How To Make Your Socks Last Longer
Socks have a hard life. They are constantly in use, get thrust into a variety of different shoes and get walked on for miles and miles whilst being constantly rubbed against meaning, naturally, they wear out. Bamboo socks are a little more delicate than cotton socks as a result of it being such a wonderfully soft, delicate fabric, so the need to care for your bamboo socks is even more important if you want them to last as long as they possibly can.
There are a variety of things that you can do to try and extend the life of your favourite socks so let us take you through some top tips!
How Long Are Socks Supposed To Last?
This is the million dollar question which is pretty hard to answer as there are so many factors that can impact the life of a pair of socks, but we always expect our bamboo socks to last for at least 6-12 months. Again, this varies so much from person to person and some can last much longer than this depending on how regularly you wear them, but let us take you through some of the things you can do to improve sock life.
When Should I Update My Socks?
Ideally, you should update your socks when they have worn through and so are no longer fit for purpose or comfortable. You obviously don't want your toes sticking through the ends, but if there are signs of wear and tear then that's fine, and normal after a certain time. It's totally up to you when you decide to make the jump to invest in some new pairs.
Wear The Right Size Socks
One of the key reasons that socks wear through quicker than you would expect is because people are wearing the wrong size, often socks that are a little too small for them.
If your socks are too small, this means that the fibres in the fabric get stretched when you put them on. When you are then going about your day-to-day life, the stretched socks will rub against the inside of your footwear or against your feet which will make them wear a little quicker.
However, it is equally important to ensure that you don't wear socks that are too big for you. If your socks are too big, then sometimes this results in the socks bunching up around the heel or up the back of the leg which, again, can cause additional stress on the sock.
Be Wary Of The Shoes You Wear
The type of shoe that you wear can massively impact the life of your socks, and you should wear appropriate socks for that footwear. A lot of trainers, for example, are more padded and softer inside and therefore help to improve sock life compared to a harder shoe, such as leather loafers, for example. A harder material, like leather or plastic, will add extra strain onto the sock and will potentially make it wear through more quickly compared to trainers or sneakers.
The size of your shoes will also have an impact on this. If your shoes are too big, then your feet will slide around inside the shoe which will add additional friction with every step you take, and every move you make. Consider adding insoles to your shoes if they are a little big so they fit you better.
Wash Your Socks Correctly
Washing your socks incorrectly can really damage them, and even more so with bamboo socks due to the delicacy of the fabric.
Always wash your bamboo socks inside out! This helps to maintain the integrity of the fibres and helps to increase sock life.
Make sure you wash on a lower temperature; we recommend you wash your socks at 30 degrees or even in cold water. Hot water and socks don't really mix well.
As with most garments, you should always try to wash with similar colours and this is also true for socks.
Fabric softener can also make its way into the fibre of the socks and hamper some of the moisture-wicking properties of it so bear this in mind when washing too!
Follow Your Sock Care Instructions
Don't iron your socks. As mentioned, heat and socks don't really mix well and ironing them will add too much heat stress into the sock which could cause it to wear quicker than you expected or wanted. Socks don't really need ironing, anyway.
Dry Your Socks Correctly
Drying your socks in the correct way is just as important as how you wash them so don't forget about this too. Don't ring your socks out as this causes unnecessary stress into the fibres in the sock and will cause damage.
Don't tumble dry your socks either. Tumble dryers are not an ideal way to dry most garments, however this is especially true for bamboo socks. This can cause damage or shrinkage to the bamboo fibres.
We recommend you lay them on a flat surface to dry as hanging them on a washing line or with pegs can cause them to stretch.
Store Your Socks Flat
If, like most people, you own multiple pairs of socks, they will probably sit in your sock drawer for days or week in between outings, and so a large part of a sock's life is sitting in a drawer. Being in a sock drawer is fine, but the way in which you store it in that drawer might not be.
Don't ball your socks! This adds stress into the welts (or cuffs) of the sock, and for every day they are sitting in the drawer they are being stretched and therefore stress is being added to them. Stress will reduce the life of the sock.
We recommend a gentle fold in half so you can keep the pairs together or laying them flat in your sock drawer. This is the best way to store your socks.
Keep Your Feet In Good Condition
Bamboo socks actually help promote good foot health (you can read more here about the benefits of bamboo socks), but keeping your feet healthy in other ways can also help to improve your sock life.
Long or unkept toenails cause additional rubbing in the toes of the socks and can cause them to wear through quicker as a result. If you keep your toes and nails in good condition so they are smooth, this will reduce the amount of wear and tear on your socks as a result.
Moisturising your feet can help to keep the skin healthy and supple, which can help reduce the amount of friction all over the sock but particularly on the heel, which is another key area where socks can wear out.
The Footer
Sadly, no socks will last forever, but there are always things you can do to help them last as long as they possibly can as we have listed above. And if you're tempted to try wrapping your feet in super-soft, luxurious bamboo socks then you can shop our full range of bamboo socks here.
