Most people have experienced the worrying phenomenon of 'sock loss'.

The main issue of this phenomenon appears to be washing a load of laundry containing an even number of socks and getting back a load containing an odd number; both to the distress of the washer of the socks, as well as to the wearer, if they are different people.

This can, indeed, be worrying and the cause for much unnecessary paranoia.

But Why Does it Happen?

The major culprit behind this unnerving state-of-affairs, outside of dogs, human interference, and random loss, is static electricity. Built up during the drying of clothes, static electricity can be enough to pin a stray sock to the ceiling of a dryer, thus concealing it from the reap, only to be discovered in the next load where it has almost certainly changed colour or size due to excessive heat exposure and is therefore no longer a match for the first. It should be noted that this entry theorises that an odd number of socks at the outset may be caused just as easily by the addition of a sock.

What You Can Do to Protect Your Socks

• Pin socks together at the toe with a safety pin before sending them to the wash.

• Always check the top of the washing machine drum for any out of sight areas. These are prime sock culling areas.

• Never let your dog near the laundry basket.