A looped pile static reduction blanket or cloth, an apparatus including the looped pile static reduction blanket, and a technique to neutralize static and static patterns from a polymeric film surface during processing, to enable higher speeds and fewer defects during web transport and subsequent processing of wound film rolls, an apparatus including the looped pile static reduction cloth, and a technique to neutralize static from a polymeric shaped part during processing, to enable fewer defects. The looped pile static reduction blanket includes a static reduction engagement cloth that is resilient and can facilitate discharge of static from a web to ground before, during, and after contact with a charged web.