Do Washing Machines Really Eat Socks?

If you've ever finished folding a nice clean load of laundry and realised that one sock didn't make it, you may be wondering how it disappeared and where in the world it went to. Did your washing machine somehow consume a single sock? Could it have been the fault of your clothes dryer? Most importantly, do lost socks ever come back?

Or, as the late Dr. Stephen Hawking postulated, socks manage to go missing when they are swallowed up by spontaneous black holes.

A Global Mystery Waiting to Be Solved: Do Washing Machines Really Eat Socks?

If you think a washing machine can't actually eat a sock, do think again. According to Mental Floss, more than 84 millionsocks go missing every month in Britain alone, and they certainly didn't wander off on their own.

 Or, maybe it's just gremlins.

If Your Washing Machine Does Take a Sock

If your washing machine has eaten one or more socks, you just might find them if you look in the right place. On a top-loading machine, take a careful peek between the wash tub and the metal sidewalls. It's not common, but socks usually wind up there. On a front-loading washing machine, check under the rubber door gasket

Six Ways to Use a Single Left-Behind Sock

When a sock is ostensibly eaten by a washing machine, and you can't find it anywhere, you can see it as a frustrating experience or a chance to do something imaginative. Here are six ways to put a single sock to good use, according to Mental Floss:

1. Protect Stemware on Moving Day

Bubble wrap can be a quite expensive, especially when you need to wrap a lot of wine glasses. Spare the cost by slipping stemware into single socks before tucking them into a moving box.

2. Make Puppets

Stitch on a couple of buttons for eyes, add some colourful yarn for hair, and voila – you've got a simple sock puppet that will entertain little kids for hours.

3. Craft an Armband for Your Cellphone

Snip off the toe and heel after your washing machine eats one sock. Then, slide a single sock up your arm and fold one end up to make a phone holder you can use while gardening or doing housework.

4. No More Frozen Windshield Wipers

If you live in a high-altitude region of Australia, slip a single sock over a windshield wiper before calling it a night. No matter how cold it gets overnight, you'll find it easy to slide off the sock in the morning and be on your way without the bother of icy wiper blades.

5. Free and Easy Pet Toys After a Washing Machine Eats a Sock

Cats are bound to shred any toy you give them, so why not give them something that costs just about nothing? Fill a stranded sock with catnip, stitch or tie the end closed, then settle in to watch the feline festivities.

There's no reason to leave Rover out of the fun. Stuff a lone sock with worn-out tennis balls before stitching shut and tossing to your excited pooch.

6. Create a Cup Cosy

Two socks can do a good job of shielding your tootsies from the cold. One doesn't work so well, but you can still use it to keep a can of soda refreshingly frosted. A single sock fits a coffee cup, too.

Mismatched Socks Are Actually Pretty Cool

So, your washing machine ate a sock. Does this mean you need to rush right out and replace the pair? Not necessarily. Some of the trendiest folks today have no problem wearing mismatched socks. That's why Lambchopssocks offers a range of sock styles that are fabulously fun no matter how you pair them up.