Can you wash underwear and socks in the washing machine?

The items we wear every day need to be washed very frequently. This is especially true for underwear and socks. Because these items are relatively small, many people "hoard" them to load the appropriate weight into the washing machine. Is it possible to wash socks and underwear together? After all, doing so would greatly simplify the task and save time. Let's explore how safe this is from a hygiene and safety standpoint.

It's unhygienic.

Not all housewives dare to wash socks and underwear together. There is an opinion that harmful microorganisms can “survive” in water heated to 40-60°C and get onto underwear. As a result, there's a risk of contamination. While bacterial "migration" is unlikely, it's better not to risk your health and instead take steps to separate these items into different batches.

If you can't wash underwear and socks in the washing machine, is hand cleaning really the only option? After all, if you wash them separately, you'll have to spend ten days collecting underwear to get the minimum 1-1.5 kg load for the washing machine. It's the same story with socks—where can you find enough to fill the drum at least a third of the way? Enterprising housewives have come up with an ingenious solution.

Before throwing socks into the machine, soak them in water with added detergent.

This will remove most of the dirt from the fabric and kill most of the germs. After this, you can safely combine the items with the underwear in the washing machine drum and start the wash.

The main thing is to pay attention to the color of your clothes. Don't wash black socks and white underwear together, otherwise the look of the latter will definitely be ruined. Light-colored stockings can also turn pink after washing with red panties. Therefore, it's important to follow the basic rules for sorting clothes.

We're all different. Some wash their swimming trunks exclusively by hand and can't imagine mixing them with other clothes in the washing machine. Others, on the contrary, can't resist the help of a washing machine and are willing to combine items to make their lives easier. Pre-soaking socks is a compromise solution to the hygiene issue.

Why do housewives not recommend this type of washing?

Usually, grandmothers and mothers, upon seeing a young girl throwing socks and underwear into the washing machine at the same time, start scolding her and explaining all the downsides of this idea. Experienced housewives believe that doing this is strictly prohibited for a number of reasons.

• Differences in recommended water temperatures apply. This primarily concerns temperature. Knitted socks do not tolerate hot cleaning and may become deformed when exposed to high temperatures. It is recommended to soak them in water heated to no more than 30°C. Underwear, on the other hand, should be soaked in higher temperatures, otherwise bacteria will remain on the underwear.
• Color mismatch. Socks are generally dark, with some featuring colorful prints. Underwear is often made of pastel-colored fabrics. Therefore, washing black items may cause the colors to fade and ruin lighter ones.
• Inappropriate detergent. Swimming trunks and socks are made of different materials, so laundry detergent or gel should be selected individually for each situation. Silk and lace underwear require delicate detergents, not the dry detergent used for hosiery. Otherwise, the items will lose their appearance;
• Different washing cycles. Here, you also need to consider the fabric the items are made of. For example, lace panties shouldn't be washed on the same cycle as wool socks, so it's best to separate the items into batches.

Many people, out of disgust, can't understand how to wash underwear and socks in the washing machine. And in this situation, housewives have also found a simple solution: hosiery is "swirled" in the drum with trousers, and swimming trunks are washed with tops, T-shirts, or blouses made of delicate fabrics.

Opinion of young housewives

Some girls and women take this issue lightly. They see nothing wrong with washing socks and underwear together, as long as the items are properly prepared before loading.

So, after filling the laundry basket, housewives sort the items by color and material. It's okay if one load contains black knit socks and dark blue cotton men's swimming trunks, while another contains thin nylon slippers and light-colored women's panties.

Co-washing significantly saves time for the modern woman.

Proper sorting will solve many issues related to temperature inconsistencies, detergent selection, and washing program. If you do everything correctly, you will not cause any harm to your health or the items you wash. If you're still concerned about hygiene, follow the advice about pre-soaking your socks in a basin.

   

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