Frequently Asked Questions

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

It depends on the floor type!

UNGROUNDED:

• Wood floors
• Carpets
• 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

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®, 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.

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.

The earth beneath your feet provides you with food and water. It gives you a surface to sit, stand, walk, run, swim, climb, play, and build on. It also provides you with something very surprising - electrons. When you touch the ground, the electrons flow into you.

This is called being “grounded.” Earthing® products connect you to the earth's electrons while you're inside sleeping, working, and relaxing. Connecting to the ground by using our products indoors is called ‘Earthing.’

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 a voltmeter.

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.

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

There are many websites selling grounding products. The safety of these products has not been checked by us in general (with a few exceptions). Original Earthing products, those designed by Clint Ober, contain a built-in user safety. First, an electrical outlet tester is supplied with each product to verify that an outlet is properly wired and that the outlet has a working ground. The product ground cords are designed to provide a safe soft ground utilizing a built-in (molded in) in-line current limiting 100 Kilo-Ohms 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 (mA = milli-ampere or one thousandth of an ampere) is defined as “sensation of shock not painful; individuals can let go at will.” The human body threshold of sensation is 1mA. There is a well-known electrical formula (Ohm’s Law) to calculate the relationship between current, voltage and resistance. It goes like this: current = voltage/resistance (I=V/R). In the case we are considering, the total resistance is the resistance of the body (Rbody) plus the resistance of the resistor (Rresistor), so R = Rresistor + Rbody. Typical body resistance is 10 Kilo-Ohms when wet and much higher when dry. However, to be conservative, using Rbody = 0, Rresistor = 100 Kilo-Ohms. In North America the voltage at the electrical power outlet is V = 130 Volts; then maximum current I = 130Volts/100,000 Ohms = 1.3mA; well below the accepted safety limit of 5mA and most likely barely perceptible.

People have been reporting to us that they have been zapped by ungrounded laptops (without a three-prong power cord) with a metal-based casing. We have recorded up to 50 V on the surface of the metal-based casing of a particular laptop. Some people will feel these sensations while they are grounded and working on their laptop.  If the feeling is like a shock, your need to tell your manufacturer. If the feeling is not a shock but uncomfortable, try these several options:

1.         Don’t ground yourself while using the computer plugged in.

2.         Ground yourself only when the computer is operating on battery mode.

3.         Place the laptop directly on an Earthing mat to ground the computer

If the feeling is still there, your last option is to contact your manufacturer.

We do not recommend this.  It is unsafe. All authorized 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 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. Earthing products for personal grounding thus have built-in protection similar to the systems utilized in industry throughout the world that prevents electricity and static from damaging sensitive electronic parts.

ESD shoes are primarily designed for discharging static electricity preventing electric sparks between your body and other objects such as sensitive electronics. Static electricity is created on the body by clothing and shoes whenever you move your clothing with arm movement or walk or sit on any synthetic material. ESD products are better than regular shoes but not as good as going barefoot or using earthing/grounding products. The difference between grounding products and ESD products is that while ESD products use what is called a soft ground or a dissipative ground by adding an inline 1 Mega-Ohm resistor in the ground cord, which is design to slowly bleed off static electric charges, earthing/grounding products use a 100 Kilo-Ohms resistance (which is10 time smaller than the resistance in the ESD products) to instantly equalize your body with the Earth’s potential and to let the electrons of the Earth enter your body almost instantaneously. This results in rapid neutralization of inflammation with numerous documented benefits as you can see by looking at the Research page.

This statement refers to electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices used in the electronics industry and other industries that are meant to slowly dissipate static electricity on workers that can otherwise damage sensitive electronic components.  By comparison, Earthing systems are conductive, meaning they instantly equalize the body with, and maintain the body, at Earth potential, and are meant to simulate the natural, evolutionary human experience of being barefoot on the Earth outside.  Earthing research has demonstrated that holding the body at Earth potential (simulating being barefoot outside) produces significant results on measurements related to inflammation, blood electrodynamics, and autonomic nervous system function.

There is no scientific evidence we are aware of relating to the effect of ESD systems on the physiology, and thus no way to compare objectively ESD vs. Earthing in that regard.  ESD products are meant for industrial use.  The Earthing design has been shown in repeated experiments, published in a variety of journals, to generate distinct changes in the physiology and for which ESD products, meant for industrial use to prevent common static from damaging electronic components, have not been documented to do.

We have informally tested ESD products and found that they do not generate the same electrophysiological changes as Earthing products do. While ESD products may produce some benefits, people have told us that ESD products do not produce the same experience and results as Earthing.

All ESD ground cords contain 1 Mega-Ohm resistor. A 1 Mega-Ohm resistor allows 60hz EMF-induced body voltage to drop by about 90 percent.  Earthing products have a built-in 100 Kilo- Ohms resistor in all ground cords for safety and allows 60hz EMF induced body voltage to drop by 98 percent compare to a cord with no resistance added.  Earthing’s ability to bring and hold the body at Earth’s potential restores the body’s natural electrical state and facilitates inflammation reduction.

You can’t ground yourself to the Earth. However, you can put a grounding mat on the car seat and get some benefit. Here’s how it works: The sweat from your body creates a channel of moisture and conductivity through the layer of clothes (pants, dress, shorts, etc) to the mat. The mat is connected to the metal chassis of the car via a grounding cord that you’ll have to clip onto some metal part under the seat. 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 which can cause some muscle tension and fatigue. The mat can be particularly effective for people who drive long distances, but also helpful for anybody who experiences that tension and fatigue from driving. This information come from anecdotal experiments done by Clint Ober. After driving for several hours, the drivers grounded to the chassis reported less fatigue and more energy than usual while the drivers not grounded in such a way reported normal levels of fatigue and energy.

Similarly to the answer to the preceding question, it is not possible to be grounded when you are driving your motor home. True grounding in your motor home is possible when it is parked. To do so you have two options.  In a RV park, there may be electric panels next to your parking spot and you can plug into the grounded outlet on the panel.  You can also get a ground rod and an outlet adapter (for North America).  The adapter allows you to plug in two product cords.  So that would accommodate the kitchen mat and the bed mat.   The ground rod comes with a 40-foot cord.  Push the adapter into the free end of the rod cord or into the panel outlet.  Then plug your earthing product cords into the adapter.  Do not use the electric panel for one product, and your own ground rod for the other. Both products must be plugged into the same ground source.

heck with the cruise company. In-cabin outlets may not be grounded.

