When it comes to washing socks, cold water is better than warm water, and you should use a gentle cycle and light laundry detergent. If you want to go one step further, you can find a detergent that is specially formulated to prevent fading and keep your socks bright and vibrant even after multiple washes.
First, you need to know how to clean socks without damaging the delicate materials. You should run your socks through a cold cycle in your washing machine using a mesh laundry bag.
1. Separate your socks. 2. Turn inside-out and organize into pairs. 3. Wash in cold water, gentle cycle, with light detergent. 4. Turn right-side out. 5. Hang Dry. 6. Fold and put away.
You should try to limit the temperature to around 30 degrees when washing your socks. The reason for this is that high temperatures can cause direct damage to the materials used in your socks. High temperatures can destroy the fibres of the socks. This makes them less soft, and more likely to develop holes!
Cold-water washing means clothing is less likely to shrink or fade and ruin clothes. Cold water can also reduce wrinkles, which saves energy costs (and time) associated with ironing.
Heavily Soiled Items
Cold water is not as effective for cleaning off dirt or grime since it doesn't react well to the detergent below a certain temperature.
The general rule of thumb is to wash your socks after every use, but you can extend their lifespan by alternating between two or three pairs and wearing breathable materials. Make sure to wash your socks in hot water and avoid using fabric softeners.
Many reasons could be keeping your white socks dirty even after washing. You may have mixed white socks with colored items, used too much or too little detergent, or should pretreat the socks before washing them.
Yes, you should wash socks inside out in addition to pretreating the fabric as it can reduce odor retention. The interior of your socks can come into direct contact with dirt and sweat. Turning them inside out before washing allows the detergent to attack odors head on, which may provide you with a more thorough clean.
For household washing machines, the best temperature to wash towels at is at around 40 degrees. Washing at 40 degrees will ensure your towels stay feeling and looking their best for longer, whilst removing most of the germs that breed there.
Socks can be washed in the washing machine at max. 30 °C. A delicate wash program is also recommended for particularly high-quality socks. Set your washing machine to a spin speed of 700 rpm.
A front-loading washing machine is preferred, but, regardless, wash your socks in the gentle cycle with cold water and light detergent. I use The Laundress Darks Detergent, which is a specially-formulated enzyme-based detergent that prevents any fading.
Certain fabrics, especially delicate ones like silk, lace, Cashmere, or certain synthetics should avoid being washed in hot water at all costs. According to Dills, these materials can be damaged from the heat and cause them to lose their shape or texture.
Cotton, linen, and wool are more susceptible to this shrinking because their fibers react more to heat. So next time you wash your socks, keep the water temperature cool and skip the high heat drying cycle to avoid any unwanted miniaturization!
We'd recommend washing your socks at temperatures of no more than 30 degrees. If you wash your socks at temperatures that are too high, you will damage the material fibres - including the elastic - and will significantly shorten their effective lifespan.
Bacteria collect in your shoes, socks, and on your skin. The bacteria multiply, eating the dead skin cells and oil that are on your feet. As the bacteria breaks down, it releases a smelly odor. Smelly feet can occur alone, but certain foot conditions, such as athlete's foot, may cause smelly feet, too.
Simply fill a washing-up bowl with cold water, add some mild detergent and turn your socks inside-out. Soak the socks for at least 5 minutes and then swish them around in the water. Rinse them thoroughly with cold running water to get rid of all the suds.
My suggestion is to change your socks at least once a day. More than once if you are performing a high level of activities that make you perspire a lot.
To keep things as sanitary and germ-free as possible, avoid washing clothes and bath towels together in the same load of laundry. Towels also are best washed with different settings than some clothing items, so it's best to keep them separated to preserve both their qualities and textures.
Bacteria like Staphylococcus and fungi like Trichophyton love the warm, moist condition of your dirty socks and thrive in that environment. Bacteria and fungi can cause infections ranging from mild itchy bumps to fungal infections, like athlete's foot, to bacterial infections, like cellulitis, he says.
Heart and Blood Pressure Problems
Cold water can cause a sudden spike in heart rate and blood pressure. This increase can cause heart failure and stroke for vulnerable people.
Ice-cold water isn't a great option either, although it will cause less skin damage than hot water will. The issue is that super-cold water doesn't dissolve oil and makeup all that well (even if you're using a facial cleanser), so your skin won't end up as clean as you think.