Missing Socks In Your Laundry: 3 Ways To Prevent Losing Them

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Missing socks are the bane of almost anyone who does laundry regularly.


Where do these little pieces of cloth go? It is amazing actually, a mystery for the ages!

But there are some tried and true methods to prevent losing socks, and keeping them together both after you or the kids take them off, and while they're being washed.

These methods may be a little more effort up front, but trust me, no more effort than digging through the lost sock basket every morning hoping you'll be able to find a pair to wear!

Method 1: Use A Sock Bag To Collect, Wash & Dry All Socks

Missing sock solution: use a lingerie bag to keep socks together while washing {on Stain Removal 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

This method is actually my favorite, and thus why I've made it number one.

A sock bag allows you to keep the socks your family already owns, and is easy for even small children to follow through on, with a bit of training.

The idea is very simple. Use a bag to collect each person's dirty socks separately from the rest of the laundry. Most commonly people use a zippered lingerie bag, but you could also use an old pillow case that you tie up.

Each person in the family has their own bag (actually two), and you hang the one in use on the bedroom door to collect the socks after they're worn.

Then, when you're ready to do wash all you have to do is hang the second bag up on the closet door to begin the process of collection over again while you throw the full and closed bag into the washer, with all the socks in it.

The bag not
only contains the socks while they're dirty, but keeps them contained in both the washer and the dryer as well. Just pull out the bag at the end of the whole laundry cycle and boom, you've got clean socks, all without a missing pair.

Just keep rotating bags and rinse and repeat as you do your family's laundry (or each family member does their own).

A reader, Laura (who provided the photo above) explained, "Just saw your post regarding missing socks. This is how I solved this problem in my home. Everyone has their own mesh lingerie bag. When they dirty their socks they put them in the bag. Once it's full they toss them in laundry hamper. I wash them in the bag and dry them and return them. Everyone is responsible for taking the clean socks out and putting in their drawers. No more matching or missing socks! You can use fabric paint or dye to mark the individual bags. Problem solved!"

Here's another picture from a reader, Brandi, who did something similar.

Way to keep track of clean and dirty socks for both washing and wearing so they don't get lost in the wash and become mismatched {on Stain Removal 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

Brandi explained, "This was invented by my 9 and 12 year old kids. When the "dirty" side is full of socks they zip it closed and throw it in with their other laundry in the machine. They rehang the bag on the "clean" side.

They each have one in their bathrooms, above their laundry baskets. We've been using it since December, and it's been fantastic! (They named it a Patitumpeter, pronounced
/petite/um/peter/, because, well... they are 9 and 12)."



Scroll down to see two more methods for keeping your socks from getting lost in the wash below.

3 ways to prevent missing socks in your laundry, so as you wash clothes you don't have lost of mis-matched socks {on Stain Removal 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

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Method 2: Pin Or Clip Your Socks Together Before Washing

The second method for preventing missing socks is to pin or clip each pair of socks together before washing.

While many people swear by this method I don't actually like this method quite as much.

It works really well, actually, so that's why I'm throwing it out there. I just think it takes a lot more effort than the sock bag method mentioned above, and I like to keep my laundry routine as simple as possible, personally.

However, if this is a method you'd like to try, here's how a couple of different readers explained it:

Rachelle says, "I have my family pin their socks together before putting in dirty laundry hamper."

Michelle says: "Use a safety pin to keep the pairs together, works great for the hubby's socks too."

Finally, one reader, Sarah, even sent in a photo showing how she did it, explaining, "I use baby diaper pins. No need to find either."

pinning socks together so they don't get lost or separated in the wash


Some people have argued that pinning the socks, such as with a safety pin, can cause excessive wear and tear on the socks, or cause holes in them.

If you're worried about that they have similar products, called either "sock locks" or "sock clips" which basically do the same thing.



Top photo courtesy of Sanath's

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Method 3: Use Only One Type Of Sock Per Person So They All Match Each Other!

If you have no desire to try to keep your socks mated once they are dirty and while they go both through the washer and the dryer, or your children scatter socks throughout the house seemingly on a whim, the methods above may feel like too much work for you.

However, if missing socks are driving you mad you have another third solution.

This solution means you've got to get rid of all those socks that only have one particular mate though, and you can't have quite the variety that your family or you may enjoy.

But . . . it one hundred percent works, and can make your laundry life much sweeter.

This method is to have each person in your family only wear one type of sock most of the time, with perhaps just an exception or two such as for dress clothes. Then, when pairing socks when folding laundry you don't have to hunt for one particular lone sock. Instead, all the socks match each other, so it's easy to find two that go together.