Pain, disease, and other disturbances are often caused by chronic inflammation. Such inflammation is, in turn, caused by positively charged molecules called free radicals. When you make direct contact with the Earth, either by being barefoot outside or using an Earthing product indoors, electrons from the Earth enter your body and reduce the free radicals and inflammation.  At this point, the concept is theoretical, but supported by our research and feedback from thousands of people who use Earthing products. In any case, the effect of Earthing is significant because medical research has found that many of the chronic and debilitating diseases of our time have the same cause: chronic inflammation.  Scientists now realize that pain and disease arise in our bodies where an inflammatory response has taken place, but the inflammation has not completely stopped after the healing process. A low level of chronic inflammation can continue for years, damaging normal tissues and wasting energy. The human immune system evolved over a long span of time during which we were in virtually constant skin contact with the Earth. In our modern society, humans no longer walk barefoot. We wear shoes that insulate us from the Earth’s energy. In recent decades the incidence of chronic diseases, allergies, auto-immune conditions, and insomnia has soared. One overlooked possibility for this alarming increase is that the immune system is functioning less efficiently as most humans today live ungrounded.

We think it has powerful anti-aging potential.  Many researchers have documented the deterioration of the immune system as we age, a decline called immunosenescence. A prominent medical theory states that one of the causes of general deterioration during aging is free radical damage, technically known as oxidative stress, and resulting in injury to cells. Since Earthing greatly reduces oxidative stress and inflammation it would be logical to think it could increase life expectancy and improve health. There is no question that maintaining a functionally “young” immune system is an excellent strategy for preserving the quality of life and slowing senescence.

We have repeatedly observed Earthing producing beneficial effects quickly.  Keep in mind that the body is a good conductor of free electrons. We have seen that when people are grounded in experiments with the use, for instance, of conductive patches placed on the bottom of the 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 sites of pain and inflammation, such as a shoulder. A painful knee would respond faster as it is closer to the grounded feet.  When a study participant says that pain has started to ease we regard this as a sign that the electrons have arrived at the pain site and are “going to work.”

The influx of electrons gives a powerful boost to the body’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defenses.  Like reinforcements, we believe they rapidly neutralize free radical molecules that create chronic inflammation, arresting the destructive action on healthy tissues, and leading to a reduction of pain.

Medical thermal imaging has shown decreased inflammation in minutes after people are grounded.  You can see examples of such decreased inflammation in several thermal imaging studies on Earthing, for example  here and here.

There is an instant and natural shift in your body when you become grounded. We have measured the changes in the laboratory and they clearly indicate that the body is functioning better. People with pain often feel relief in varying degrees − from a little to a lot, and to even disappearance of the pain − just by planting their bare feet on the ground outside for a half hour or forty minutes.  Sleeping grounded through the night produces many beneficial results, such as better and deeper sleep, more energy during the day, and less pain. Again, the degree of benefits vary from slight to dramatic, from immediate to gradual.

Everyone is different.  Symptoms are different. Causes are different.

Some chronically ill people benefit from additional grounding hours during the day, such as by being barefoot or using an Earthing mat or body band. From the thousands of cases that Clint Ober and others have observed for years, the more severe the health problem the more dramatic the improvement seen with grounding in general. Even in end-of-life situations associated with pain, it has been reported that individuals generally have less pain.

We have had many reports of improved sleep and decreased stress after only one or two nights of sleeping grounded. If the cause of sleep difficulties is long-term insomnia with underlying health issues, improvement may stretch out.   In a study conducted by the California Institute for Human Science, instantaneous changes in brain waves and muscle tension were documented with grounding.

Clearly, lasting changes in stress, sleep, pain, and body rhythms occur when we ground ourselves routinely.

Earthing does not cure anything.  It restores a natural electrical balance in the body and reduces stress and inflammation. Earthing can thus have both short-term and long-term effects.

We have heard from many people whose blood pressure numbers have improved, and who have better control of their blood pressure, after starting Earthing. Some have been able to lower the dosage of their medication under the supervision of their doctors. A study published in 2018 by a cardiologist showed that grounding patients with hypertension improves blood pressure.

The body is most receptive to healing during sleep, so this is the most beneficial time for grounding.

But just as you can’t direct healthy food, air, or water to create specific effects in one function or part of your body, grounding allows your body to receive the natural energy of the Earth and then uses it as needed. You may experience benefits for certain issues you were not even expecting improvements in and there may be no change in other areas. Generally, the longer you continue to ground yourself, the more benefits and vitality you can expect to see. Some people with compromised health will find that sleeping grounded the hole night gives them strange sensations such as itching, tingling, rashes, etc. These are symptoms of detoxification and to mitigate these effects, it is usually best to go slow and start grounding for short periods of time, 30 minutes for example. Then you can slowly increase the duration until your body tolerates a whole night of sleeping grounded.

Primarily, by reducing inflammation.  The Earth has analgesic properties.  Go outside and stand, sit, or walk on the ground barefoot for at least a half hour.  In that time you will likely notice that your pain is less. There are also Earthing products you can use indoors while sleeping or sitting. Think of them as extension cords connecting you in your house or office to the Earth outside. One of the best products to help with pain is the “magic pain patch” mentioned in the Earthing book. 

Earthing products reduce inflammation and pain. They do so whether they are applied directly on the site of pain or to another part of the body. The fastest way, in our experience, is with the use of Earthing patches, which can be applied on or adjacent to sites of pain, or placed on the palms or soles of the feet.  The next fastest way is to place patches under the feet on top of the Kidney 1 acupuncture point for pain in the lower body and in the palms of the hands for the upper part of the body. Combining the two methods, patches locally and in the hands or feet, provides the best results.

There is no evidence that grounding interferes with the function of these devices. Still, if you are considering grounding it is important to discuss it first with your doctor and decide together what is best for you. Grounding indoors is the same as walking barefoot outside. Many people have used grounding products and experienced the benefits of both their medical devices and grounding. To our knowledge, no one with a pacemaker or defibrillator or stents has been advised not to walk barefoot outdoors.

