, you’ll need to call an electrician to fix your outlets or use a Ground Rod to connect your Earthing® products to the ground outside.

If you have a house built before the 1960s, and outlets do not have a third hole (ground port), you will either need to use a Ground Rod or call an electrician to update the wiring.

Outside of North America, you will need to follow a similar process. If you check your outlets and they are grounded, you will need to purchase an adapter in order to use the Earthing® products in them. You can find adapters HERE. You also have the choice to use a Ground Rod.

No. The Earthing® products aren’t connected to any voltage, current, or electricity flow so there absolutely no way they would raise your electricity bill. They plug into the grounded port of your wall outlet which has no electricity flow.

It is possible, for people who are very electrosensitive, to feel when there is a small and natural surge in the power supply through the outlet. We do have a built in resistor in the cord of the products, but for people who are very sensitive, they can feel these fluctuations anyway. If you are an electrosensitive person, we recommend switching to using a Ground Rod with your Earthing® products instead of plugging in through your outlets.

Also, depending on how long it’s been since you were grounded last and what type of flooring you have, you may have built up static electricity on your body. When you touch the Earthing® product, it disperses the static electricity which has the possibility to feel like some type of shock.

No. Earthing products and the cords that connect them are designed to conduct only the Earth’s energy to you through the grounded port of your wall outlet.

Earthing® products connect to your outlet, but it’s only to the ground hole, or they can be connected to an Earthing® Ground Rod pushed into the soil outside. They do not conduct any electrical power like what operates your lights and appliances.

In addition, all Earthing® cords have a built-in 100k ohm resistor providing protection in the unlikely case of an electric current flowing into the grounding wire.

Homes are rarely hit by lightning. When this does happen, the lightning likes to take the path of least resistance to the ground, which means traveling through large conductive systems like the plumbing pipes, electrical wiring network, or telephone and cable TV lines, all of which are directly grounded to the Earth. It’s always looking for the easiest and fastest way to the ground.

Your Earthing® products are connected to the ground via wire or grounding rod, and have a built-in current limiting 100k ohm resistor to guard against any sort of electricity coming through to you. This would not be the easiest path for lightning to get the ground and the resistor would melt before the lightning could ever get to you.

However, if you live on a mountain top where the odds are higher of your house being struck by lightning, or in Florida where there are the most lightning strikes in a year, or if you have any other concerns about lightning, please follow the standard lightning safety guidelines as directed by the U.S. National Weather Service or the weather authorities in your country.

Lightning is unpredictable and it never hurts to be overly cautious. If you are worried at all, simply disconnect your Earthing device(s) and don’t use during lightning and thunderstorms.

No, it’s not a good idea.

If you were to do it, you would be creating what’s called a “ground loop,” meaning a closed circuit − a closed loop with the ground closing the loop. When you place an Earthing® ground rod into the soil, usually it is not close to the house ground rod. There are differences in size, depth, and soil conditions between the two rods that create an electrical resistance between the two rod locations. This means a different “electric potential,” that is, level of electrical energy, and the difference would generate a current flow in the closed circuit of which you are a part. So the current flows through you.

In general, you wouldn’t feel anything unusual and you wouldn’t be harming yourself. But, there would be risk from a shock, for instance, when a power surge or a thunderstorm occur. In that case, the difference in electric potential can get very high, reaching even several hundred or even thousands of volts, and create a very strong current enough for you to feel as a mild shock.

All Earthing® product cords have built-in resistors that protect you. If it were not for the presence of the resistor, the shock you feel would be much larger.

The bottom line: If you use more than one Earthing® product at one time, connect them to the same grounding source, either to grounded outlets or to the Ground Rod. Not one to the outlet and the other to the Ground Rod.

If you don’t mind a wire running through your apartment or house, you can connect (clamp or tape) the prong end of the Earthing® cord to the cold water pipe under your bathroom sink.

