As of: March 6, 2024, 1:30 p.m
By: Andrea Stettner
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Has the “sock monster” struck again?
If individual socks are left behind, the washing machine may actually be to blame.
When you fold laundry, do you always end up with a single sock left over?
Do you have the impression that the washing machine is “eating” your socks?
This impression is actually not entirely wrong, as the household appliance offers a small loophole through which small items of clothing such as socks can disappear.
Socks disappear through a narrow gap in the washing machine
The impression is not deceptive: individual socks actually disappear again and again when washed.
© imageBROKER/Raimund Kutter/Imago
As the
Brandenburg Consumer Center
explains on its website, socks can get caught in the rubber seal between the door and the drum.
This is particularly common when the washing machine is overloaded.
When washed, they are then drawn inside the machine where they get caught on the heating coil.
The heat and friction will cause them to gradually dissolve.
By the way, the washing machine rubber should be cleaned regularly to prevent unpleasant odors from forming.
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How to prevent socks from disappearing when washed
To prevent socks from disappearing in the washing machine, there are a few simple solutions:
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Use a laundry net or sock clips.
Alternatively, a household rubber band that you can use to tie the socks together in pairs can also help.
Then your favorite socks will remain as a pair.
At the right washing temperature, socks become hygienically clean again.
Do not load the washing machine too full.
This increases the likelihood that individual socks will get caught between the rubber seal and the drum.
But it's not just lost socks that collect in washing machines.
Coins, paper clips and shopping chips are also thrown out of your trouser pockets when washing.
In the end they end up in the lint filter, which is why it should be emptied and cleaned regularly.