Socks

Socks are an indispensable part of the wardrobe, which no modern man can do without. They are worn on a daily basis, so they are the ones who most often need washing.

Few people guess, but it is the wrong processing of socks that leads to early wear, the appearance of stubborn stains and discoloration.

To make them last longer, you need to wash them correctly. How to wash socks from dirt at home (in the washing machine and by hand), read the article.

Preparing dirty items for washing

Prepare your socks properly before washing. Key recommendations:

1. Sort the socks by color. White, black and colored items are washed separately.
2. Remove all visible dirt from socks. This can be threads, hair, and other dirt.
3. Turn the socks over to the wrong side. Sometimes it happens that small objects, stones and other debris get inside the product.
4. Go over the surface of the product with a pilling machine.

If there are serious dirt on the socks, they must be soaked. If you intend to machine the machine, you can select the special program "wash and soak". To enhance the effect, a stain remover is added to the powder.

Hand wash soaking can be done in several ways:

1. In a basin with the selected detergent.
2. In plastic wrap. Socks are lathered and placed in a bag, leaving for 30-60 minutes.

When the preparatory activities are completed, you can start washing the product.

How to wash in a washing machine?

So that washing in a typewriter does not negatively affect the condition of the socks, you must follow certain rules. They relate to the selection of the optimal program, setting the temperature and the choice of detergent.

The general instruction looks like this:

• sort socks by color;
• clean them of debris and hair;
• turn the products to the wrong side;
• load into the washing machine and wait until the end of the cycle.

At what temperature?

The choice of temperature depends on the type of fabric from which the socks are made. Most often there are no labels on them.

Manufacturers indicate washing recommendations on the label... Therefore, before throwing it away, you need to read the care tips for specific products.

Cotton, synthetic and nylon socks are washed at temperatures no higher than 50-60 degrees. Products made from delicate fabrics, for example, wool or silk, are processed in thirty-degree water.

What mode (program)?

When choosing a program for washing, consider the type of fabric socks. If these are classic summer or terry products, then any mode will do. The main thing is that the temperature does not exceed 60 degrees.

Which detergent to choose?

To wash socks in a machine, use ordinary detergent.

If products made from delicate fabrics are to be processed, it is better to use a liquid detergent. It activates at low temperatures and rinses out well.

It is important to consider the color of the fabric and the type of washing powder... For the treatment of colored things, do not use products containing bleach. It is quite applicable to white socks.

For hand washing, use household or any other soap. If you have stubborn stains, you can use folk remedies.

How to do it manually?

Washing your socks by hand is easy. There are 2 main methods:

1. By rubbing the palms... Socks are put on hands, moistened, soaped and rubbed against each other.
2. In the basin... Detergent is diluted in it and products are soaked. Tough dirt is rubbed with hands or a brush.

For more information on how to hand wash socks, read here.

Folk remedies for dirt and black soles

Sometimes classic cleaning agents cannot cope with heavy dirt. In this case, folk methods come to the rescue. They allow you to remove blackness from the sole, stubborn stains and streaks.

Turpentine

Turpentine helps to get rid of grayness on white socks. Apply it as follows:

1. Dilute 3 tablespoons of turpentine in 10 liters of water.
2. Add to the resulting composition 2 tbsp. l. washing powder. Shake until completely dissolved.
3. Soak your socks overnight.
4. Wash and rinse the item thoroughly.

Turpentine has a pungent smell, so you need to work with it carefully, protecting the respiratory system with a mask.

Chlorine

The most affordable sock bleaching agent is bleach or whiteness. With its help, you can get rid of difficult stains, bleach dirt stuck in the soles.

Mode of application:

• dissolve 2 tbsp in 2 liters of warm water. l. whiteness, add 100 g of washing powder and mix thoroughly;
• soaked socks in the resulting solution, leave for 1-2 hours;
• manually rub areas with stubborn dirt;
• rinse the product thoroughly.

Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia

The mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia has a high cleaning ability. This composition allows you to quickly get rid of tough stains.

Mode of application:

1. For one part of ammonia, take 2 parts of ammonia.
2. The resulting composition is applied to contaminated areas, left for 15-30 minutes.
3. Wash socks by hand, paying special attention to stains.
4. Rinse the thing thoroughly.

It is necessary to work with a solution of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide with gloves, in a well-ventilated area.

Processing features depending on the color: white, dark, colored

On white socks dirt is more noticeable than on dark ones. Therefore, they have to be washed more often.

Fibers lose strength, holes will appear on the product faster. Therefore, preference should be given to delicate bleaches containing enzymes and active oxygen.