This pipe is part of the building’s water supply system, which originates underground, and is thus grounded as long as the pipe is totally made of metal all the way down to the ground. If there is any plastic section of the pipe, it will cause an insulating effect, and you will not be grounded. You may want to consult with an electrician to explore this and other possibilities to create a good electrical ground connection.

Meanwhile, try to spend some regular barefoot time out-of-doors if possible. You could also consider using an Earthing® Universal Mat Kit  in your office or place of work, if practical.

There is no need to unplug the Earthing® products when they aren’t being used. You aren’t connected to any voltage, current, or electricity flow so there is no concern that leaving the products plugged in will decrease their lifespan. In fact, the products will most likely last a tiny bit longer if you do leave them plugged in because there will be less oxidation on them!

For simplicity’s sake, we recommend using a continuity tester instead of a voltmeter, which can be purchased HERE.

If you prefer to use a voltmeter to test your Earthing® product though, please note that the product’s grounding cords are equipped with a built-in safety resistor of 100k ohm strength. This requires specific settings to your meter in order to achieve an accurate reading.

Before testing your Earthing product with a voltmeter, please review the following instructional paper from the Earthing Institute HERE.

For additional assistance with voltmeter testing, please email the Earthing Institute at: info@earthinginstitute.net

The voltmeter should reduce your body voltage by at least a factor of 20. So if you are at 1.5V when not touching the mat and your body voltage goes down to 0.075V or smaller when you are using a grounded product or touching the earth, then the device is working properly.

Earthing® products are designed with built-in user safety.

First, an electrical Outlet Checker is supplied with each order so you can verify that your outlet is properly wired and that the outlet has a working ground.

Second, the product Coil Cords are designed to provide a safe soft ground utilizing a built-in (molded in) in-line current limiting 100k ohm resistor. In the event that a short develops in an electrical device that a person is in contact with while grounded, the built-in resistor limits the current flow to a safe level.

The accepted safe current limit of 5-8mA is defined as “sensation of shock not painful; individuals can let go at will.” The human body threshold of sensation is 1mA. The electrical calculation is current=volts/resistance (I=V/R). R = Rresistor + Rbody. Typical body resistance is 10k when wet and much higher when dry. However, to be conservative, using Rbody=0, Rres=100kohm, V=130volts; then maximum current I=130volts/100,000ohm=1.3mA; well below the accepted safety limit of 5mA and most likely barely perceptible.

Earthing® products don’t “run” on electricity. They are connected to the energy of the Earth through the ground port of your outlet, not to the electric ports that operate your lights and appliances. So, whether your power is on or off, it doesn’t affect the function of your Earthing® products.

To further explain, when you plug your Earthing® product into the ground port of your wall outlet, you are making contact with the ground wire in that hole which connects to other outlets in your house and is attached to a large ground rod outside.

The ground rod outside receives the natural energy that flows through the Earth’s surface and stabilizes your electrical system. As long your Earthing® product is connected to the Earth, either via a grounded wall outlet or a separate ground rod outside, you are grounded.

Yes, as long as the surge protector or extension cord has an existing ground hole for the Earthing® product to plug into and you have grounded outlets that you can connect the surge protector/extension cord into.

You can use your Outlet Checker that comes in your order to ensure that your surge protector or extension cord is grounded.

No, all that matters is that you have properly grounded outlets. Earthing® products do not operate on electricity and therefore the voltage is irrelevant.

Earthing® products fit into the grounded port of a Type “B” wall outlet found in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and parts of the Carribean.

If you live outside of these areas, you will need an adapter to convert the three-prong grounded port shape to fit the cord.

First, determine first whether your outlet is indeed grounded. An electrician can determine this for you, or you can purchase a simple outlet ground checker at an electrical supply or hardware store locally.

Second, once you have determined your outlet is grounded, depending on what country you are in, you will need to purchase an outlet adapter. We sell Earthing® adapters HERE.