Pacemakers and defibrillators are devices implanted in the chest or abdomen and help control abnormal heart rhythms called arrhythmia. Defibrillators are used against life-threatening arrhythmias. Contemporary devices typically function as both pacemaker and defibrillator.  Because of the sophistication of these newer devices, it is essential to consult with your physician before starting grounding. Moreover, doctors will often prescribe anticoagulants (blood thinners) to patients with arrhythmia. Grounding has a beneficial blood thinning effect, which is likely not known to most doctors. The combination of grounding and anticoagulant medication may possibly create excess blood thinning. Thus, the importance of speaking to your doctor first.  

For individuals with pacemakers/defibrillators who ground themselves by walking barefoot outdoors routinely for some hours, it would be wise to consult with your physician, even though such grounding exposure is likely to have less impact than for someone grounding more hours indoors during sleep. 

No studies have been done to determine this possibility.  Earthing research has demonstrated improved circulation and oxygen uptake, and, in a general sense, this implies improvements in the physiology. Our hypothesis is that earthing improves the function of mitochondria, the power house of all cells. Helping mitochondria produce more energy, it is expected that all body repair mechanisms will function better. . See for example this article https://www.dovepress.com/articles.php?article_id=21001  and this article https://earthinginstitute.net/earthing-vs-good-and-bad-free-radicals-2/

Ungrounded laptops (without a three-prong power cord) with a metal-based casing can generate significant electric fields at their surface.  We have recorded up to 50 V on the surface of the metal-based casing of a particular laptop. Some people will feel these sensations while they are grounded and working on their laptop.  If the feeling is like a shock, your need to tell your manufacturer. If the feeling is not a shock but uncomfortable, try these several options:

If the feeling is still there, your last option is to contact your manufacturer

Such claims are without any evidence and reflect ignorance about electromagnetic fields (EMFs), how antennas work and what happens to an object grounded in the presence of EMFs. EMFs cannot be attracted or “drawn in” by anything because they contain no electric charge. They just go out straight from the point of emission to the direction that was given to them when emitted. They can be reflected by metallic surfaces and mirrors or refracted as when a light beam enters water or a prism.  Three grounding studies have demonstrated the clear safety of grounding indoors, one of them a study done with hospitalized premature infants in a setting of high EMFs. To read it click here. To read a short article about these 3 studies and the safety of Earthing, click here.  And click here for a short reply to the unfounded claim that grounding indoors turns you into an antenna for EMFs.  It is when NOT grounded that a metallic object or the body (also a conductor) becomes an antenna in the presence of EMFs. 

Ground currents are not increasing.  Just the opposite. They are now excessively rare and more so as faulty electric power systems are replaced by modern electric power systems in rural areas and other even more remote areas. You do not need worry about them. 

Not at all. Dirty electricity refers to spikes in the electric power when appliances are turned on and off such as is the case with a refrigerator, for example. Two doctors from Poland performed a study showing that these transient voltages do not penetrate the body. See the study here. We also have performed many of our studies in environments with normal levels of EMFs with excellent results. These studies are presented on our Research page. For more information about dirty electricity, read this short article.

The protective potential of Earthing has not been tested yet on cell phone exposure. There is no research indicating that Earthing will or will not protect a person from exposure to cell phones signals, microwave radiation, or radio frequencies. We have only anecdotal evidence that it is possible that Earthing provide some protection.

Here’s what we do know: individuals who are electro-sensitive to wireless and other electromagnetic fields (EMFs) often suffer with exhausted adrenal glands.  That could mean a background of stress has drained the glands where stress hormones are produced.  As a result, the nervous system’s ability to offset a stress response is compromised.  In this situation, exposure to EMFs can be a stressor, as can possibly be exposure to multiple chemicals and certain foods.  Anxiety, irritability, depression, chronic fatigue, and chronic inflammation may develop.  This is but one scenario of how such problems could arise.

From our research and feedback, we know that grounding reduces inflammation significantly and can benefit people with adrenal weakness, anxiety, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, and depression.

What we also know is that Earthing significantly reduces induced body voltages generated by simple exposure to common household 50/60 Hz EMFs continuously emitted by all plugged-in electrical cords (even if the appliance is off), internal wiring, and all ungrounded electrical devices in the home or office.

Based on the cases we have seen of people extremely sensitive to such EMFs we believe it is best for these people to be grounded as much as possible in an environment free of EMFs. Current research shows that Earthing contributes to a healthier physiology and the capacity for a quicker recuperation from injury and/or disease even in the presence of EMFs.  

The 5G Age is upon us, with faster and smarter cellular technology and wireless devices, and has stoked widespread concerns about potential harm to health. 5G is a global expansion.  Protect yourself by prudent avoidance as best as you can, and be sure to include grounding in your lifestyle. For more details see the video we made specially to answer this concern here.

Such individuals sometimes report feeling strange energy in the beginning and some even say they feel ill.  The energy they feel when grounded is simply the Earth’s natural energy.

We regard these sensations generally as part of an adjustment/healing/detoxification process as the body normalizes and inflammation goes down. If the feeling is too uncomfortable, and generally it is for these electro-hypersensitive people (EHS), we recommend they ground themselves only in an environment without EMFs. Not that grounding in the presence of EMFs as found in normal homes is bad for them but it is that they cannot tolerate the tingling sensation. They may not be able to stay grounded for long periods of time but they should try to ground as much as possible as grounding will help them recover from their condition. They may try to first ground barefoot outside for perhaps a half hour or forty minutes, or in contact with an Earthing mat or band inside their home (with no EMFs present).  They should very slowly increase their exposure. In this way, they may often be able to work their way gradually to sleeping grounded for six to eight hours at night (again without EMFs). Then they can start going into a home with normal levels of EMFs and see how they feel. They should just go very slow and at their own pace. Some electro-sensitive people have found that they receive positive benefits just from minimum exposure to Earthing. There is another aspect of electro-sensitivity that has become apparent to us over the years, namely that individuals who say they are electro-sensitive to wireless and other electromagnetic fields (EMFs) often suffer with exhausted adrenal glands. That could mean, in many cases, a background of stress has drained these adrenal glands where stress hormones are produced.  For more information on this, see our article on electro-sensitivity: https://earthinginstitute.net/electro-sensitivity/

Yes.  Unless very cold, your feet naturally sweat and will hydrate socks, particularly thinner socks made of natural fibers such as cotton, thus facilitating the ability of the Earth’s energy to rise up into the body. Socks made of synthetic materials will most likely block the connection to the Earth. You can always check if you are grounded properly using a continuity tester

Normally, it is very simple to use Earthing products indoors. Earthing products are used indoors and plug into grounded (earthed) wall outlets or ground rods placed in the soil adjacent to a home.  They do not “run” on electricity.  Older homes, built before the 1960s, and which do not have a grounding (earthing) system, will require the use of a ground rod or the services of an electrician to do some updating on the electrical system.