Examples of such remedies are:

1. Vanish Oxi Action Gold (the cost of a 0.45 ml gel is about 145 rubles),
2. Boss Maximum (for 0.45 powder you will have to pay about 50 rubles).

Colored socks are washed separately from other things, as they tend to fade and dye light-colored fabrics.

To care for them, use stain removers that do not contain a whitening component.... The optimum washing temperature is 40 degrees.

Black socks are considered the most picky to care for. Stains on them are not so noticeable, therefore they are washed less often than white products.

However, they can only be processed with monochromatic things.... Even strongly dyed fabrics will cause white garments to appear gray.

Read about the rules for washing white socks by hand. here.

Nuances for different materials

Depending on the material from which the socks are sewn, the features of their care will differ. The main recommendations are presented in the table.

Socks made from delicate fabrics such as wool are recommended to be hand-finished.

With nail fungus

Nail fungus is a contagious disease... Microscopic mycelium particles are deposited on all surfaces, including items of clothing.

To prevent the infection from spreading and leading to repeated self-infection, you need to wash your socks correctly.

Highlights:

• when hand washing you need to use gloves;
• you need to wash products in a machine at maximum temperatures;
• it is recommended to boil socks every 3-4 washings;
• you can load only those things that belong to a sick person into the washing machine.

To destroy the fungal spores after washing, it is recommended to iron the socks.

Read more about washing socks with fungus. here.

What can and cannot be?

To save time and washing powder, people often throw other things into the drum of the washing machine. However, joint processing of some wardrobe items is unacceptable.... This primarily concerns underwear.

With T-shirts

Socks can be washed with T-shirts. However, you need to take into account the manufacturer's recommendations that are indicated on them. It is important that the products are of the same color and from similar fabrics.

With panties

It is not recommended to wash socks with underwear... There is only one reason - hygiene standards. Socks are in contact not only with a person's foot, but also with the floor covering, the inner side of the shoe.

Therefore, not only dirt can settle on them, but also various bacteria, which, during washing at low temperatures, can move to the laundry, and then to the intimate area.

If the lace underwear is machine washed, then the delicate mode is chosen. It doesn't fit most socks. They require more intensive processing. Under no circumstances should children's pants and socks be washed at the same time.

Is it possible and how to properly wash socks and panties together in the washing machine, read here.

With shirts

Shirts are washed either by hand or on a delicate cycle. Other programs may damage the product.

If the laundry basket contains socks that are the same color as the shirts and require careful handling, then washing them together is acceptable.

With towels

Many housewives wash socks with kitchen towels. The main thing is that the products do not stain each other.... For personal towels, it is not recommended to load them with socks in the drum for hygiene reasons.

Socks are worn on feet, so a wide variety of microbes can settle on them. A towel is a personal hygiene item that is used for the face, body, and intimate area.

Laundry bag

A bag for washing socks is a mesh product that is fixed with laces or a zipper.

Its use allows you to solve several problems at once:

1. Avoid confusion in socks if they are loaded in large quantities at once or with other laundry.
2. Extend product life. The mesh will be rubbed against the drum of the washing machine, not the socks themselves.
3. Do not harm the quality of the socks during spinning.

There are several types of bags. Small covers hold up to 2 pairs of socks. The cost of such a bag from the firm "Nyusha" is 270 rubles.

Also on sale you can find large nets, divided by partitions into 3 sections... For example, a product from Artmoon (250 rubles apiece). Mesh can be purchased at hardware stores and online markets.

How to dry quickly at home?

Dry your socks naturally. If washing was carried out with spinning, then the products will completely dry out in 3-4 hours. You can speed up this process with an iron by ironing the steam from the wrong side several times. The steaming function must be disabled.

Special drying conditions are required only for woolen products. They are washed without spinning, after which they are laid out on a wire rack in a horizontal position. If suspended, they may lose their shape.

Important recommendations

To wash your socks and not make them unusable, the following recommendations must be observed:

1. The socks are turned inside out before washing. This will keep their attractive appearance for a long time.
2. When washing socks with other things at the same time, you need to take into account the recommendations that apply to all products.
3. When loading a large number of pairs, you need to use a special net.

White socks should be washed after each wear. This will prevent dirt from penetrating deep into the fabric. You can use bleach occasionally.

Conclusion

Washing socks is fraught with a number of secrets that everyone should know. Some products can only be processed by hand, others are allowed to be loaded into the machine. The main thing is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations and not wash white and colored pairs together.