I’m convinced. Dryers (or washers) really do eat socks. How do I know? Every time we did laundry at our house, there’d be another lost sock; a lonely, wandering cotton footy, without its match.
You can imagine, over time, what that must have been like with a family of nine people. Not only did we have four or five loads to fold EACH DAY, but at the end, we had a basket full of single socks.
One remedy was The Lost Sock Shop. This simple piece of one by four held a Velcro strip so single socks could be displayed and hopefully matched. Kind of like online dating for stockings, these socks would hang around until their match was found, or we threw them out. A sad existence. A desperate attempt. The shop didn’t last long.
Every couple of months mom would get fed up enough to loosen her frugal way of life and throw all the single socks away. Of course within a month the lint-spitting, sock-eating monster would choke out a couple more miss-matched socks whose fate didn’t look promising.
Do you have this same problem at your house? Have you found the remedy for missing socks?
Anna
I have found that it is much easier to keep track of socks when there are only two people to wash for.
ReplyDeleteI've also heard of and seen sock clips. Sounds like it would be a lot of extra trouble but thy actually make these clips that go in the washer and dryer that keeps the matched socks together.
My remedy for missing socks is to just not wear them. LOL
ReplyDeleteActually I do wear them but since everyone has started to do their own laundry the incident of sock disappearance has dwindled.
I do love the Velcro idea. That is an awesome handy tip. Your mom is frugal but I am surprised she threw them away and didn't make a bunch of puppets.
What a fun post this is!! Love it!
I blame my parents. I haven't had trouble at all since I've started doing my own laundry. :)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't stand the "sock basket" growing up. So when I got married and started having kids I promised myself I would not keep the socks.
ReplyDeleteIf I have a missing sock I usually will place it in the right drawer for about two more loads of laundry. Then If the matching sock is not found I throw it away.
I'm curious to know do any of my sibling have a "sock basket"?
NO!
ReplyDeleteI pretty much do what you do Ali. The lost sock usually turns up in the next load or two of laundry. Ugh, that was one of the worst chore cards!
definately no on the sock basket! i do the same as you guys. too bad we didn't teach that to mom growing up!
ReplyDelete:-) now, onto the frugalness part. i cut the top a little so as not to confuse it with normal socks, then you stick it on your hand, spray with pledge and clean away!
If I had thrown socks out after a couple of loads of laundry, you guys would have had NO socks! :)
ReplyDeleteThe mates were usually stuffed into a corner, under a pile of Barbie clothes, which were under a few mis-matched shoes, which were under some books, which were under some dirty clothes.
Just think....in one day, we went through 18 socks (if you only had one change...which was rare) and in one week we wore 126 socks. And that's not counting the lacey edged ones the girls wore to church.
Oh, and remember the colored slouch socks from the 80's? haha
I use a mesh bag or at least I think that is what it is called. One for colored socks one for white socks. The socks don't leave the bag, they are washed and dried in the bag. Making putting them away quite easy. My gradmother use to pin her's together with a safety pin. That always seemed like a lot of work to me. But she was hopelessly frugal.
ReplyDeleteMy problem, getting my children to put the dirty socks in the mesh bag not just the hamper. We are working on it!
Before the mesh bag I had a single sock drawer. Whenever a sock would be missing it would go in the drawer and then once I week I would try to see how many matches I could find. It was kind of a game----I hate buying socks!!!
I haven't bought myself new socks since Seth was a baby---6years ---I'm serious about not losing socks----it's a weird passion. or I guess the better word---obsession ;)
UGH! I have SUCH laundry shame!!! I know, there is no condemnation in Christ, but it really is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI have a very sad variation on the sock basket...I am not sure if I have any single lost socks in it because...I dont mate socks at all! It is TOO much! Yeah, we get really excited when flip flop weather comes! And a little nervous when when fall is here....LIKE NOW! EEK!!!
I have to buy the boys socks like every 2 months! I dont know where they are?? ha ha
ReplyDeleteI found this blog by searching for "lost sock shop". My uncle Roger (from Edmond, OK) actually trademarked and patented "The Lost Sock Shop" idea in the late 80s. It was a wooden frame with a velcro strip along the bottom and a cartoon of two socks and it said "because single socks need love too". I never heard how successful it was, but I do know there's quite a few still out in his garage.
ReplyDelete