As simple as it is, losing socks can cause many a family argument, panicked mornings searching for an elusive sock and a self-conscious feeling of wearing odds at work – it’s happened to us all at one stage or another. Why do socks go missing?
The lovely people at www.popasox.com have listed some of the reasons why we tend to lose our socks so frequently, why all of us will lose on average 35 socks each year and how we can combat the odd sock challenge.
1. Not paying attention
We know, we know, washing can be humdrum and it’s easy to switch off when piling a load of washing in, but this is where the initial problems can arise, say the experts at www.popsox.com. Mindlessly stuffing socks into the washing machine with everything else can actually cause havoc when sorting post wash.
2. More, more, more
More people = more socks = more odd socks. Unless you’re particularly disciplined and separate all socks for a different wash altogether, the more people you have under one roof means that there’s a greater chance for odds to appear (and disappear).
3. They will creep into the laundry drum
We’ve seen some shocking laundry drum cases over the years says founder of www.popasox.com Lizzie Tipping and it’s why we designed our own brand of socks that simply ‘pop’ together when in the wash, so they won’t get separated and won’t get trapped in the drum.
4. Fall under a dryer
Front-load washing machines have small gaps between the drum and basket where socks are able to slide down to the drain pump aka the Bermuda Triangle of odd socks.
5. Fall behind a dryer
This is similar to ‘under a dryer’ and can happen quite often – and in reality, how often do we have the time or inclination to check behind the dryer after every cycle?
6. They fall behind radiators
Sometimes socks can slide behind the radiators and stay there for infinity. If you’re lucky enough for them to drop down and reappear – by the time you reunite them with lone partner sock – that one may have been discarded!
7. Mistakenly taken by friends staying over
Ever had a friend who stays over and leaves an odd sock and you mistake it for your own, pair it together absentmindedly and then when concentrating slightly more, discover that it’s an odd pair! Oh that sinking feeling!
8. Hide in other items of clothing or bedding
You might have washed an old duvet cover, dried it, folded it and stored it away for a season, only to find the odd sock you had been searching for, for months!
9. Fall from the washing line
When it’s an especially windy or rainy-day, socks can easily fall from the washing line, and if you’ve not picked them up straight away, they can be left there for days – and that on-the- floor time lapse alone can result in more lost socks.
Lizzie says: “It’s amazing how something so small can cause such frustration – we know, we’ve experienced it! Our Popasox range, however, will go some ways towards combating odd socks so that we can get the British nation on their way to achieving.
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