Earthing products come with an outlet checker that is very simple to use.   It determines whether an outlet is grounded or not, and can be used for Earthing.
There are a variety of wall outlet configurations around the world, and outside of North America you may have to use a local adapter to accommodate the Earthing cord that comes with the Earthing product.  To determine what type of outlet is used in your country, go to the following web site: http://electricaloutlet.org/

Most people start to feel relief or more energy pretty quickly.  But initially some people may feel temporary discomfort or even flu-like symptoms, cramps, or soreness. From our experience of many years, we found that these effects result from a more efficient functioning of the body’s own self-healing and detoxification mechanisms (this is assuming no defective functioning of your home grounding system).  The discomfort could last a few days, weeks or even longer for people with very compromised health.  As the discomfort fades away, you start feeling better and more energized. If too uncomfortable, just cut down on the time you spend grounding. If still too much, stop grounding and then begin again with shorter exposure. Gradually increase your exposure so your body becomes accustomed more slowly to the Earth’s energy. 

People sometimes report feeling a tingling sensation in their body when they start grounding. If that is the case for you, unless you have a defective grounding system in your home, you are simply feeling the electrons coming into your body and equalizing it with the Earth’s potential providing a natural, healing energy.  The tingling accompanies an initial re-energizing, re-synchronizing, and normalizing effect, and the impact of this on inflammation and inflammatory damage in the body. Earthing reduces inflammation and inflammatory damage. That is why you are more likely to feel that sensation if you have inflammation in your body.
A similar tingling effect is sometimes felt by people when walking barefoot on the wet sand at the beach.
For most people, the sensation usually diminishes and goes away after 15-30 minutes or so during the initial Earthing session, and then generally decreases in time with subsequent grounding. It may be felt again once you resume Earthing after stopping for some time. Everyone is different so you may feel some variation.
And don’t worry: you are not being electrocuted! See our article on the safety of Earthing indoors here.
Continued tingling could mean a person is electro-hypersensitive and/or has a significant level of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the room where he/she is grounding. In both cases, limiting exposure to EMFs is recommended.
Such individuals sometimes report feeling strange energy in the beginning and some even say they feel ill. The energy they feel when grounded is simply the Earth’s natural energy.
These sensations may also be part of an adjustment/healing/detoxification process as the body normalizes and inflammation goes down. If the feeling is too uncomfortable, we recommend decreasing the Earthing time. Resume at a later time but only with perhaps a half hour, or even less, twice a day barefoot outside or in contact with an Earthing mat or band inside your home. Very slowly increase your exposure. In this way, you may often be able to work your way gradually to sleeping grounded. Just go very slow and at your own pace. Some electro-hypersensitive people have found that they receive positive benefits just from minimum grounding.

Grounding often generates warmth in the body in general and in the extremities as a result of better circulation.  We have seen people quickly develop a rosier color in their skin. Some people are surprised to find out that they feel very warm when in the bed and that they sweat a lot. Generally, these are people with a tendency to feel cold often and need a lot of sheets to feel warm in the bed. The normalization of their body temperature means that they can use less sheets and still feel a nice warmth when at bed.

Sleep is so subjective, and the quality often relates to life’s stresses.  No matter how grounded somebody is, stressful situations can readily impact sleep. Drinking caffeine or alcohol in the evening can also interfere with sleep.

Some people have reported “sparks” develop when blankets are pulled off of Earthing sheets or mats.  Or they have reported getting a slight “shock” when touching an Earthing product. They are surprised, they say, because they expected that being grounded would prevent such things.

Sparks are an expression of harmless static electricity charges building up on the body. They build up, for instance, when you pull apart different fabrics from each other, like a sheet and a blanket. Do you recall getting a minor shock after walking on a synthetic carpet with your shoes on and touching a doorknob?  Or from dry skin rubbing on clothes?   Or exiting your car, sliding across the seat, and touching the door handle?  All such actions build up the static charge on your body. Such static is more pronounced in dry weather. 

This is all harmless.

Assuming that the grounding system was checked by an electrician or you used an outlet checker and the outlet was found to work properly, if you were to touch a grounding product and feel a shock, it may just be an electrostatic shock. There is no danger to that, although it is unpleasant.  

On the other hand, if someone has been grounded for some time and suddenly feel some uncomfortable sensation such as a mild shock, it could be that the person has a condition that disturbs the autonomic nervous system creating a situation called electro-hypersensitivity (EHS).  Such a person may feel very small amounts of temporarily high-frequency electricity that normal people will not feel and that are perfectly normal in a functional house grounding system. If such a situation occurs, we recommend that the EHS person avoid exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) as much as possible, use a grounding rod placed in the soil outside and run a wire inside to ground the earthing products.

Furthermore, Earthing product ground cords , designed by Clint Ober, to provide a safe soft ground utilizing a built-in (molded in) in-line current limiting 100 Kilo-Ohms resistor. This means that 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 (milliampere) is defined as “sensation of shock not painful; individuals can let go at will.” The human body threshold of sensation is 1mA. The electrical equation (called Ohm’s Law) is current = voltage/resistance (I=V/R). R = Rresistor + Rbody. Typical body resistance is Rbody = 10 Kilo-Ohms when wet and much higher when dry. However, to be conservative, using Rbody = 0, Rresistor = 100 Kilo-Ohms, V=130 Volts; then the maximum current I = 130 Volts/100,000 Ohms = 1.3mA; well below the accepted safety limit of 5-8mA and most likely barely perceptible.

