Benjamin Franklin once said that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” But with all due respect to Mr. Franklin, I think his list of life’s certainties could use one minor update in order to capture our modern times. Because nowadays, nothing is truly certain but death, taxes, and losing a sock in the wash.
And in my opinion, a problem as universally vexing as lost socks demands a solution. Or better yet, several solutions, because it’s always good to have options! And that’s exactly what I’m offering in today’s blog post—three simple solutions that will help you stop losing socks in the wash for good. (I’ve also tossed in a little bonus tip about how to handle the socks that get left behind!)
Related: 6 Simple Solutions to Your Most Annoying Laundry Problems
We may not be able to do much about death or taxes, but we can learn to keep our sock collections intact. At least that much is certain! :-)
3 Easy Ways to Stop Losing Socks in the Wash
1. Homogenize Your Sock Collection
Consider replacing your current collection of socks with new, identical pairs. If you’re willing to sacrifice variety, making the switch to one style of sock can make your life a lot easier!
When all of your socks look the same, you never have to worry about pairing them up correctly. And because you’re not worrying about pairs, losing one isn’t as big of a deal.
2. Use a Mesh Laundry Bag
Zip all of your socks into a mesh laundry bag before doing laundry. Put your sock bag through both the washer and dryer, and the problem of lost socks is all but solved! (This can be especially helpful for tiny baby socks that are hard to keep track of.)
You can also use this system to make sure your socks make it into the wash in the first place. Just keep your mesh laundry bag in your hamper, and whenever you remove a pair of socks, zip them into the bag. That way you’ll be certain they’re all accounted for come laundry day!
3. Pin Socks Together
Pin pairs of socks together with a rust-resistant safety pin before putting them into the wash. (Or better yet, pin them together right after taking them off.) Keep them pinned through the wash, in the dryer, and even in your sock drawer.
Unpin the socks when you’re ready to put them on, and drop the safety pin into a small dish or bowl to reuse again and again!
Bonus Tip: Set Up a Sock Orphanage
Due to those mysterious laundry room forces that I doubt we’ll ever truly understand, a sock may still manage to turn up without its mate. Designate a jar or box in your laundry room as your “sock orphanage” and store the lonely socks there.
Once a month or so, do a quick inventory of your orphaned socks. Occasionally, you’ll find that one or two of the missing socks have actually turned up, and you’ll be able to reunite that pair! And for socks you haven’t been able to reunite, you can always put them to good use!
Looking for ways to use your old socks? Use them to…
- Dust your house
- Polish leather
- Shine your car
- Make a microwavable rice heating pad
Do you have a system for keeping socks together that I didn’t mention here?
More Ideas You'll Love
I should probably start doing one of these…Most of my husband’s socks are white tube socks , but in the winter the problem is typically that one of my socks gets lost inside a sweater as I wash my wool socks in the delicate cycle. The first time this happened was when I lost a fleece glove from a pair I had actually intended to return to the store (which was allowed). It was almost a year before I discovered it inside one of my sweaters! Fortunately the store still took them back, and now the insides of sweaters are the first place I check when socks go missing.
One question…does pinning socks together not create holes/snags?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It hasn’t made any holes in my socks yet. It’s what I’ve been doing for quite a while now. I’ve also used the mesh bag technique and had a place for the orphan socks too. But pinning socks together works best for me, since it keeps actual pairs together, so they get washed the same number of times and accrue wear at the same rate too. I’d had a lot of sport socks that were the same, but some had worn or become thinner due to how often they’d been washed—pinning socks prevented pairing older socks with newer ones, so the old pairs and newer pairs all matched properly. I use the “coiless” pins available at craft stores and online at Amazon.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee, great article! Totally agree – lost socks are a nightmare!
I was really excited to see this post because my husband and I just launched an invention of ours which tackles this very issue. Check it out on Kickstarter here: https://bit.ly/2ZzCIok . This is our first product venture as a couple, and we hope it’s the start of something bigger for household improvement. We’ve actually tried every single idea you mentioned above and wanted to create something that tied them together into one high quality, elegant, and effortless solution.
Again, great article – and we’re glad to see there are others as passionate about their sock solemates as we are :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Or don’t be so concerned about socks matching. I am not very concerned about exactly matching socks, as long as they are the same type (tall crew socks together, ankle socks together).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I found out that many individual socks… end up in the corners of my fitted sheets!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.And a funny anecdote i once read: a family where the ‘lost sock epidemic’ grew out of hand. Until they discovered that the lady of the house had a ‘lost sock orphanage drawer’. And so did her husband… elsewhere ;-)
Buying 2 same pairs was also my solution for kids’ gloves. Kid could lose two of them without any problem.
Such a good idea for gloves!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I take my socks off, I put a rubber band around them and put them in the laundry – safer than a safety pin, as it won’t come undone so there’s no chance of pricking yourself. For knee highs/pop socks, I tie them in a knot in the middle before putting them in the laundry. Everything comes out in the correct pairs so no wasted time trying to sort them out :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.two comments:
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Nylon mesh produce bags for citrus or smaller produce make great laundry bags for small items: baby laundry, socks, bras or lingerie with straps that tangle.Insert ‘item’ and make a slip knot with the open end. It pulls loose easily after the wash.
The bags are free with the produce, they go though the wash without tangling and they are easy to replace. [I found an extra-sized mesh bag on a frozen turkey that would hold (ladies) shoes in the washer. Otherwise mine tend to float to the top of the load]. Re-purposing the mesh bags makes me feel better than tossing the bag into the landfill.
Orphan socks without holes make great cat toys. Catnip or a LARGE bell in the toe with a knot to hold it. Fold the open leg part back over the toe and knot again (makes the ‘ball’ bounce funny) The remaining leg can be a handle for the cat to grab and toss. My cat chases, bats and tosses his catnip-enriched sock and then hides it under the sofa for another day.
I recently bought a set of multiple sized mesh bags. I’ve been using them now for my socks and things do not get lost!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I used to hold monthly meetings for “Socks without Partners.” You either got matched up or thrown out.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.…..tip #1 I use for “work” socks, especially good for when you get a hole in one…(nobody darns socks, ain’t nobody got time for that!)…#2 for all others…..and I’ve used mesh laundry bags for small items in the dishwasher…(top rack only)…also mesh laundry bags are great to add to baby shower gift baskets with a note to “Mom” to use for baby socks, bibs…anything really small…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a basket in a small laundry basket. All unmatched socks go in small basket. I generally keep these a long time to replace matching socks with holes in them. I too, basically buy the same socks for my guy. The second bottom basket holds extra paired socks. I try to limit how many pairs are actually in their drawers. My oldest son would change his socks after every activity. Ok I understand after work outs- they’re usually very damp. But, after work, after playing basketball, after puttering around the house, after washing up, before bed and when he got up. Why because he could, getting 3-5 pairs of socks a day from him was not nice. By only giving him so many he limits himself.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Have a great day.
I’ve been using this method since I have my baby(who is now 19mos) with his socks. We have a front load washer and his socks were always getting stuck in the drain area behind the rubber seal. I was tired of being frusterated and concerned about how much detergent, softener and dirt was still in his socks that were stuck and having to rewash them so I threw them in a lingerie bag and have not had a problem since.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Singleton Sox: If the mate doesn’t show up after awhile, I like to stuff it with catnip and tie a knot in it to make a cat toy. Nothing fancy and it’s always the cat’s favorite toy. Always.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Now we need something to do with all the mismatched socks we currently have.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great ideas! I wonder if a safety pin through the socks might create holes in the socks prematurely? I think I’ll go with the bag idea, I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before! That and I’m about to go sock shopping to replace some old very worn out socks, and I’m going to buy all the same socks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee….I’ve had some of these: https://www.sockclip.com/ since the early 90s and I love them! My initial set was of 8 and it was just recently one split (after oh-so-many years of washing!) and since I hadn’t seen them, I googled the name on the broken one. I was tickled when I found they are still around! I believe I got my first pack at walmart all those years ago.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This year for Christmas there were 22 of us gathered at my mom’s. She filled all her (and my) mismatched socks as “stockings” for us to open. It was so funny to see everyone’s face when they came into the house and saw a row of mismatched socks filled to overflowing lined up so neatly under the tree! My mom insists on wrapping EVERY present that is placed under the tree (including what is in our stockings) so she used a tag on each one to identify the recipient of each one.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.BTW, my mom keeps her mismatched socks in her canning kettle as it is so large and is used so infrequently for most of the year it solves 2 problems – where to store the socks AND where to store the canning kettle. It sits on top of the dryer in her laundry room and every couple of months she matches up any socks that have made it in there.
Oh boy ….do I ever remember our “singles only” bag!!! Had two of our kids, hubby and me and two granddaughters all living together and always had those loners turn up. One time hubby decided to do laundry and was amazed when we introduced him to the “bag”. After several months he informed us that he had determined that all sock mates had run off to Walla Walla, Washington (never could figure out why he selected this place) but it became a family joke over the years. lol
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a laundry basket for all the odd socks. I keep this laundry basket in my closet. Every couple of months or so, I pull the basket out, put on a video and match socks. When my kids were younger, we would have a SOCK PARTY. I would assign a color to a child and all the socks of that color would be given to that child to match. It became a fun activity.
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