I have always thought that washing machines have a black hole inside that abducts socks, leaving behind their soul mates and leaving me with lots of lonely socks. I have been trying to look for handy ways to keep them together in the wash, but I have to admit that sometimes they find a way out!
Safety pins are part of our daily work here at LaundryRepublic: we pin our laundry tags on garment care labels to keep track of the items throughout the cleaning process. So I have applied the same method for my socks. I keep a little box with good quality safety pins near a smaller and separate laundry basket where I put only dirty socks (to avoid losing them before even washing!), and pin each pair of socks together at the ankles. Once they come out from the dryer, I keep them in the drawer with the safety pin, until I put them on again and I just put the safety pins back in the box! Good quality safety pins don’t rust and it’s a very simple and efficient way to not lose any socks.
Instead of safety pins, you could use binder clips or rubber bands, which can be very handy before you separate the pair of socks by colour to identify which socks belongs where. I have also found something called sock rings: little plastic rings with teeth in them to put your socks in and hold them together. However, those are a bit more expensive, and easier to get lost.
Even when you try hard, some couples are simply not meant to be together. So I have pulled together the ideas of some very creative people who have created an orphanage for lonely socks. Check out our new board on Pinterest for these inspiring ideas. They will look great in the laundry room!