Over the years, we have heard from many people who experienced relief and improvements from grounding and then they stopped Earthing. Their gains began eroding.

We advise people to make Earthing part of a healthy lifestyle routine and keep grounding.  We all evolved connected to the Earth. In our experience, staying grounded often makes the difference between feeling good and feeling bad. Earthing is thus not just for regaining well-being, but also for maintaining it.

The question is like asking: can a person be too much in contact with the surface of the Earth? Our body evolved in contact with the surface of the Earth. Up to quite recently in human history (a century ago or so) people were constantly in contact with the surface of the Earth. Today with, plastic soled shoes, homes with wood floors and synthetic carpets, cars with rubber tires, we are very rarely in contact with the surface of the Earth if at all. Chronic inflammation slowly builds up in our bodies and we develop all kinds of auto degenerative, auto immune, and inflammation-based diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis, cardio-vascular problems, Alzheimer’s, etc. Because so many people have not been in contact with the surface of the Earth for so long, and because they have now serious health conditions, they need to start slowly to prevent discomforts when the body’s energy systems, including the immune system, the hormonal system, and the repair and detoxification mechanisms increase in activity creating potentially what is called a “healing crisis”. In order to avoid that possibility, people with compromised health need to start slowly and increase exposure to the surface of the Earth very slowly. Maybe starting with 15 minutes at a time and increasing slowly over a period of time that is dependent on their capacity to feel comfortable while grounded. There is no limit on how much time a healthy person can be grounded. For them too much Earthing is impossible. Still even these people need to ground every day to stay healthy. We recommend for them to be grounded at least one hour every day.

Everybody benefits in some way, but we are all different. The benefits can come quickly and dramatically, such as less pain and better sleep, or subtly and gradually over time.  Often people who are very ill feel a dramatic difference.  Someone with radiant health and who sleeps well may not feel any substantial difference, however, connecting to the Earth is helping to preserve and perpetuate good health. We regard Earthing as a natural form of anti-aging medicine, whether you feel it or not.

Throughout most of history we walked barefoot and slept on the ground. We were directly connected to the Earth almost 24/7. Our body knows exactly what to do with what the Earth provides to us. When we connect to the Earth the quantity of electrons we absorb is governed by the amount our body needs to balance the electrical charge of our body. It is always the perfect amount. It uses up electrons in many metabolic processes, including the basic process of cellular energy production, so there is always an ongoing demand. If you are grounding yourself on a routine basis, you are, in a sense, topping up your tank. And if you ground yourself routinely for many, many hours each day then you will likely find that it is very hard to develop chronic inflammation, the cause of most common chronic disease.

There are some people who tell us that Earthing does not work for them because they feel no benefit. These are normally relatively health people. However, grounding is needed by everyone to stay healthy, no exception. An unhealthy person is likely to feel some strange sensations at the beginning and for some time, depending on their condition. We regard these sensations generally as part of an adjustment/healing/detoxification process as the body normalizes and inflammation goes down. If the feeling is too uncomfortable, stop sleeping or working grounded. Re-start your grounding by spending a half hour or forty minutes, or even less, twice a day barefoot outside or in contact with an Earthing mat or band inside your home. Then very slowly increase your exposure. In this way, you may often be able to work your way gradually to sleeping grounded. Just go very slow and at your own pace. Some electro-hypersensitive people have found that they receive positive benefits just from minimum exposure to Earthing.

There is nothing wrong with using an Earthing sleep product with any electrical devices as long as those devices are in good working order. We suggest, if possible, to warm up your electric blanket or electrically heated mattress pad or waterbed and turn them off before you go to sleep to minimize exposure to EMFs. However, whether these products are on or off will not alter the proper functioning of any Earthing sleep product or alter the benefits you can expect from grounding.

There is no problem with using an Earthing mat over 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. However, you would lose the grounding effect if you place the mat under the magnetic pad, direct contact with the skin is needed for the electrons to come into your body.

Direct skin contact is always best. However, the Earthing® Sleep Mat or Mattress Cover 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 equalise your body with the negative electrical charge of the earth. 

Helpful Tips:

• SHEETS: We recommend using cotton, bamboo, or a poly-cotton blend. Fully synthetic materials will most likely not ground you at all and we do not recommend using them over your Earthing products.
• PYJAMAS: If you choose to place your Earthing product under your fitted sheet, we don't recommend wearing pyjamas. If you do wear pyjamas, then please make sure your feet and hands are bare. (If you place your Earthing® Mat on top of your fitted sheet, then wearing pyjamas and socks is fine as long as they are made of cotton, bamboo, or a poly-cotton blend.)
• SOCKS: Your feet are one of the most readily conductive areas of your body, so sleeping without socks is always best!

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 UK Met Office 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.

PLEASE NOTE: THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT FOR THE NEW BLACK CARBON SLEEP MAT OR MATTRESS COVER. They are only for the silver-threaded Earthing sheets that are no longer in production or sold on our website.

It is necessary to wash your silver-threaded Earthing® sheet regularly following the directions below. Regular washing strips body sweat and natural skin oils from the silver threads, which helps to keep the silver threads  conductive for a longer period of time.

DO:

• Wash weekly or a minimum of 2x per month
• Wash in a washing machine
• Wash with warm water, approximately 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 celsius)
• Dry in a dryer on low heat or line dry
• Iron, only when necessary, on low heat
• Wait one hour after applying lotions or body oils before touching the sheets

DON'T: Everything listed below will ruin the silver threads making your sheets nonconductive. 

• Don’t wash with bleach
• Don't use fabric softener
• Don’t use whitening detergents or oxi-detergents
• Don't use detergents with oils in them like lavender or coconut oil
• Don’t use dryer sheets
• Don't apply lotions or body oils on your skin right before be

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.

Yes, as long as it's a three-prong surge protector/extension cord and you can connect the surge protector/extension cord into a grounded outlet in your home or office.

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.

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 Patch Kit or two additional Coil Cords.

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.

You can start your grounding journey here: Earthing Institute

Everybody is different. Many people feel better right away.  They sleep better.  Have more energy and less pain.  But some individuals can feel temporary symptoms of detoxification as the body starts to function more efficiently.  These are generally people with some disease or with chronic inflammation and pain who have not been grounded for many years.  

