It is common for socks to become orphaned after being washed in the washing machine. The mystery is finally solved.
This has probably happened to you before. When you hang out your washing machine, you realize that one of your pairs of socks is no longer a pair. One sock is orphaned and the second one has suddenly disappeared even though you are convinced that you have also put it in the wash. How can we explain this recurring phenomenon? A investigationfunded by Samsung as part of a campaign for a washing machine, was conducted by British researchers. According to the latter, the British lose on average 1.3 socks per month, or more than 15 per year. Their study, based on 2,000 people, reveals the real causes of socks disappearing in the washing machine.
Most commonly, this is related to the weight of the laundry. If you overload your machine, then the plastic seal around the drum compresses, allowing the socks to slip between the edge of the drum and the edge of the tub. With a full machine, the sock can also end up being pushed against the window by the other clothes.
If your sock gets stuck like this, you can retrieve it by prying the drum seal apart with a screwdriver or pliers. Unplug your machine during this operation to avoid any risk. It is also possible that the sock will be washed away with the water during the draining process.
The researchers also established a formula to know one’s predisposition to losing one’s socks, which is a little scary but is explained quite clearly: (L (pxf)) + (C (txs)) – (P x A). L represents the volume of laundry to be washed which corresponds to p the number of people in the household multiplied by f the number of machines started in the week. We add the complexity of washing (C), obtained by multiplying the number of different types of machines (dark or light colors) in the week
Finally, we subtract P, which is the motivation for doing the laundry, on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being a “deep aversion” and 5 a “sincere joy”, multiplied by A, which is this time the attention, which is measured by the sum of all the precautions taken when starting the machine, such as for example checking the pockets, putting the clothes inside out, etc.
The larger the result of the calculation, the more likely you are to end up with orphaned socks. To avoid losing them without going through a mathematical puzzle, you can also use a laundry net, which will let water and detergent pass through, but your socks will not be able to escape. It is also advisable to attach your socks in pairs, with a safety pin for example.