Where Do Missing Socks Go?
I'm sure everyone has lost at least one sock in the laundry, but where do all the missing socks go?
13/05/2020
I have finally discovered an answer to that question on everyone's lips... "Where do missing socks go?" While this article is sorta about finding missing socks, it's more about washing and drying sheets, duvet covers and bed linen.
You might be wondering how an article about washing sheets and bed linen is also about missing socks, but I'm sure that many of you have already figured out where most missing socks go... inside pillowcases and duvet covers. The reason socks - and other items for that matter - go missing in the wash is because they get washed or dried with bed linen and end up inside these, only to find found much later when taking out the linen to put on a bed.
Washing or Drying Without Tangled Sheets and Bed Linen
I have often been put in the position of sorting through my laundry at the end of a load to have to search for one or two missing 'secret' socks or even a pair of knickers. If these items are washed or dried with your bed linen, chances are they have ended up inside pillowcases or duvet covers. To avoid this occurrence, it is always a good idea to wash bed linens separately, and for other reasons as well.
- Stop Bed Linen from Getting Twisted Up
When you have large loads of laundry to stay on top of week after week, it is so tempting to simply slap everything into the washing machine or tumble dryer, without even thinking what might be in the load. The problem with this method, especially if you are washing or drying bed linen, is that everything ends up in a twisted mess. Keep bed linen for a separate load, possibly at the end of the wash, as these usually dry quickly anyway.
- Button or Snap Up
If there is one thing duvet covers are good at, it's stealing your laundry. To avoid any laundry from going missing, or ending up as a wet mess in the corners of duvet covers, snap them closed or button them up before tossing them into the washing machine or tumble dryer.
- Do the Shimmy Shimmy Shake
Before you toss sheets and duvet covers into the washing machine or tumble dryer, give them a good shaking out in advance. When in the tumble dryer, open the door a couple of times during the drying process to sort out any twists and turns, as this could also mean that they don't dry properly.
- Keep Bed Linen to Small Loads
If you want your bed linen to come out of the wash with fewer wrinkles - which means less ironing - keep the load small. If you only put a fitted sheet, duvet cover and 4 pillowcases into the washing or drying load, there's less chance of this all coming out as a tangled mess - with more wrinkles to iron away. Keep linen loads limited and you will spend less time ironing once you're done.
Add a tennis ball or two to your tumble dryer with dealing with bed linen. It's also a great idea to do this when refreshing pillow inners.
Spend Less Time doing Laundry
Some common laundry errors will soon add up to extra hours spent doing this necessary task, but with common sense and a bit more organisation by doing it right, you will spend less time trying to dry still-wet washing or ironing out sheets and bed linen full of winkles. Plus, you won't have to go searching for missing socks!