It’s a strange fact of life that most of us end up with a pile of odd socks. These could be running socks, hiking socks or just general everyday socks, but still the number of single socks without their partner seems to grow.
There are all sorts of theories as to where missing socks go. Here are a few of the suggestions.
Out of sync
It could be that while you believe you have put both socks in a pair in the washing machine, it might be that only one has made it there. Pairs become separated as they move from your feet, to the laundry basket and then into different loads of washing.
Lost in clothes
Sometimes a sock becomes lodged inside a pair of trousers or becomes jumbled up with another item of clothing and ends up going through the wash without ever being noticed. This means that while you can see one sock throughout the washing cycle, the other stays hidden in clothing.
Lost in the bed
If you wear your socks to bed, there is a high chance that one might come off in the night and become lodged down the side of a mattress or simply get tangled in bedding.
Lost in bedding
Another common place for socks to end up is in the inside corner of a duvet cover. In fact, I’ve known T-shirts to end up being hidden inside a duvet cover. You only notice the missing sock when you go to put the duvet cover on a duvet.
Lost in the washing machine
It’s claimed there are different places in the mechanics of a washing machine where socks can slip unnoticed. For example, wet socks can stick to the inside of the drum and you don’t notice them until another washing load.
A sock could also get lodged in the door seal or even in the pump filter. It has also been known for socks to get trapped in the gap between the moving inner drum and the door seal.
Lost in the tumble dryer
A tumble dryer creates a lot of static electricity and this is why socks end up becoming “stuck” to other times in the laundry. When this happens a small sock could be difficult to see because it is lying flat against or inside the fabric of something else.
Socks an also find their way into the lint trap, epically if you haven’t closed the trap properly after cleaning it out.
Some people have also found odd socks in the small space between the door and the drum of the dried.
Lost in the laundry room
It might be that in the process of moving socks from a laundry basket to the machine and then to a clothes line or tumbler dryer they lose their way. Socks are small items and they can easily slip behind a washing basket or a washing machine.
Lost in family life
If you have a few people living together, socks can become mixed up. It might be that one of your family has your odd sock hiding in their own sock drawer.
My own odd sock theory
Another theory I have is that socks lose their colouring at different rates so you end up with a pair that doesn’t quite look the same. I have no way of proving this idea but it might be that a pair of socks has different quantities of colour die when manufactured or somehow one sock ends up being washed more than the other so one looks more faded than the other.
How to keep socks paired
There are a few suggestions for avoiding a pile of odd socks.
Use a laundry bag
A small laundry bag is a good place to place al socks while they are in the washing machine and tumble dryer. An alternative to a laundry bag is a pillow case.
Peg socks together
You can buy sock pegs or holders (like this one from Amazon) that allow you to keep pairs together throughout the entire washing process. Try to encourage all your household members to peg their socks together before they place them in the laundry basket.
Roll socks together
Another tried-and-tested method is to roll socks together, one inside the other. This won’t work so well if your socks are particularly dirty but if they are lightly soiled they should end up cleaned in the washing machine.
Peg them out together
Make sure you keep the socks paired throughout the washing cycle, so you will also want to peg them out together.
Buy multiple pairs of the same socks
If you buy multiple pairs of socks in the same colour and style it means you have a greater chance of finding a pair each time you want to go for a run or hike. I often buy five pairs of the same running socks or three pairs of hiking socks when I need new socks.
Go odd
In the end, it might be that you can deal with your pile of odd socks by simply wearing odd socks. I find this is a great solution although I prefer to match the same kind of socks together even if they are different colours.
I am happy to wear odd socks if they have the same sort of structure and padding and, in fact, I think this can look quite funky.
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