Why do our socks always disappear in the laundry? Is there a sock monster that's secretly hiding them away? Or is there a deeper philosophical reason behind it all?

 

Workweek, weekend, vacation — it doesn't matter. It seems like every time you do laundry, the same thing happens to all your socks. One minute, they’re sitting innocently next to each other in the dryer or on the floor, and then POOF! In one fell swoop (and sometimes even before you get a chance to pick them up), you can’t find one sock anywhere. What gives? It turns out there are several possibilities to consider...

The Science of Sock Monsters

It seems like every time we turn around, we're running out of socks. Why is this happening and what can we do to stop it? The answer has nothing to do with sock monsters and everything to do with basic math. You see, you lose one sock every time you wash your clothes, which means that no matter how many times you go through the cycle, you're going to come up short unless you've been keeping up on your sock purchases. The good news is: socks are cheap! A pack of five pairs will run between $5-10 and they last for months before they start looking worn out.

The History of Lost Socks

In most cases, socks seem to vanish when they are being washed or dried. This seems to happen for two reasons: either we put them into the wrong load of laundry and they end up in with other clothes (as opposed to being washed on their own), or they get lost because there are more socks than people. The latter issue has led some people to believe that sock monsters exist and steal socks from washing machines. But why would anyone want socks? Well, maybe we should look at what they're made out of.
Socks are typically made out of cotton, wool, acrylic fibers, spandex, polyester fiber and lycra fiber. These materials can be used for many different things such as clothes, blankets and pillows.

How to Stop an Invisible Monster from Stealing Your Clean, Smell Good Socks

A sock monster. We've all seen him. He lurks around the edges of your room, waiting for you to put your freshly washed socks on after you get out of the shower so he can steal them and hide them. But how can we stop this fiendish creature before he steals any more of our socks? Here are some tips to help keep your socks safe!