Shock over parent's realization after washing, drying 60 toddler socks
Have you ever reached for a pair of socks—only to find one is missing? One parent took to Reddit to share their relatable struggle with the mystery of missing socks.
The post shared on January 6 to the mildly infuriating subreddit quickly went viral, racking up 16,000 upvotes, at the time of writing.
User epilepsyisdumb shared a photo of a table piled high with toddler socks, letting the image speak for itself. The caption read: "Over 60 toddler socks with no matches after doing all the laundry. Kids' socks just disappear...'"
While some of the socks appear to look the same, they are the wrong sizes, belonging to their two- and three-year-old.
Reddit users have flocked to the comments section to offer their advice and theories.
"What if those are all left socks, and some ghost is stealing all the rights?" said one user, and another said: "You know, one day you'll have to move some big piece of furniture (like the sofa or loveseat) and there will be ALL THOSE MISSING SOCKS .... batted under the thing by your house cat."
But the consensus is that the washing machine has "eaten" them.
"Open up the back of the dryer someday, you'll probably be shocked," said one user, and another agreed: "Is it the dryer or the washer that eats them? I think it's our washer but as far as I know you have to take the whole thing apart to get to where they are being held hostage. Last time I did laundry I angrily yelled to no one in particular that it's infuriating that it's 2025 and I can't access the sock hidey hole easily."
Indeed, this seemingly far-fetched theory—one that might conjure images of a sock-devouring monster washing machine—is actually true.
Reviewed, a consumer product review website, shared a post explaining how socks can go missing in top-loading machines:
- They can get lodged under the agitator (the: pole in the middle of the washer).
- Slip beneath the wash plate (the central piece at the bottom of the tub).
- End up between the inner and outer tubs, especially if the washer is overloaded—once there, those socks are gone for good.
They can also go missing in front-loading machines, socks often:
- Get trapped in the washer's filter. If your machine has a clean-out area, open it to check for missing socks.
- Stick in the door's rubber gasket. Gently pull back the gasket to look for socks and, while you're at it, wipe it clean to prevent mold.
- Wind up in the drain pump, which you definitely want to avoid.
As suggested in the comments, the dryer could be to blame too. Reviewed.com explains that static electricity can also lead to socks clinging to other clothes.
In the comments, the original poster told one user that they put all of the odd socks into a sack with the hope of finding the other one.
They also told another user: "I've purchased 0 socks and have multiple kids. I guessing you don't have kids? The dryer eats them, they take them off when other people are watching them."
An extract from their response said: "The fact that you didn't pay for them makes it even more obvious how this scenario happened. When you have lots, especially if you didn't buy them, you don't notice/care when one gets lost, so you carry on with your day. When you have only just enough, you find them and it generally takes one or two seconds."
Newsweek reached out to u/epilepsyisdumb for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
If you have a family dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
