Washing your socks sensibly
Don’t you hate it when you open your dryer and you realise that your favourite pair of socks has shrunken? When socks shrink, they become uncomfortable and unwearable. And with winter approaching soon, you’ll want to be extra careful with your socks not shrinking. So here are five simple ways to prevent this from happening!
Hand washing your sheers
When it comes to machine washing and laundry, nylon is one fabric that is highly susceptible to damage. So hand washing sheer socks, especially men’s dress socks, ensures that the washing machine will not shrink the socks.
In case you want to be extra careful, use a delicate cleaning product, and apply pressure only if you see visible stains or blemishes.
Washing wool socks
When Winter hits, you’ll pull out all of your wool sweaters and socks! When washing your wool sweaters, be careful not to shrink them; the same applies to wool socks.
Set your washing machine to the gentlest and lowest setting. If your device has a wool clothes option, press that button and it’ll take care of the rest. Furthermore, make sure you use cold water and the right cleaning product for wool.
A pro tip: You can wear your wool socks several times before they start to smell or become dirty. This prevents the socks from being washed too many times, hence, preventing them from shrinking.
Washing cotton socks
When it comes to cleaning cotton socks in a washing machine, they are the toughest of the lot. However, make sure you wash and dry them at a low and gentle speed to prevent them from fading and shrinking.
Using warm or lukewarm water paired with a cotton-friendly cleaning product is advisable, but realistically, it seems impossible to buy different types of cleaning products for your variety of socks. Hence, the best option is to wash them gently.
Hang Dry Your Socks
Using the high heat of dryers will help prevent your socks from retaining elasticity, especially those with high nylon content. Small drying racks can be used while hang drying your socks. This step will help prevent your socks from any shrinkage. If you are hang drying your socks, make sure the room is constantly ventilated to prevent your clothes from smelling like damp.
The Folding Technique
After you wash and dry your socks don’t just stuff them in your drawer, you can neatly fold them away which allows the material to breathe. It makes a noticeable difference as the socks will feel softer to touch and wear.
Marie Kondo’s famous Konmari technique teaches us how folding the right way is worth adopting as the folding process allows socks to stand up straight and efficiently in your drawer.
The art of not shrinking your socks
Following these simple ways can help keep your socks from shrinking but remember washing your socks is an art; hence, the process will take some time before you get it right.
Connor Doughty