Not at all.  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. All this ordinary activity has enabled our predecessors to absorb the Earth’s natural healing energy which prevented the build-up of inflammation in their bodies. During the late 1880s, a back-to-Nature movement in Germany featured walking barefoot and sleeping directly on the Earth for which many positive health claims were made. For more on this movement, refer to the Earthing book. You can also read in the Earthing book how Clint Ober rediscovered this forgotten way of life in the late 1990s.

Yes, more than ever, given the global epidemic of pain conditions and inflammation-related diseases worldwide, along with insomnia and chronic fatigue.  Earthing is a natural, simple, and yet remarkably profound strategy with the potential to normalize many functions throughout your body. It eliminates what we consider to be a societal-wide grounding deficit, a wholly overlooked cause of epidemic pain and inflammation, and chronic disease and dysfunction.  Earthing reduces chronic inflammation and stress, both primary causes of disease and poor sleep.  It broadly elevates your quality of life ˗ how you feel, and even how you look ˗ to a surprising level.  

There is no constant measurable current flow beyond the instant equalization charge transferred to the body when a person becomes grounded to the Earth either outside barefoot or inside with an Earthing product. Once the body is thus grounded, the rate of influx changes, and the body will continue to absorb enough electrons needed to maintain the same electrical potential as the Earth and to restore what is lost as a result of metabolic processes.  As the body continues in a grounded state, it appears to draw electrons as needed to maintain a “topped up” homeostatic level that compensates for any attrition of internal electrons. In contact with the Earth, it would seem hard for the body to develop an electron deficiency, and, theoretically, chronic inflammation.  The number of electrons absorbed by the body to reduce metabolic and immune response free radicals would also vary significantly between people depending upon their lifestyle and activity. Preliminary results from an ongoing research study indicates that this current is very low, typically less than a nano-ampere (one billionth of an ampere).

Wood or vinyl are not conductive.  Floors made of these materials will not ground you.  If your floor has unsealed concrete or stone built directly on the Earth, it is likely to be conductive and ground you. 

Unsealed/unpainted tile directly attached to a concrete slab would likely permit grounding as well.  But tiles with a glazed finish will likely not, nor tiles applied on plywood or some other kind of wood, plastic, or vinyl under-structure.  Conductivity will also be negatively affected if petrochemical bonding material has been used to adhere the tiles.

You can check a floor’s conductivity with the use of a continuity tester. Such testers can be purchased at many places.

Yes! There are a few things to be aware of:

• Internal hydration: When you are dehydrated, your body isn't as conductive. Drink plenty of water and consider adding trace minerals or a pinch of high quality sea salt to each glass. These additions help to support healthy body mineralization and the absorption of water into your cells.
• Skin moisture: Dry skin has more resistance and so less electrons will be able to enter the body compared to moist skin. Moisturize with high quality oils or lotion after showering while your skin is still slightly damp. (Always wait at least one hour to use Earthing or Ground Therapy products after applying oils, creams, or lotions.)
• Skin surface: A build-up of dead skin cells on the bottom of your feet or anywhere else on your body will reduce or block conductivity. Dry brushing, using a loofa in the shower, and/or pumice stones on your feet can be very helpful in maintaining healthy skin.

Yes, as long as you're touching the person he or she will be grounded.

We recommend you first have a conversation with your doctor.  Earthing makes the physiology function more efficiently, and this improvement has the potential to affect medication dosages.  For instance, we know that Earthing has a blood thinning effect, may improve thyroid function, blood sugar, and blood pressure, and thus medication dosages may need to be closely monitored and possibly adjusted.  However, such interactions have not been measured in studies.  For that reason, we strongly advise informing your doctor and following his or her guidance.

Lightning is a massive natural phenomenon that is unpredictable and challenging to totally protect against. It is poorly understood. Homes are rarely hit by lightning. When this happens, the lightning usually takes the path of least resistance to the ground, such as 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.
The U.S. National Safety Council reports that your odds of dying from a lightning strike during a lifetime is 1 in 180,746, and almost the least probable event in a list of multiple causes for death including heart disease (1 in 6) and cancer (1 in 7), assault by a firearm (1 in 298), and automobile accidents (1 in 106). This information suggests that being hit by lightning is rather unlikely. However, follow standard lightning safety guidelines as directed by the U.S. National Weather Service or the weather authorities in your country if you live in a lightning-prone area. Disconnect your Earthing device and don’t use it during lightning and thunderstorms.

A big difference.  The Earth’s electric field is mainly a continuous static electric field (with zero frequency, except for small fluctuations at very low frequencies; less 30 Hz) that has influenced life on the planet throughout time.  By comparison, home wiring systems use alternating current (AC; 50 or 60 cycles per second). Unless at very low frequency and low power, AC is foreign to our biology.  AC, and other forms of man-made environmental electromagnetic fields (EMFs), are being researched as possible factors in a variety of health-related conditions. Many people are sensitive to EMFs. Studies show an “association,” but not cause and effect, with some health issues although the case for more than an association is getting stronger the more research is done on the subject

Although the use of magnets produce some therapeutic effects when properly applied, magnets cannot provide free electrons, nor can they connect the body with the natural beneficial frequencies of the Earth. Earthing technology used inside your home or office connects you with the Earth’s electrons in the same way as if you were barefoot on the ground outside.

No. Most footwear today is made with plastic/rubber composite soles that do not conduct the Earth’s electric energy.  You need thin leather/hide soles (with nothing else to cushion the shoe or moccasin), which used to be the primary footwear materials in the past, specially made for grounding the body. Leather itself isn’t conductive, but the foot perspires and the moisture permits conduction of the energy from the Earth through the leather and up into the body if the leather is thin enough. In addition, moisture from walking on damp ground or sidewalks could permeate up into the leather soled shoe. Thickness of the sole can also be a factor: a very thick leather sole may not allow the moisture through. It is important to note also that a grounded shoe will only provide grounding benefits on surfaces that are conductive, such as grass, soil, sand, gravel outside and unsealed, unpainted concrete built directly on the Earth inside.

Pure water (distilled, snow), with no minerals or salts dissolved in it, is a poor conductor of electricity.  When certain minerals, such as salt, are added to pure water, the water becomes conductive as a result of dissolution that breaks the salt into its components, electrically-positive sodium and negative chlorine.  Ocean water is full of dissolved salts and minerals, and represents a superb conductive medium for grounding.  

