Socks are generally a accessory all people wear every day, for warmth and comfortability. With all of the materials they are made from it can be difficult to know how to wash them.
Throughout this article we are going to discuss the dos and don’t in washing socks including washing with different clothes, underwear and washing your socks with whites. Thanks for reading
Can Socks Be Washed With Clothes?
No, socks should not be washed with clothes due to the nature of its material. Most socks are made out of materials that may shrink, stretch out, or lose its shape. It can also change colour when mixed with other clothing during laundering.
The sock’s dye might transfer onto other clothing items, making them appear discoloured or faded. When worn socks are washed along with other clothes, it can cause pilling. Pilling is the process of small balls forming on the fabric due to rubbing between surfaces. Common causes of pilling are excess abrasion, poor quality fabrics, and loose synthetic fibers.
To avoid shrinkage or stretching, always follow the care instructions printed on the label. Washing the sock with clothing items of similar colours may cause colour loss on some parts of the sock due to its mixing with darker clothing items.
It is best to wash socks separately from other clothes. For better results, place each pair into a mesh washing bag before laundering to prevent them from snagging onto other items or losing its shape.
Laundering socks with a mesh bag will help preserve their original size and prevent loss of colour from other clothing items. When washing, follow the care instructions printed on the label. Following instruction from the label will help preserve the colour of your socks and give them a longer lifespan.
Can Socks Be Washed With Jeans?
No, socks should never be washed with jeans, for several reasons:
1. Socks catch on the rivets and pockets of jeans and tear easily.
Certain types of materials are not meant for being washed together. Along with the rivets and pockets, jeans typically have cuffs at the bottom that get caught on socks when you are putting them in or taking them out of the washing machine.
The pocket material, rivets and the cuffs of jeans are all much thicker than socks. When this happens, the socks will eventually tear.
2. Jeans can fade or bleed onto other clothing items.
Because jeans are heavily dyed with indigo, they have a tendency to dye what is hanging next to them in the washing machine! Jeans that are paired with white socks for several consecutive loads will eventually dye the socks blue and they may not be salvageable.
Jeans can also bleed onto other clothing items in the wash, like towels and sheets. Even colours such as khaki or olive green will run off of jeans when they are washed together!
3. Socks’ elasticity is weakened by jeans’ abrasive material.
Jeans are typically made of denim and this type of material will break down socks over time, causing them to lose their elasticity and not fit as well. Jeans and socks should always be washed separately, apart from each other. The best practice is to wash socks by themselves on the gentle or hand wash cycle, while jeans are washed on their own in a separate load.
4. Jeans’ pockets can be hard on socks.
Although jeans are worn in both casual and professional settings, they are not typically appropriate in formal or business contexts. However, it is important to note that there are occasions when you may need to wear jeans in a more formal setting.
When this is the case, put your dressier accessories like a watch or a pair of dress shoes in the pockets. If you choose to put your socks in with these accessories, make sure they are for daily use and not special occasion!
5. Jeans’ rivets and cuffs can snag socks.
Metal rivets found on jeans can damage or tear socks, and the cuffs of jeans are much thicker than socks. When putting your jeans in the wash with other clothes, be sure to move them around so that their outer seams won’t catch on any of the clothing items next to them.
Can Socks Be Washed With Towels?
No! Doing so will cause the socks to wear out quickly.
Here are some reasons why:
1. Towels are Washed at High Temperatures
Washing towels at high temperatures is the standard in most households. Socks, on the other hand, are best cleaned at a lower temperature. High washing temperatures will cause some parts of a sock to shrink while others expand. Fibers in socks tend to be weaker following high-temperature washes, leading to rips and tears easily.
2. Towels Tend to Be Coarser than Socks
The texture of towels and socks are different because towels, as the name implies, are used to dry you off. Since this is their primary function, they tend to be coarse in order to absorb water quickly. Socks on the other hand do not need such a high level of absorbency.
3. Towels are Made From Loose Fibers
Towels are made out of loose fibers, so they can dry you faster by absorbing water faster. Socks on the other hand are knitted tightly to provide better elasticity and shape retention. Knitting socks means that more fabric is needed which leads to a thicker sock.
4. Towels are Heavier Compared to Socks
In addition to being coarser, towels are also heavier than socks, which can be a problem when washing machines spin at high speeds.
The spinning motion causes the heavy towel to move about in an unrestrained manner because it has more space compared with lighter items like socks. The rough motion causes the towel to wear out the sock.
5. Towels have a Large Surface Area Compared to Socks
As mentioned before, towels are made from loose fibers. This means that their surface area is much larger compared to socks, which makes it easier for them to come into contact with other items in the washer.
Doing so will cause the towel to snag on other items, causing loose fibers to tear off. This is why it is best not to mix different types of fabrics when washing them in a machine.
Can Socks Be Washed With Sheets?
No, socks should never be washed with sheets.
Here are some reasons why:
1. Socks are very fragile
Socks are already a porous piece of clothing, and they will fall apart even faster when washed with sheets. The fabric on socks isn’t as strong as it is on other kinds of clothes, so there’s a very high chance it will tear.
2. There may be too much lint
If you’re washing your socks with your sheets, chances are there will be a lot of lint from the sheets in your socks when it’s dried. Not only is this kind of gross, but it also means you’ll have to clean out the dryer filter more often.
3. Socks can’t really take that much washing
Socks are already fragile, but it’s difficult to wash them without making them weaker. This is because socks tend to lose their shape easily when exposed to water.
4. Socks need a special kind of washing
If you’re committed to taking good care of your socks, then you need to start seriously thinking about its provenance before you put it in the washer.
Can Socks Be Washed With Underwear?
Yes, it’s OK to wash socks with underwear. This isn’t something that many think about, but it can happen! If you’re putting clothes in the laundry and accidentally mix your socks and your underwear together, don’t worry about it too much! Socks are cotton or a cotton blend so they won’t get ruined even if washed with another light load.
However, you should be careful to not mix your black socks with the other dark underwears. Getting them mixed together will cause dye from the dark clothes to rub into the socks and onto your skin if you wear them after washing.
Although you can wash your socks together, it might be best to separate them out besides light colored/light fabrics.
This will allow you to keep your light socks from getting ruined if they do get mixed in with the dark clothes. Separating your socks and other clothes will also allow you to clean them better if they do get mixed up. It would be a shame to ruin perfectly good socks!
Can Socks Be Washed With Shirts?
No, socks cannot be washed with shirts. Here are some reasons why:
1. Socks and shirts have different washing cycle times.
The washing cycle time for socks is shorter than that for shirts. Washing your socks in the same load with your shirts will cause extra stress on the socks. The warped texture of the sock may tear after repeated wash.
2. Socks and shirts have different washing temperature requirements.
Washing your socks with your shirts will also cause colour transfer of the shirt to the socks. Even if you make sure to set the washing machine on the coldest temperature, the socks may still turn out discoloured.
3. Socks and shirts have different drying requirements.
Socks are mostly made of cotton or wool, materials that take longer to dry than your shirts do. If you put both in together in one load, this means the socks will be exposed to the hot air inside the dryer much longer than it should. This will warp or shrink your socks.
Can You Wash White Socks With Coloured Socks?
No. If the socks are of mixed colours, do not put them together in a washing machine because the colours may run and affect the appearance of each other. Wash them with similar colours.
Washing white socks with coloured socks is not advisable as they can lose it’s original colour, making them look old and dirty even after one wash. When required to be washed with other colored clothes, separate them by putting a rubber band at the top of colored clothes prior to washing.
