Keeping the Socks in Pairs
To save time and keep socks from losing their mates, I use safety pins to keep them together before tossing in the laundry basket. After they are laundered, from the drier they can go directly in the drawer with the pins or you can remove the pins and fold one sock into the other. I've stopped losing socks since I started doing this.
By BK from Milpitas, CA
Matching socks used to be a problem, especially since there were several pair of the same color; solid blacks, blues, etc. Often when mismatched over time, one will show wear more than another. To solve the problem, I started using a safety pin to pin the matching pair together at the toe as soon as they are taken off at the end of the day and dropped into the laundry hamper. If this is started when the pair is new, they will never be a need to find a loose sock again.
Need safety pins - use the ones that come with the dry cleaning.
By Bill from Greensboro NC
RE: Keeping the Socks in Pairs
Another idea is to place each person's socks in their own lingerie bag. That way at least everyone has all their socks together and can be easily paired up. (06/05/2006)
By Hmsklmom
RE: Keeping the Socks in Pairs
Something that we are using, the rings around the plastic milk jugs, those work too! Safer for us since we have little ones helping me with the laundry! (08/21/2006)
By mobo
RE: Keeping the Socks in Pairs
What worked for our family (5 of us) is that each used different colored (or types) of pins. My husband used (still uses) something called "sock locks" which are not pins, but a circular plastic you push the socks through. There are little spokes which keep the socks in place. One son used silver safety pins, one used gold pins and the other son and I used baby diaper pins. Blue heads for him and any other color for me. Socks went into the hamper, washer and dryer with the pins on. When the pins came out, each kid had a large magnet as his "pin cushion." All I can tell you is that if we ever lost a sock after we started the system, it was lost as a pair! Great method for us. (08/21/2006)
By ccarnow
RE: Keeping the Socks in Pairs
With 5 people in my household, socks are a headache. I just buy each person a different style/brand of socks and purchase a dozen or more pairs. For example, all the socks with a gray bottom are my youngest son's, my older son's have blue lettering, mine have pink, my daughter likes "bootie" style, etc. Don't even match socks, just throw them in the sock drawer! (08/22/2006)
By busymom
Safety Pin Dirty Socks Together
Use a safety pin to keep socks together while doing laundry. It's so worth the time to safety pin them together right when you put them in the dirty clothes hamper.
By Brandi from Gray, GA
RE: Safety Pin Dirty Socks Together
Buy a small nylon-net, zippered laundry bag from Bed, Bath and Beyond. You won't have to worry about losing a sock (or other small items). I use this method for washing my expensive bicycle articles and it keeps the agitator from 'beating' the clothing. The nylon bag takes the beating :) (04/17/2008)
By Cajun
RE: Safety Pin Dirty Socks Together
I use washing bags that I get from the Dollar Store. They're cloth bags with a zipper on top. The cloth has holes in it like a mesh fabric. I got three in a package for a dollar.
I also use these bags separately; one for bras; one for panties; one for stockings; and if I have an embellished T shirt or sweater with any kind of beading on it, I turn the garment inside out and put it in one of these bags and wash it. Everything holds its shape and works great!
Also, I don't put any of the above garments in the dryer. I read they last longer if you hang them up and air dry them. Thanks for the hint.
Smoochie :) (08/28/2008)
By metroplex
Safety Pin Socks Together Before Washing
I use safety pins to keep socks together when washing. No more losing one sock. I also put a color stripe on sock so I know whose is whose.
By Sherry from Onset, MA
RE: Safety Pin Socks Together Before Washing
That is so clever! I'm always losing one. (07/20/2009)
By damaged05170
RE: Safety Pin Socks Together Before Washing
I have been doing this for years. My Sister thought is weird, but then I read about a man who staples his socks together. I don't know how he keeps them from getting snagged, but his wife said she didn't care; he did his own laundry! (07/21/2009)
By middlekid
Keeping Track of Socks
Tips to help keep socks together.
Keep Them Together When You Take Them Off
Another way not to have lost socks. Teach everyone in the house that when they take off their socks, flip one of the edges over the other sock to keep them together
By Lisa
Buy The Same Socks
I have found the best way to keep socks together is to find a brand you like and buy 10 or 15 pairs that are all the same color, etc. You never worry about 'matching' just stick two together.
By Brook
Safety Pins
To reduce lost socks I managed to convince my husband to do what I have done for years - safety pin the socks together at the toes before putting in the hamper. I started doing it when I was young to keep from getting my sisters socks, now it prevents lost socks!
By Deanna
Prevent losing odd socks in the laundry and help in sorting them: With five kids, it was easy to lose socks, I finally bought small safety pins. I would pin the pairs of socks at the toes before washing, that way no sorting afterwards. Can roll up socks with pin still in. When worn, pin can be put inside near the top so it is not seen. Hopefully, the kids (and husbands) will learn to pin them together when they take them off, to save you the trouble of doing this.
By Linda
What I do is very simple. I take put my socks on a big safety pin. I can pin 5 pairs together. Then they stay together in the washer and dryer. For mens socks you can get a bigger safety. I have kept my socks together for years by doing this.
By tashface
Mark Your Socks
I have white socks for the most part and I buy them in packs of 12. I use 4 colored markers to put dots or Roman numerals on the bottom of each pair. 3 with red, 3 with blue, etc. Then I separate them after the wash. You can use whatever color shows up best on any socks.
Bob
A Seperate Bag for Socks
Everyone in our house has their own hamper - the freestanding "pop-up" type. I clothespinned a mesh lingere washing bag to everyone's hamper and trained them to put socks and tights in there. No more single socks!
If for some reason we do find single socks lying around they go directly into the hamper. When I pull one out of the dryer I then know to put it in the "single sock" basket to await it's mate. Every few months I throw out any unmated socks.
By Lilygloves
Sock Drawer
When hanging socks I hang them together, however, there are times when a single sock surfaces for these times I have an odd sock drawer in the loungeroom near where I fold the clothes. Anytime I come across a sock on its lonesome I just put it into the drawer. Every now and then I pull out the drawer and pair them up.
By Tanya
Sock Bag
My son and husband have no problem putting their clothes in the hamper, except for their socks. So I have a plastic bag with handle that you get from the store hanging on the inside bedroom doorknob and they put their socks in it and I gather them up on wash day. I tried the saftey pin idea and they wouldnt do it and also clothespin but alas, no.
By christi
My Strategry
After losing too many socks to the 'sock monster' in our home, I now buy one colour of socks in the same size for all four of my children. They are 9 (boy), 7 (girl), 6 (girl) and 4 (girl); since being so close in age their feet are not drastically different in size (the boy's socks are shorter on the leg and the younger girls' socks are higher on the leg but they all prefer it that way).
In the winter (we live in Ontario, Canada) the kids wear black socks. It's not necessarily fashionable but it is practical. Dirt does not stain the socks, no more 'unmated' socks and since they are all the same size, matching is simple. In the summer the girls' like to wear pink socks and so the same goes as for the black socks.
Each Spring and Fall I go sock shopping since by the end of the season the socks are becoming worn through or stretched out. Whenever a sock is worn, I can throw it out without having 'single' socks. The 'good' sock pairs I keep as extras for those weeks when laundry is not being done as quickly as it should.
Now I need to convince my husband to not keep worn out, holey and stretched socks for 'just in case'. I am learning to inspect each sock as it comes through the wash or we end up with many socks that are unwearable.
By Michelle
Post your ideas below.
Keeping Socks Together
Here is an idea for keeping your socks together and a fast way to match them. When you take your socks off each night safety pin the pair together at the toe. Then when you go to wash and dry them they will still be together, you will never loose another sock again! It's great and you never have a basket of socks that needs to be matched, it saves so much time.
(08/31/2005)
By Lindsay
RE: Keeping Track of Socks
To keep my socks together I use the safety pin method. I buy the large safety pins and immediately when I take my socks off I pin them together and put them in the hamper. That way I always have a pair of socks...not just one. Of course, I can't get my husband or daughter to do that and because they won't, they have to sort their own socks. (06/16/2006)
By Rubyred
RE: Keeping Track of Socks
An easyway to keep socks together is to use a product called sock-locks.They are plastic rings about one and a half inches in diameter that you slip both socks through and it holds them together during washing and drying.They are hard to find but they really do the trick. (09/08/2007)
By dkw144
RE: Keeping Track of Socks
I have another great idea for socks that I read about years ago in a womans magazine.
It's so simple! Just buy the same sock style and color in the amount you need. For example, now I buy my husband around two weeks worth of black socks in the same style!
Magic - no more hunting for matching socks! Also, when I buy a replacement batch, I just throw out all of the other socks since they all wear out at the same time.
Genius is so simple, isn't it?! (09/08/2007)
RE: Keeping Track of Socks
I have another good idea for keeping track of socks.
I use a mesh laundry bag, like the kind used for lingerie, and put all of my dirty socks in the bag. No missing socks at the end of the wash cycle!
Just get a large enough bag. I buy my bags at Walmart or Target types of stores, but I've even found them at large drug stores, like Walgreens.
Pretty cool! :)
(09/08/2007)
Safety Pin Socks Together Before Washing
Having raised 4 daughters I always had tons of single socks to pair up. Many remained mysteriously single. Remedy to this day: always safety pin socks together before going into the hamper. Problem solved!
By sar4girls
RE: Safety Pin Socks Together Before Washing
My daughter lives with me. We have socks that are alike. Same brand. I pin my socks at the top and her socks at the toe. It has worked for us. Whoever does the laundry knows the owner of the socks. Great idea, thanks (01/14/2010)
By Judith1951
Safety Pin Socks Together Before Washing
I bought different size pins and had my daughter and my husband pin their socks together when they took them off.
Keeping Track of Socks
I use an under-bed organizer with dividers to sort my socks right out of the dryer. Each member of my household has a slot.
Keep Baby Socks Together in the Wash
Put your baby's tiny socks into a zippered lingerie bag when you put them in the washing machine. They won't get lost.
Keep Baby Socks Together in the Wash