Seriously, Where Do Those Missing Socks Go?
After a couple of months of hanging onto mismatched socks, most people will simply give up and find some other use for them. Crafty type people will turn orphans into sock monkeys or sock puppets. Non crafty types use them to dust or wax the car. Still others donate their mismatched socks to the Goodwill, reasoning that a poor person doesn't mind wearing mismatched socks rather than no socks at all. (News flash: poor people also have drawers of their own mismatched socks they are trying to get rid of.)
And then, there's the people like myself, who are eternally optimistic that eventually the missing socks will show up and can be reunited with their mates.
I've done a great deal of research on the missing sock phenomenon. There's plenty of theories floating around the internet about aliens, black holes, and time travel; a few people even suggested that leprechauns or the sand man sneaks in at night to steal the missing sock.
While these theories are humorous and rather entertaining, I wanted the real reason why my socks turn up missing on laundry day.
There really isn't a black hole
Socks really don't vanish into thin air, you know. They merely go somewhere else. That somewhere else is one of two places, neither which is a black hole or another planet.
How many times have you had to untangle a piece of laundry that has wrapped around the agitator? If you have ever run your fingers beneath the agitator ~ this is the big paddle in the center of the machine ~ you will notice a half inch gap. Your socks can easily slip through that space to wrap around the basket support.
When I donated an old washing machine several years ago, I pried up the agitator and found nearly 20 missing socks. They had woven themselves around the rod, resembling something like a kindergarten art project. Now, I regularly remove the agitator to check for missing items. To remove the agitator of your machine, simply pry up the agitator cap, unscrew the nut and bolt, and gently tug straight up. It's that simple.
The second place missing socks tend to go is really quite logical, when you think about it.
Socks are staticky little buggers. They stick to other clothing like glue, especially when run through the dryer. Socks can disappear up the sleeves of tee shirts, in pant legs, or in the fitted corners of your sheets. They also attach themselves to velcro strips and towels. When they disappear in another article of clothing, especially something that doesn't get worn that often, it could be months before you discover the missing sock.
The best way to prevent those socks from playing hide and seek in the laundry, is to wash them in a lingerie bag.
Socks aren't the only items that can go missing
Socks aren't the only thing that disappear in the wash. Hankies, bandannas, and underwear can also go missing, to resurface under the agitator or other odd locations. Underwear is particularly fond of turning up in places where it shouldn't be.
A couple of years ago, I lost a piece of lingerie; it had disappeared while doing a load of bright colors. I had shaken out the clothes, and examined everything quite carefully but it had simply vanished. The lingerie eventually did turn up 8 months later, attached to the velcro hood fastener on the back of my daughter's school coat. Naturally, I didn't notice my daughter had been wearing my underwear on her back, until after she got home from school that day.
I blame leprechauns for that little stunt. That, or aliens from another planet.
Published by C. Jeanne Heida - Featured Contributor in Business & Finance and Lifestyle
Jeanne is a small business owner with 25 years experience in the real estate industry. A consistent Y!CN Top 100 writer, her articles can be found at Y!Finance, Shine, Your Wisdom, DEX, and the Scripps Net... View profile
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21 Comments
Post a CommentI have a front loader washing machine with no agitatator and I am still ending up with missing socks. A guy told me they could end up down the drain that removes the water from washer. if that was so, wouldn't it plug up/
a similar thing which drove me crazy for ages was wondering where my cutlery was walking off to. since i don't have expensive stuff, i ruled out sticky-fingered relatives (the answer to where my grandmother's things went). it finally dawned on me that i was throwing the forks and knives out myself in take-out styrofoam clamshells. since that epiphany, my cutlery has quit its wandering ways.
I've always said that I think, when we get to heaven, we'll be presented with a bag full of our missing socks. I plan to hold onto mine just in case...it'll give me something to do up there. ;-)
This was quite informative. I was doing a google search for possible titles and this came up. I gotta read a fellow AC contributor! Anyway, thanks for the good read :)
This is hilarious even though I do disagree. I believe there is a black hole. i just wrote an article on the same subject and i'm using this as a supporting link. Look for it in a week or so. Thanks for a good laugh.
My thongs used to go missing ALL the flippin time- and it wasn't until I looked in that agitator thingy that I found like 7 pairs all wrapped up in it...
I am really thankful for this article! It helped me know how to remove the agitator to untangle a sheet. Unfortunately, there weren't any lost socks down there.
Part 2
Yes there is a gap in most top loading washers that small things could get thru. I have been in the case of many old washers doing repairs and never found any thing. I have not seen the Maytag repair man on TV saying here are your lost socks. I have had pets take socks and dogs that go in and out will bury them. This however only accounts for a small percentage and if your only pet is gold fish, the socks would plug the filter. I have long suspected the static cling theory of hiding socks in pant legs or shirtsleeves. They just hide and wait for a chance jump off for a clean get away. I give this a 10. That would be say 10 per state per year or around 500 in the USA per year. The USA population is just over 300,000,000 so if every one only lost one per year that leaves 299,999,500 to account for. Now as for my wife and me, we average 3 to 4 lost socks each. So we could be looking at numbers as high as 1,049,999,820 socks lost per year in just the US alone. Now add in the rest
Lost Sock
Let me just say this if you are looking for a good answer I do not have it. I am an engineer and I approach problems logically. First we must define just what is a LOST sock. For one thing a sock is not considered to be lost until it has been missing for a documented 30 days not just 24 hours like ho say your spouse. So things like in a pillowcase or in the sheets do not make the list. Now under the bed or other furniture, in the couch cushions, or behind the close hamper only count if you never thought to look or never just clean. Ho and sock heaven and just run away, not on list. How can one sock run any way? As much as I would like to support the sock eating appliance theory washers and dryers have lint screens, what goes in the door comes out the door. Now if you use a laundry mat and a sock is left stuck to the washer after the spin cycle and the next user take it home, well now we have two single socks. I have never brought a strange sock home. Yes there is a gap in mo
This is so funny. It totally made me smile...and it's late. I should be in bed...and instead, I am smiling (and over laundry, at that!) Wonders never cease. :) Keep it up!