Here's how this works in real life, as explained by a reader, Staci: "We had this problem until a few years back. I threw them all away and started new. All white socks with colored toes/heel.

We have 3 kids, 2 girls and a boy. Me and the girls all wear the same size since socks fit a range of sizes, ours have pink toes. And the boy's are gray and of course daddy has his own. It has really helped because they all match.

It was really really hard to throw all the old socks away but it's definitely been worth it."

Here's another example of this method in action, from a reader, Lynette who explained, "I had 6 kids. Only bought white socks, so each sock had many potential partners. Had one sock basket that all took from, not separate socks for each kid. There were some "special" socks-- but not many!"

Conclusion:

declutter lost socks and make a sock basket
So there you have it. Three ways to prevent missing socks from driving you crazy anymore.

How do you deal with this problem in your home? Tell me below in the comments.

I know I haven't even dipped my toe in the water of sock baskets, and trying to re-mate up lost socks after they've come out of the dryer and you can only find one. That's because the methods above are meant to prevent you from having to deal with this problem.

However, if you've already got a bunch of unmatched socks sitting around in a bag or basket, check out my article on managing your sock basket over on Home Storage Solutions 101 (a sister site) to get ideas for that related issue as well.

Further, if you can't find the missing socks, and it's time to get rid of the socks looking for mates, here are ideas for uses for old socks so you can repurpose them around your home.

3 ways to prevent missing socks in your laundry, so as you wash clothes you don't have lost or mis-matched socks {on Stain Removal 101} #LaundryTips #LaundryOrganization #Laundryuse this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

Related Pages You May Enjoy

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Comments for Method 3: Use Only One Type Of Sock Per Person So They All Match Each Other!

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another solution: wear mismatched socks!
by: Mary

All the kids in our area are wearing mismatched socks now days.

clamshell socks after take off
by: Shannon

I have my kids clamshell their socks when they take them off, this way they at least make it to the washer as a pair.

puffy paint on inside band to differentiate different sock sizes
by: Angie

I have 8 kids and we use sock bags. You can buy them in the laundry section, and I color code the inside band of their socks with puffy paint.

all white Hanes here
by: Heather

8 here too, and we don't do personal socks. All white Hanes, all in one basket. The different sizes come with different colored heels. When someone needs a pair, they go to the basket and pull two out with their heel color.

one kind of socks per kid
by: Mary

I have 3 boys. I buy each about 18-20 pairs (2-3 packs) of one kind of sock. Oldest has tall white socks, middle has black crew, youngest has black ankle. Each one has ONE kind. No matching needed. And they know whose socks are whose. When they're down to 6-8 pairs, I re-buy.

lingerie bag is helping us find previously missing socks, slowly but surely
by: Kristie

We just started this about 3 weeks ago and I am amazed at how quickly our socks are getting rematched and found with 5 of us. Get everyone in your house a mesh laundry bag (the ones for delicates and bras, we started with 1 for everyone), have them put socks in the bag when they are done wearing them so they can be washed. When you go to do laundry put the bag in washer or empty the bag into washer. Then put in dryer (we line dry, and I empty my bag into washer). We are having fewer and fewer mismatched socks and I honestly think what few mismatched we have are ones we are finding along the way.

both girls have the same kind
by: Jeanette

I have two daughters, 2 years apart. I just buy the same socks for both of them. Wash all the whites and match them up then divide what socks are their so that it's even. They do have some socks with color but they are very distinct and I just put them in a pile and tell them to find their own.

what to do with mismatched socks
by: Diana G

I take all the mismatched socks and put them in a basket, sized to your pet. They love it for a bed. All pets like to scratch up and move around their bedding to make it fit just for them. They love it. It's like a little nest. It's also entertaining to watch them do this.

Using An Old Pillow Case For Socks Works Most of The Time
by: Sandi

If you use this method of laundering socks it works well as long as none of them have any serious stains, like grass and mud. So if you have members of the family that get into lots of things you need to check before throwing the sack into the washer, otherwise you will end up with stains being set, especially if you transfer the sack from the washer to the dryer. My experience with severely stained socks dictates presoaking otherwise there is no chance they will come clean.

I must admit that at least having all of an individual's socks in one place before I start the wash is still helpful even if I have to check for stains. It sure beats finding them scattered around the bedroom, closet, etc.!

Socks clips
by: Stephanie Rigsby

Sock clips all the way, baby. I can't get anyone else in my family to use them, but I ADORE them.

buy identical pairs
by: Anonymous

Speaking of socks, when I buy them I always buy 2 identical pairs. Saves money in the long run.

Pinning socks together
by: Anonymous

Not the best idea--the pin is steel, so it gets rusty. The mesh bag is an ideal solution to the "hozone" problem (the "hozone" is where all those missing socks go form the laundry :-), just in case you wondered).

Easier than pinning....
by: Deb B

I use a version of this method but make it a little easier. I tie my socks together when I take them off and just toss down the laundry chute. When they are washed and dried, they are brought up no matching required! They can just be put in the sock drawer "as is" ready to wear again.

I use safety pins
by: Patty

I use a safety pin to keep them together and so I can tell which ones are mine and the ones that are my husband's.

Pinning socks
by: Shar

I bought diaper pins that had sport symbols on them. The 3 guys were all given one sport symbol for all their socks to be pinned when they took them off! It worked, as long as they followed through. First son, his socks looked like dad's short socks. Second son, his socks looked like short socks for his big brother. Our youngest sometimes would have to ask for help, but it still kept all the socks easy to separate and head to appropriate room after laundry. I loved those pins!!

Mismatch Socks
by: 50veejae

I always fold my dirty socks together before I put them in the laundry basket. I put toe of one with opening of the other so I know they need to be washed. (Freshly washed socks get folded toe to toe to distinguish them from dirty ones.) I don't pull dirty ones apart until the minute they are put into the washing machine. Rarely do I have mismatched socks now.

Prevent lost locks with sock-locks
by: Anonymous

You can avoid losing single socks by using sock-locks to hold a pair of socks together in the hamper, washer and dryer.

Sock locks & sock rings
by: Anonymous

Sock locks and sock rings leave the socks still damp in the middle where the ring is holding. Also when I've used the lingerie bags the socks roll up into a ball in the bag.

One Type of Sock
by: Ulla

This has been the saving of me! When all the three kids were still at home, my elder daughter wore grey socks with blue rings, my son grey socks with black rings and my husband black woolen socks.
It was really helpful.
PS My son has turned to black socks with grey or white rings ever since he started buying his own clothes.

wash and dry your socks in their own separate load
by: Janet

We’ve found that washing and drying socks in their own separate load works well. They don’t disappear inside other items that way. Once you have the routine down of always putting dirty socks into a hamper or basket then it’s easy just to do a small load of socks when you need.

rubber bands
by: Tammy Neames

The best solution I have found, and I have tried everything, is to use rubber bands. I put them together and rubber band the top. Works very good.

Combo method
by: Anonymous

I use a combination of the two methods. I wear trouser socks a lot (similar to men's dress socks) and it's so hard to distinguish colors and patterns. I use sock clips -- color coded with different colors for black and navy -- and also put the socks in zipper bags. No lost socks in the wash and dryer, and I can put away my socks in no time at all -- they're already paired! -- and I put them in bins in my drawer -- one for black, one for navy, and one for all other colors -- and when I go to grab a pair, they are paired and I know whether I'm getting black or navy. Been doing this for years, and no lost socks, and nothing trapped in the washer under the agitator.

all socks of one color
by: Cheryl Van Voorhees

My husband wears nothing but black socks so they get a load by themselves. I do count them to make sure I have an even number because sometimes one sock misses the toss at the hamper.

tied socks
by: Cheryl Van Voorhees

I have used a method similar to pinning the socks to each other. I used to wear different colored socks, so when I took them off I would tie them together and just count the number of tied socks I had. I would untie them when I put them in the wash and voila I never had lost socks.

'count the socks in’ and ‘count the socks out’
by: Suzanne

One way or another I have been in charge of laundry since I was 18 years old, and it was task given to me in my first job with children in care. As time went by I became a mother myself and next year will be 70 years young.

In all those years I have never lost a sock while doing the laundry 🧺.

My late Mum taught me to ‘count the socks in’ and ‘count the socks out’....there were six of us in the family. She also said that if I wanted to be doubly sure, to actually pair them up. Which was fine if they had a pattern, but not so good if they were plain black as my 3 brothers socks were.

It might sound like OCD, but it is an incredibly easy thing to do, and very quickly becomes second nature. 😀👍

Sock Dock!
by: Andrea M

We use a sock dock (referral link). When we’re getting dressed for bed we put our clothes in the hamper and the socks in the sock dock- my 5 year old and my two year old included. When each segment of the sock dock has a pair of socks, we wash the whole thing! It works really well for us!

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