Care notes
How to wash our socks
A good wash routine keeps a shaft firm around the calf and leaves the heel dense under the foot. We pack socks by height and knit weight across twenty-nine boxes in five sections. Heat weakens stretch yarn without making noise. A few small habits on laundry day protect the ribbing.
Sort pairs by the knit weight
Sort your wash by the thickness of the knit before you sort by shade. A thin dress rib tumbling against heavy loops takes unnecessary friction. Heavy knits need longer to wash clean and hold more water. Thin pairs rinse quickly and do not need rough agitation. When you wash light low cut pairs beside thick crew pairs, the heavier yarn pulls at the lighter cuffs. Keep thin knits together in one batch. Heavy boot pairs belong in another batch. This simple step keeps the yarn from rubbing thin across the arch band and toe pocket before the season ends.
Turn the silicone grip inside out
Turn pairs with silicone grip soles inside out before they enter the water. The dots should rest on the inside of the bundle during the cycle. This keeps the silicone from scrubbing against the metal drum or catching on other garments. It also lets the soap reach the inside of the footbed where the skin touched the yarn. A mesh bag stops small low cut pairs from slipping behind the tub and keeps pairs together in the drum. Cold water cleans the yarn without cooking the stretch core inside the cuff or loosening the ribbing along the shaft.
Dry flat or hang by cuff
Dry your pairs flat on a rack or hang them by the cuff on a line. Keep damp socks away from hot radiators, iron stoves and direct heat registers. Air drying takes longer than a machine cycle, but it preserves the recovery of the yarn. A hot dryer drum bakes the stretch core until it goes slack. The sock still looks whole when it comes out, but the cuff will not hold its position on the leg. If you must use a machine dryer, choose a setting with no heat and remove the socks while they still hold a trace of dampness.
Skip the bleach and the iron
Keep chlorine bleach away from cotton and spandex. Bleach eats through the core of stretch yarn and leaves the shaft limp after two washes. An iron should never touch a silicone sole because the heat melts the grip into a smeared mark on the board. Do not roll damp pairs into tight balls to store them in a drawer. Damp yarn kept under tension stretches out and loses its spring. Let every pair dry completely before you fold the cuff over or lay the socks flat in rows. Clean treatment keeps the knit dense across every pair.
How to spot a finished sock
A sock tells you when its working life is over. Pull the cuff wide with your fingers and let go. If the ribbing snaps back against your hand, the stretch yarn is still sound. If the cuff stays wide and wavy, the elastic core has failed. Look at the heel pocket under a bright lamp. When the yarn wears thin enough to show daylight through the knit, the footbed can no longer cushion the step. Retire the worn pair and open a fresh box to keep your footing comfortable throughout the day.
Worth keeping in mind
- Sort thin knits away from heavy knits before loading the laundry drum.
- Turn silicone grip soles inside out to protect the dots from the wash drum.
- Use a mesh laundry bag so low cut pairs stay together during the cycle.
- Cold water protects the stretch core inside the cuff and the shaft ribbing.
- A cuff that stays wide after stretching has reached the end of its life.
Simple care keeps cuffs firm
Our twenty-nine boxes cover five sections of the catalogue. Proper washing keeps the cuffs tight on the leg and the heels thick in your shoes. Wash cold, dry on a rack, and turn grip soles inside out. Your socks will hold their shape until the yarn wears through.