Please Note: Outlets with only two holes and no earth/ground strip or earth/ground pin or hole mean there is no earth/ground present. In this case, you must use a Ground Rod. Or, if you don’t mind a cord running through your apartment or house, you can connect (clamp or tape) the prong end of the Earthing® cord to the cold water pipe under your bathroom sink as long as the cold water pipe is entirely made of metal all the way into the ground.

We don’t recommend doing this as it has the potential to be unsafe.

All authentic Earthing® products are specifically designed for safe grounding. They have a built-in resistor that limits the flow of current in order to prevent the unlikely possibility that electricity would flow through the connecting wire and possibly hurt someone. The resistor allows the Earth’s natural energy to come through but not any potentially harmful electricity. In this respect, the resistor acts like a “kink” in a hose, curbing the flow. When you create your own grounding device at home, you don’t have any type of resistor to protect you.

Yes, you can use multiple grounding products at the same time, but for safety sake you should only plug them into one grounding source: either a grounded outlet or a ground rod. Not one to the outlet and the other to a ground rod. The reason is to avoid the risk of a shock in case of a surge due to a power outage or a thunderstorm.

Here’s why: Your house/building electrical system is connected to, and stabilized by, a ground rod in the Earth, usually located under the electrical panel. A loop wire (also known as the ground wire), runs through your system, and you connect to it whenever you insert your Earthing® cord into the third hole (the ground port) of the outlet. If you plug your Earthing® sheet, for instance, into the outlet, you are grounded via the house ground rod.

Let’s say you also want to sleep with an Earthing® Patch and you connect it to your Earthing® Ground Rod.

If you were to do this, you would be creating what’s called a “ground loop,” meaning a closed circuit − a closed loop with the ground closing the loop. When you place an Earthing® Ground Rod into the soil, usually it is not close to the house ground rod. There are differences in size, depth, and soil conditions between the two rods that create an electrical resistance between the two rod locations. This means a different “electric potential,” that is, level of electrical energy, and the difference would generate a current flow in the closed circuit of which you are a part. So the current flows through you.

In general, you wouldn’t feel anything unusual and you wouldn’t be harming yourself. But there would be risk from a shock, for instance, when a power surge or a thunderstorm occur. In this case, the difference in electric potential can get very high, reaching even several hundred or even thousands of volts, and create a very strong current – enough for you to feel as a mild shock.

All Earthing® product cords have built-in resistors that protect you. If it were not for the presence of the resistor, the shock you feel would be much larger.

The bottom line: If you use more than one Earthing® product at one time, connect them to the same grounding source, either to a grounded outlet or to the Ground Rod. You can certainly plug two single Earthing® cords into the two receptacles of a standard grounded outlet or even into two different outlets. Or you can put both into an Earthing® U.S. Safety Adapter.

It should be noted that newer houses have ground rods under the house at several points below the pathway of the ground wire, resulting in an improved grounding system. Older grounding systems may have wires with a volt or two, because of the length of the wire and a slight build-up of resistance. Electro-hypersensitive people may feel even that low voltage, and are advised in that case to connect their Earthing® product to a dedicated Earthing® ground rod planted in the soil outside an adjacent window, if that is feasible.

Please check with the cruise company as in-cabin outlets may or may not be grounded.

As long as the boat is connected to a shore power, an electrical outlet ground will ground you.

When a boat is not connected to shore power and is running on a generator, the outlets may not be ground. You will need to check with the manufacturer.

If your boat is in salt water, you can connect your Earthing® product to an Earthing® Ground Rod and dangle it over the side of the boat and into the water to ground you.

Ungrounded laptops (without a three prong power cord) can generate significant electric fields. Some people will feel sensations while they are grounded and working on the computer. If the feeling is uncomfortable, we recommend several options:

• Don’t ground yourself while using the computer plugged in.
• Ground yourself only when the computer is operating on battery mode.
• Place the laptop directly on an Earthing® Universal Mat to ground the computer.