I feel you are in control of your socks, Carla (!)

Mmh, seems my attitude towards my socks is rather indifferent, maybe that's why I don't care much about having a lot of choice, washing etc...

Maybe just keep from buying any new socks for a while? And then see if the ones that wear out truly need replacing. The sock drawer should regulate itself.

Dang if you're not right, Astrid! Lol. Socks should be self-regulating. I'm so neurotic.

Rachy, I have two dresser drawers filled with socks - I didn't want to admit it earlier, but the Pilates socks, running socks, and socks I wear when I snow shoe, ski and hike take up a lot of real estate! I'm not even going to talk about sock Landry habits. I never thought about how complicated my sock collection was before now and I'm sorry you pointed this out to me. I think there should be a separate blog for socks, just like there are for shoes, lingerie, jewelry, fashion, etc. Why should socks be left in the dark?!

An almost true story about sock laundry and obsessiveness of a sort: My neighbor owns the local running store. I purchased socks from him. He carefully reviewed the washing and drying instructions for each pair. He was certain to describe in great detail the care he takes to hang dry his socks so they don't get ruined in the dryer. Clearly, his dog, who's name is Socks (no kidding) doesn't snack on fiber and thread like Farley. Hanging socks are like holding up a piece of spaghetti. Have you ever watched a dog jump for that? The exorbitant price of gear socks Is motivation to take care of them so they last. So what would you do? Would it make any difference if this neighbors house looks right into your laundry room! You can wave at him as you are throwing socks into the dryer or hanging them up to dry! :-). Now, what would you do?! Maybe buy curtains and blinds - and then toss those socks right into the dryer! Let me add that good fences make good neighbors.

That's my mostly true sock story. You can guess the true parts if you want.

Hint: I'm not that creative a writer.

I actually have a fairly simple method of dealing with wool, bamboo, and delicate socks. I wash them in whatever cold water wash I have going. I do tons of laundry so there is always something with which to wash socks.. I'm not particular. I am not upset if my socks mix with my undies, my tops or my pajamas, etc.. Poly gear socks go in a load without fabric softener, because it can ruin them, as it can any type of poly technical gear etc. Then I hang them on a drying rack. I don't do separate loads of socks. Sometimes I throw socks in a mesh bag to make them easier to fish out of the laundry drum, and so they don't get stuck inside some other garment while in the machine. I hang dry most of my clothes so hanging socks isn't a major deal. If I'm feeling lazy, I suspend the mesh bag and let the contents dry. I toss it around periodically to make sure everything gets exposed to air. I don't mind wrinkled socks! In fact, I don't think my socks get wrinkled, and they dry quickly. Oh, I gave away part of the answer! Oh well!

...and sometimes the socks you put in the dryer succumb to the urge to merge. Thus, the single lonely sock.

Look what you started Rachy!

Lol. Ohmigosh. I'd have to do my sock laundry in the middle of the night! 'My sock secret'...

Oh, and confession time: Yes, I create a forest of drying racks with socks...

Here's my sock drawer. REI hiking socks on the left, my winter staple, handknit socks and sockies in the middle, and athletic socks, a few trouser socks, and more sockies on the right. I have a lot of socks too.

Did you Kondo your sock drawer, JAileen? It looks so nice!

I launder my socks with whatever load, regular cycle, regular dryer. I also roll my socks. (I know, I know! What a barbarian I am. Marie Kondo would tell me my socks are sad from being forced to work all the time.). But you know what? I ruin all my socks in exactly the same way, which has nothing to do with laundry or storage (well, except for those single socks that get eaten). I think I must have pointy toes because I get holes in the big toe of all my socks. I've literally never had the elastic on any socks get ruined by rolling or the dryer. They've all developed toe holes and occasional threadbare spots on the ball of the foot long before that happens.

Thanks! I kind of did, actually. I got rid of all the socks that annoyed me, like the kind that work their way down your heel. I didn't thank them, though. I only have socks that I like wearing. Many of the REI socks are tan, though, which I don't like. But in winter they're covered up with boots, and in summer I wear them hiking and they're soon covered with dust.

I treat my socks poorly (everything goes in the regular wash, except tights) but am neurotic about organizing and folding them. I use clear plastic shoeboxes to partition my large dresser drawer into smaller chunks. Then the tights get folded in half and knotted; thick wool socks are paired and cuffed once at the top; regular crew and anklets are paired, folded in half, and cuffed all the way through (inside out); footies are tucked inside each other and neatly stacked between shoeboxes.

Let's not get into the particularities of folding my underwear into a square so that they stack nicely...

ETA: I want to say that I HATE socks though. Because I have small feet and narrow heels, so they never fit right. Maybe I treat them so poorly because I'm hoping that they will shrink in the wash.

Diana, With all the holes in your socks, I can't help but wonder how often you trim your toenails? However, you raise yet another good point which didn't come up yet, about the threadbare patches on the bottom of socks. There is something more to be said about that. I'm just not sure what it is at the moment.

JAileen, when you tossed the socks you didn't like, did you thank them for serving you well? I suppose if it's a quasi-Kondo method you could skip that part, but it's less entertaining that way. There's something satisfying about tossing something in the giveaway, or the trash and instead of saying "Score"! when you don't miss, you say "thanks"! Seriously, I could never keep my socks neat like you do. Mine are rolled in a ball like Diana's. I also have never had an issue with elastic or stretching out, but I don't get holes in the toes or threadbare patches either. (My DH gets both, so there must be some other sock demon at play besides folding, storage and drying methods)

Rachy, I can't believe I'm back reading this sock post again! Help keep me away from here!

Hehe, I actually keep my toenails SUPER short, to the point where someone giving me a pedicure told me I should grow them longer since they were so short and stumpy. So it's not that. And my feet are on the small side too so it's not that they're overly stretched. I think it has to do with how I walk. I KNOW the threadbare spots on the ball of foot is due to my gait, which is messed up due to my flat feet, although it's improved somewhat by arch support.

KL, I also fold my underwear into squares! And I have been doing it for almost 20 years, well before anyone had ever heard of Marie Kondo.

My gait has its own issues Diana, so even though my socks don't have holes, my shoes wear unevenly and get scuffed on the sides of the heels. Oh, and my socks and tights get stuck ior snag on the inner aspect of the zippers of my booties and boots creating another type of sock problem that leads to a need for frequent replacement!

I have no clue how to fold my underwear into squares and suspect it would take several hours of YouTube instruction and even more practice before I could succeed! I roll mine and put it in a shoebox in my drawer. I wish I had enough class to get a clear one, but I believe mine says Aasics,

Staysfit, I did not thank them. If they had served me well and had simply worn out, I might have. But I got rid of socks that seriously annoyed me!

JAileen, I need to get rid of my annoying socks also. I'm going to send them to my neighbor, the one with the running shoe store. He clearly takes better care of his socks than I do. I'm mighty tired of sneaking around to do my sock laundry. It's much too complicated.

I'm loving these sock stories.

I take it as a personal affront if a sock goes missing. My husband got new socks for Christmas, we put them all through the wash and then couldn't find one. Until recently, when it was discovered between the washing machine drum and the outside cover. I celebrated its return to its mate, who had been patiently waiting.
Oh yeah, not last Christmas, the one before.
I can't decide if out family motto should be Never Give Up, or Never Throw Anything Out.

Helen, I have had that experience so I use a mesh bag for small items like socks.