Lakes and rivers contain less minerals and salts than the ocean in general but they are still good conductors.  Whether you are standing on the lake or river bottom, or floating or swimming on the surface, you will no doubt be grounded.

Mineral hot springs are famous for their healing and relaxing effects. This is believed to be due to the mineral content of the water.  As an added benefit, since the water is conductive, you are grounding when you soak in hot springs.

Swimming pool?  It is hard to say unless you have a salt water pool and the water is in contact with some metal part, like a drain pipe going into the ground.  Normal tap water in a pool would be conductive, but again whether you are grounded or not depends on whether the water has contact with a metal fixture connected to the ground.    

In your home, bathtubs and showers involve tap water that contains minerals and salts and so it is conductive.  If you take a bath and there is a metal part in contact with the water and that metal part is also in contact with some metal pipe going down into the ground, you are grounded!  The same is true with showers. If the water you use to shower comes from metal pipes in contact with the earth, the water you shower with is grounded and will ground you. If plastic pipes are used, you will not be grounded.

Barefoot is indeed the natural way to go. And also to sleep on the ground. Or use conductive footwear and bedding made from animal skins.  Such practices were part of the ordinary way of life throughout history.  No longer.  We rarely go outside barefoot, except as kids romping during the summer, or on beach holidays.  We wear insulating shoes and we sleep on elevated beds in houses made of wood.

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 outside into the office and home inside – simulating being barefoot outside. They were developed to accommodate the research process and to satisfy a continually growing demand of people wanting to sleep, work, or relax grounded for all the reasons we present in the Earthing book.

Generally, when someone talks about “electricity” it is implied the electric energy received in our homes from electric power stations. Using that definition, the short answer is “no” the Earthing products do not run on electricity. When you are grounded, be it by direct contact with the Earth, through the ground port of a properly grounded outlet or from a ground rod placed directly in the Earth, the Earth’s electrons are transferred to your body. The grounding hole in outlets was added in the 1960s to prevent electric shocks. That hole connects directly to long ground rods placed in the foundations of your building providing a very good ground. The electrons from the Earth pass through the outlet hole through a cord and to the conductive Earthing product specially designed for human grounding, giving energy to your body. Earthing products are like “barefoot substitutes,” enabling you to receive the outside energy of the Earth inside your home or office.

No. Earthing products and the cords that connect them are designed only to conduct the Earth’s energy to you.  They do not conduct any electric power that operates your lights and appliances. You connect your Earthing product to the ground (earth) contact of a wall outlet or to a ground rod planted in the soil outside. All Earthing cords have a built-in 100 Kilo-Ohms resistor restricting the current to a safe limit in the unlikely case of an electric current flowing into the grounding wire such as when you touch a metallic object or appliance that is electrically charged due to a short-circuit in it.

No need to unplug them.  Just leave them plugged in at the outlet unless you are going to move them to another room. Earthing products don’t “run” on electricity. They aren’t running up any bill when you leave them plugged in. Also leaving them plugged in does not “wear” them as when a device that is turned off still has some electric power going through it which happens to be the case with some computers, printers, TVs, sound systems, etc.

Such devices utilize pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) and indeed have many benefits. These fields, however, do not contain any electrons, and thus cannot deliver electrons to the body as does Earthing.  Earthing products conduct the electrons of the Earth (and their vibratory frequencies) into your body and serve as extension cords from the Earth to you. The electrons and their frequencies include all of the subtleties inherent in Nature that our bodies have attuned to throughout history which is not the case for the various therapeutic systems that simulate the frequencies of the Earth.

Yes. Animals naturally want to spend time in contact with the Earth. Many indoor pets share our lifestyle and never make contact with the ground outside. People report that pets indoors are attracted to grounding products.

In North America, most modern homes have a functional electrical grounding system that interfaces with the Earthing plug-in cord. 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.
Earthing products come with a simple outlet checker. You just stick it in your wall outlet. Two orange lights verifies that the outlet is properly wired for Earthing. You then just plug the accompanying Earthing cord into the third hole and you are good to go.

Outside of North America, you will also have to use a ground rod if your home’s electrical system is not properly grounded (earthed).

If you don’t mind a wire running through your apartment, you could connect (clamp or tape) the prong end of the Earthing cord to the cold water pipe under your bathroom sink.  The pipe is part of the building’s water supply system, which originates underground, and is thus grounded.  Make sure that the pipe is totally made of metal all the way down to the ground.  Any plastic section of the pipe would cause an insulating effect.  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 and consider using an Earthing mat in your office or place of work if practical.

Earthing products are designed to be used with an Earthing ground rod placed in the soil outside next to a window or door, or via a grounded wall outlet inside the home or office. Individual conditions in your home, office, and country may dictate which of these options you use to connect to the Earth. 

The first thing you need to know is that Earthing products do not operate on electricity, so the electrical current in your country doesn’t matter (whether 110 volts or 240 volts, etc).

Earthing products simply allow the natural healing energy from the Earth outside to be carried inside. When you make physical contact with the Earthing product it is the same as if you were standing or walking barefoot outside. This is what creates the benefits of Earthing. 

Our preference is that the products be connected to Earthing ground rods.  However many people like the idea of simply plugging them into an electrical outlet ground port in their home or office that connects to the home or building earth/ground system. For people who live in tall apartment buildings (high rises), a ground rod may not be feasible, and for people who do not have a grounded electrical system in their home or office, the only option is the ground rod. 

The following explanation covers two options for connecting Earthing products. The electrical terms “ground” and “Earth” have the same meaning. In Spanish, the term is “tierra” and in French it is “terre.” 

Option # 1: International outlets 

There are many different outlet configurations around the world. Some are grounded (earthed), others are not. For this reason, if you want to plug an Earthing product into a wall outlet you will have to determine first whether your electrical system and outlets are indeed properly grounded. An electrician can determine that for you or you can purchase a simple outlet ground checker at an electrical supply or hardware store locally. 

Outlets with only two holes and no earth/ground strip or earth/ground pin or hole means there is no earth/ground present. You must use a ground rod. This is quite common in older houses and buildings.

