Do Socks Have Soles?

Do socks have soles? It’s an age-old question, that I really hadn’t given much thought, until this weekend.

Every evening, when I get home from work, I pull off my socks and throw them in a hamper, along with an assorted mixture of other clothing. Not having a washer and dryer in my West Virginia cabin, I take my clothes back home to Kentucky to be washed, usually once a month, every three or four weeks. Needless to say, over the period, I build up quite a collection of socks for the washer.

I brought the hamper into the house when I arrived home Thursday night. I waited until the next morning to start the wash. The stuff on top of the hamper were the things thrown in last, mainly as a group, towels, wash cloths and the like. When finished washing, they went into the dryer, and I started to pull out the next load. It and the next went into the washer as unsorted bundles, and the same into the dryer.

When everything was dry, it was time to fold and sort. After 20 minutes of what I can only call a chore, one thing became apparent. There were only two pairs of socks, and one of those, I had worn home. I should have had three week’s worth of socks. There was no mistake. I had thrown them into hamper on a daily basis, mixed in with other clothes, so they should have been layered through the mix. I have no clue as to where those darned socks went, only a theory.

Everything else was there, jeans, shirts, underwear, wash cloths, just like it should be. We’ve all done head counts on socks when pairing them with a mate, after removing them from a dryer. More often than not, there is always an odd number, when an even number went in. The only solution seems to be the buddy system, using a safety pin to hold them together, and that’s not fool proof.

The dryer seems to be a vortex that preys on the weak, usually picking off one sock at a time, never to be seen again. I have never heard of 20, or more, pairs of socks disappearing at one time. But, the dryer vortex is the only explanation that seems to make sense.

After hours of thought and contemplation, it became apparent that the only things missing from the laundry mix, the socks, all had soles.

Besides laughing myself silly, I have to say, T-bob...THAT is a true mystery! Why only the socks, I wonder? And you do live in a new place now. Any activity around there by chance? Were they abducted before the trip home I wonder? That's a LOT of socks to vanish at once!!!!

Debi said:

Besides laughing myself silly, I have to say, T-bob...THAT is a true mystery! Why only the socks, I wonder? And you do live in a new place now. Any activity around there by chance? Were they abducted before the trip home I wonder? That's a LOT of socks to vanish at once!!!!

I don't have a clue.............but, they are GONE! I have about 30 pair left...........Yes, I have a lot of socks, but for obvious reasons, as I don't do laundry while on the road.

Bob, check the inside 'guts' of your dryer. There may be a servicing plate than can be removed, usually down low. This is where eaten socks go.:) You may have a plastic molding inside the dryer near the door. As the dryer heats up, over time a little gap can develop as the trim pulls away. It can force socks thru the gap in the direction of the spin. Also check seals or molding around the lint trap.

Just a thought. (Years ago I wanted to open a Laundro-Mat, a really researched maintenance issues. I hope this is useful.)

Paintman said:

Bob, check the inside 'guts' of your dryer. There may be a servicing plate than can be removed, usually down low. This is where eaten socks go.:) You may have a plastic molding inside the dryer near the door. As the dryer heats up, over time a little gap can develop as the trim pulls away. It can force socks thru the gap in the direction of the spin. Also check seals or molding around the lint trap.

Just a thought. (Years ago I wanted to open a Laundro-Mat, a really researched maintenance issues. I hope this is useful.)

Thanks, I'll do that when I get home in a few weeks..............I can't afford to lose socks at that alarming rate................Funny, it doesn't eat my wife's socks.

Maybe the Mrs believes that if you run out of socks, you will be half way to barefoot and pregnant and have to stay home. Otherwise I say Mokey's squirrels have been taking them.

18Critter said:

Maybe the Mrs believes that if you run out of socks, you will be half way to barefoot and pregnant and have to stay home. Otherwise I say Mokey's squirrels have been taking them.

Another interesting possibility.

T-Bob said:

Do socks have soles? It’s an age-old question, that I really hadn’t given much thought, until this weekend.

Every evening, when I get home from work, I pull off my socks and throw them in a hamper, along with an assorted mixture of other clothing. Not having a washer and dryer in my West Virginia cabin, I take my clothes back home to Kentucky to be washed, usually once a month, every three or four weeks. Needless to say, over the period, I build up quite a collection of socks for the washer.

I brought the hamper into the house when I arrived home Thursday night. I waited until the next morning to start the wash. The stuff on top of the hamper were the things thrown in last, mainly as a group, towels, wash cloths and the like. When finished washing, they went into the dryer, and I started to pull out the next load. It and the next went into the washer as unsorted bundles, and the same into the dryer.

When everything was dry, it was time to fold and sort. After 20 minutes of what I can only call a chore, one thing became apparent. There were only two pairs of socks, and one of those, I had worn home. I should have had three week’s worth of socks. There was no mistake. I had thrown them into hamper on a daily basis, mixed in with other clothes, so they should have been layered through the mix. I have no clue as to where those darned socks went, only a theory.

Everything else was there, jeans, shirts, underwear, wash cloths, just like it should be. We’ve all done head counts on socks when pairing them with a mate, after removing them from a dryer. More often than not, there is always an odd number, when an even number went in. The only solution seems to be the buddy system, using a safety pin to hold them together, and that’s not fool proof.

The dryer seems to be a vortex that preys on the weak, usually picking off one sock at a time, never to be seen again. I have never heard of 20, or more, pairs of socks disappearing at one time. But, the dryer vortex is the only explanation that seems to make sense.

After hours of thought and contemplation, it became apparent that the only things missing from the laundry mix, the socks, all had soles.

That is a good mystery Bob.