Make socks last longer
QMy socks never seem to last for very long before they start getting holes or losing thread – how can I stop this from happening? Wi●●iam Lo■g●ey, Cast●eford
Trai● says Surprisingly, socks can be damaged not only when they’re being worn on our feet but inside the drum of a washing machine. The clever folk at sock manufacturers Bridgedale say that washing causes fabrics – both knitted and woven – to do what is known in the industry as ‘pilling’. This is where the short fibres on the surface of a fabric are twisted into tiny but visible balls, which can damage the functionality of performance socks and affect the socks’ aesthetics too. To mitigate against this, Bridgedale recommends turning socks inside out before throwing them into the washer. This not only prevents pilling on the outside of the sock but also helps lock all the different yarns together inside the sock, which can actually benefit the performance of a sock.
Another factor to think about is washing socks only with T-shirts and underwear, as other items of clothing such as trousers and jackets have metal poppers, zips and Velcro patches. All these features have the potential to catch and pull a yarn out of a sock, which can then break and cause a hole.
Remembering to reverse your socks and consider their washmates every time they need cleaning is admittedly going to increase your time spent on this already mundane domestic chore – but, unless you prefer threadbare socks riddled with holes, it’s a no-brainer.