Keep in mind, however, that an outlet with three holes, or two holes and an earth/ground strip or earth/ground pin or hole, does not necessarily mean that the earth/ground is actually connected. The individual outlet must be tested for correct wiring. 

In the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and parts of the Caribbean, the electric systems in homes and offices that have been grounded utilize what is known as “Type B” electrical wall outlets.  The third hole (red arrow) is the earth/ground port. 

To determine what type of outlet is used in your country, go to the following web site: http://electricaloutlet.org/  Below, for instance is a “Type F” grounded outlet, widely used throughout Europe, as well as in Algeria, Turkey, Indonesia, and other countries. The red arrow points to earth/ground pin on outlet. 

If your outlets are grounded, such as a “Type F” outlet, you will need to obtain a grounded outlet adapter to accommodate the Earthing cord, the same kind of adapter you would get in order to use North American appliances in your country.

Earthing products designed by Clint Ober come with a 15 foot (about 4 ½ meters) long cord. One end snaps onto the product and the other (male) end inserts into the ground (earth) port of the appropriate adapter that is then plugged into a properly grounded electrical outlet. The prong end of the cord will not fit into the ground ports of an outlet other than a grounded Type B outlet.

Adapters are available through local electrical supply stores or on the Internet. Example: the commonly used VP 11B USA to Europe Heavy Duty Adapter Plug German Schuko adapter for a “Type F” outlet can be purchased here.

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. 

Option # 2 Using a ground rod

If you do not have a grounded outlet, you will need an Earthing ground rod or have an electrician connect your electrical outlet(s) to the Earth. 

A ground rod is inserted into the soil (dirt, garden bed) outside/below a window or door adjacent to where the Earthing product will be used inside. It is very simple to do. If there is only concrete and no adjacent Earth in which to put the ground rod then this is not an option for you.

The Earthing ground rod has a 40 foot (12 meter) cord attached to it. You can run the cord under a window or door. It is very resistant, still be careful not to sever the cord. You then connect the prong end of the product cord with the female end of the ground rod cord.  It’s very simple.  

The cords that come with each product can be connected to a grounded outlet (or outlet adapter, as described in Option # 1) or a ground rod. If additional length is needed, Earthing extension cords can also be purchased. 

Available also are Earthing plug adapters into which you can insert the cords from any two Earthing products. An example for the U.S. is shown below.

The adapter connects either to a wall outlet (or an international adapter) or to the ground rod cord. All Original Earthing product connection cords made by Clint Ober contain a current limiting 100k-Ohm resistor for safety purposes; go here for details.  

Yes, as long as the surge protector or extension cord have an existing ground hole (to accommodate the prong on the Earthing cord) and if you can connect the surge protector/extension cord into a grounded outlet in the home or office.

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 the situation: Your house/building electric 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 house electric system, and you connect to it whenever you insert your Earthing product cord into the third hole (the ground port) of the outlet. In most modern houses and buildings, this grounding loop wire is connected to concrete-encased electrodes with a minimal length of 20 feet total (this is commonly called a Ufer ground). This is the best grounding system, providing an excellent ground for the grounding wire you purchased. If you plug your Earthing mat, for instance, into the outlet, you are grounded via this concrete-encased grounding system.

Now, let’s say you lay on a sleeping mat connected to your house grounding system and you also want to sleep with a patch or a band.  You have a separate Earthing ground rod outside and you are thinking to connect the patch or band cord to the ground rod while at the same time you have the mat connected to the outlet.

Don’t do it!  It’s not a good idea.

If you were to do it, you would be creating what is 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 ground rods of the house grounding system.  There are differences in size, depth, and soil conditions between the rods and that creates an electrical resistance between the two rod locations.  This means a different “electric potential” that is, a different level of electric energy, between the rods. This potential difference would cause a current to flow in the closed circuit of which you are a part. A current generated this way can flow between the grounding mat and the patch or band, passing through your body, not good.

In general, you wouldn’t feel anything unusual and you wouldn’t be harming yourself because the current would be very small, below the level of perception.  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 several hundred or even thousands of volts, and create a very strong current enough for you to feel a shock.

Fortunately, Earthing product cords have a built-in resistor that protect you.  If it were not for the presence of the resistor, the mild shock you would feel would be much larger and could even be dangerous.

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 cord.  Not one to the outlet and the other to the ground rod.

It is quite OK to plug two single Earthing cords into the two receptacles of a standard grounded outlet or even into two different outlets.  Or you can plug an Earthing outlet adapter with two terminals into one outlet or the Earthing ground rod cord and then plug two Earthing product cords into the adapter.

Newer houses have excellent grounding systems, as explained previously. Older grounding systems may have grounding wires with a volt or two on them, because of the length of the wire produces a slight build-up of resistance along the grounding wire.  Electro-hypersensitive (EHS) people may feel even that low voltage, and are advised if that is the case to connect their Earthing product to a dedicated Earthing ground rod planted in the soil outside an adjacent window, if that is feasible. Note that small voltage on the line is not enough to be harmful (think of a 1.5 V battery). Eventually with more time grounded, EHS people usually get better and come to a point where they do not feel this unpleasant tingling sensation. That means that their autonomic nervous system (ANS) is now working and the stress on their body has decreased substantially.

Yes.  As long as the outlet is properly grounded and you can insert the cord into the ground hole.

Earthing doesn’t “run” on electricity. Your Earthing product is connected to the energy of the Earth, not to the electricity that operates your lights and appliances. If you plug your Earthing product into the ground (earth) port of your wall outlet, you are simply making contact with the ground (earth) wire in that hole that connects to other outlets in your house and is attached to large ground rods in the concrete foundations of the building. Whether your power is on or off, doesn’t matter. As long as you have contact with the Earth, by being barefoot outside, or using an Earthing product indoors that is connected to the Earth, either via a grounded (earthed) wall outlet or a separate ground rod outside, you are grounded.

As long as the boat is connected to a shore power, an electrical outlet ground would be fine. When a boat is not connected to shore power and running on a generator, the outlets may not be grounded. You would have to ask the manufacturer.  If your boat is in ocean (salt) water, you can connect your Earthing device to a ground rod and dangle it over the side into the water. Sea water makes a good ground.