Why should we wash socks regularly?
If you wear your socks for prolonged hours to work or school, they should be washed after every wear because as undergarments and T-shirts, socks are the closest to our body and sweat glands, and these fabrics are usually made of sweat-absorbing material which can be an ideal habitat for bacteria and germs develop and spread.
There is a reality that even if your socks don't really look dirty and wet after each wear, they probably have so many germs and even if they are dry, they will probably smell pretty bad after you leave them unwashed for too long.
With a shirt, you can find it safe to stay in an air-conditioned room as long as it isn’t wet and filled with sweat. However, socks are different because they are confined within shoes and likely make your feet sweat in the same condition.
It is really ironic that once it has a smell that only you love, it’s going to affect not just your legs but the entire room and others. Besides, if you wear socks that are constantly re-used may result in skin problems or foot odor that sometimes can make you lack confidence.
As a result, instead of buying more socks which are seen as a costly method, the useful advice here is you should wash your socks daily or after each wear.
In this blog, Printerval will give you many useful tactics to wash and take care of your socks correctly.
How to wash socks with a washing machine?
Normally, socks made from cotton and wool are usually washed with a washing machine for their durable and less affected features.
There are necessary steps that you should keep in mind and apply properly, making sure your socks can look great year by year.
Step 1: Separate your socks,
There are three reasons why you should separate your socks before washing them.
Firstly, socks often accumulate too much white lint.
Secondly, one of the two socks is lost.
And lastly, you separate them in order to keep their colors vibrant.
Step 2: Turn inside-out and organize into pairs
To make sure that your socks won’t be missed after having laundry, you should organize them into pairs.
There are some tips you can apply including:
Keep a separate laundry bin for your socks to avoid them being washed with other items in which you can see that you have separated out a single black sock and a pair of white sport socks, and so on.
In order to avoid the accumulation of lint while washing, you can take a little additional time to turn all the socks inside-out before washing and right-side-out after, but it is the best way to ensure that your socks never accumulate impossible-to-remove white lint and continue to look vibrant.
Step 3: Wash in cold water, gentle cycle, with light detergent
When loading your dress-sock-only load into the washing machine, remember to wash your socks in the gentle cycle with cold water and light detergents such as The Laundress Darks Detergent or the Laundress Delicates Detergent.
In addition, depending on how soiled the socks are, you can consider allowing the socks to soak in the cold water for 30 minutes prior to starting the cycle.
Step 4: Turn right-side out
After the laundry cycle is complete, remove the socks and begin to turn them right-side-out and remember to do this gently, not causing any unnecessary stretching.
Nevertheless, you can also use this as an opportunity to reorganize the socks into matching pairs.
Step 5: Hang Dry
Keep in mind that the high heat of a dryer causes the elastic in the top band to break down and stretch and can also weaken the cotton fibers.
Step 6: Fold and put away
This is the final step of washing socks, you can fold your socks in a separate sock drawer that helps you find it easy and quick to pick the right pair of socks in many situations.
How to wash socks by hand?
Some socks can be washed with washing machines but some should not such as socks made from delicate material, such as cashmere, silk, and wool are particularly hand-washed to avoid long-term damage.
Here are simple steps to wash socks by hands:
First of all, fill a sink with cold water.
Add in some mild laundry detergent, or you can improvise with dishwashing liquid if laundry detergent is not accessible.
Then, turn socks inside out for a thorough cleaning.
Allow socks to soak for at least 5 minutes. For an especially dirty batch, allow it to soak for up to 30 minutes.
Next, swish socks around in the soapy water to loosen up the grime.
Finally, drain the sink and rinse socks under cold running water until no longer soapy.
Remember to avoid scrubbing, twisting, or wringing as this can result in runs, snags, and stretching.
How to air dry socks?
The benefits of air drying socks
Although there are many socks that can easily be tossed into a dryer, some socks of quality fabric will catch lint if included in a regular load of clothes, towels, or sports socks.
Moreover, heat from a dryer gradually breaks down sock elasticity and eventually leads to stretching. Particularly, socks made of delicate materials cashmere, silk, and wool should be allowed to air dry.
In fact, air-drying socks will keep them looking and feeling great and will most definitely extend their lives.
Tips to air dry socks
Air drying socks seem to be simple but actually, there is a secret to removing excess water from freshly laundered socks.
First of all, lay wet socks out flat on a clean towel and roll them up tightly.
Secondly, press down on the towel to remove excess water.
Lastly, hang damp socks on a clothesline or clothing rack to air dry.
However, you can also toss your socks into the dryer in a gentle and low-heat setting as that can be seen as the least harsh method for machine drying socks.
About socks at Printerval
At the Printerval shop, socks are made from various materials, making sure that they adhere to many different occasions of use. The most common fabrics are cotton and polyester which are durable, stretchy, and easy to wash.
Owning socks from Printerval shop, you can be flexible in washing and taking care of them because the socks can be washed by hand or with washing machines.
Also, socks at Printerval are customized which are created and designed exclusively based on specific demands of customers. These socks are unique and trendy as well as impressive to wear.
