8 Tips For Making Your Socks Last Longer
Nov 01 , 2021
Tags - How to Look After Socks
There are a lot of different materials used by manufacturers to make socks, which includes cotton, wool, acrylic, polyester and nylon.
And the more base materials that are blended, the softer the socks are which determines how comfortable they feel.
Today, socks are available in a whole range of different colours and artistic designs which get added during the manufacturing process.
Briefly speaking, socks are made with a circular knitting machine, and depending on the style, they can contain up to 7 different colours. With technological advances, patterns can be designed through sock knitted software, which is fed into the machine and the process is automated to ensure all socks produced all look the same.
It comes as no surprise, socks have a more demanding life than any other form of clothing.
And like everyone else, you are proactive in rotating pairs each time you wear them, and you don’t do anything else apart from wear them inside shoes, or just when you’re hanging out at home.
Yet, you still find the odd sock with a hole in it or obvious signs of wear and tear.
Just like your shoes, they get through a lot of miles. So it’s easy to see why and how they can wear out so fast.
But for some people, they’re having to let go of socks a lot sooner than they’d like, just because they’re not looking after them properly.
Simply, looking after your socks the right way can extend their life for a few years.
So, to help you keep your socks in top shape, here are our top 8 tips for making socks last longer.
1. Avoid Hot Water
You may have been told to wash your favourite, brightly coloured socks in hot water as this keeps the colours fresh or for some other reason - get this out of your head right away!
Because, when you wash socks in hot water, it actually speeds up its ageing process by breaking down the materials the socks have been made from.
Instead, socks need a gentle wash cycle with cold water (up to 30 degrees celsius) - remember you’re washing them, not scalding them.
2. Flip Them Inside Out
Like you may do with your t-shirts to protect the detail on the front, you should turn your socks inside out before tossing them into the washing machine.
There are two main reasons for this; first, to get rid of any sweat and skin on the inside and that clean fabric will touch your feet when you wear them again.
And secondly, to prevent lint from sticking to the outside when you wash them - sounds like a pain to turn them inside out, but it’ll be worth it in the long run!
3. Separate Socks by Colour
As obvious as it sounds, unless you're super into tie dye, separate your socks by colour before you wash them, especially if they’re new.
Imagine if you washed a green pair with a white pair - they’ll never look the same again.
4. Use a Garment Bag
I’m pretty sure this has happened to us all at one point, you wash your favourite pair of socks with your usual laundry and when everything comes out of the machine, one sock has miraculously gone missing and into the sock universe us humans have never seen - annoying!
To prevent this from happening, it’s a good idea to wash your socks in a garment bag so they stay together during the wash cycle (the same can be said for dryers too).
5. Be Gentle
The best thing for your socks is to wash them on a gentle cycle in the machine.
Doing so, means that when your socks come into contact with other pieces of clothing in that load, rather than roughly rubbing against each other, they’ll gently kiss each other instead - not literally, but you know what I mean!
6. Forget the Fabric Conditioner
I know fabric conditioner leaves our clothes feeling soft and fresh, but it isn’t doing the same thing to your socks.
Rather, when fabric conditioner gets into the fabric of your socks, it will interfere and damage the moisture-wicking properties it holds.
And if you live a fairly active lifestyle, you won’t want to be wearing socks that don’t absorb your sweat or let your feet breathe.
7. Hang Them to Dry
This is the easiest part, letting them dry.
Simply hang them onto a drying rack and leave them alone.
But if you are in a rush, you can stick them in the dryer as long as it’s set on a low heat.
Consequently, even if you dry them in heat, it will shorten the lifespan of them as it wears the fabric down.
Moreover, never wring them to dry. Sure, it will get rid of any water the socks are holding, but wringing them stretches the fabric in a way it should not be stretched and is one of the quickest ways to damage them.
8. Take Care of Your Feet
Have you ever noticed how holes begin to develop around the toes and heels?
Sure, they’re the parts that hit the surface the most, but they’re also the areas where poor foot maintenance can result in tears.
For instance, overgrown toenails and rough heels can wear down the fabric quickly so practice proper foot care to prevent friction.
Closing Remarks
Socks are an essential item in everyone’s wardrobe and a lot of us own several pairs in different colours and patterns.
Sometimes, you need to consider that you do get what you pay for - the cheaper the price, the poorer the quality - which translates to: they probably won’t last that long.
So, invest in proper quality socks to begin with.
Then, to be able to enjoy them for years to come and not just a one-off wear, follow these tips above and keep your socks in good condition; a little extra care makes the results worthwhile and your feet will remain warm and happy!
If you’d like to know more, please get in touch today.
In the meantime, take a look at our full range of comfortable shoes here.
You may also like: