Advice Needed

[jwthornhill]

It has happened again!

Since I could remember it seems that without failure two items of clothing mysteriously continue to disappear in our home:

1. Socks
2. Undergarment

We've tried everything from numbering them, initialing them and tagging them yet nothing works. When it comes to clothes for our family my wife and I have been pretty good about saving money. Either we buy our clothes at resale outlets, consignment shops, Salvation Army or Goodwill. Over the last twenty plus years I can count on one-hand the times that we've purchased anything new. But we have yet to figure out a way around purchasing new underwear and socks. And, its costing us too much money every year. We know that our children are growing but, this year alone we have spent over $71. for socks and undergarment!

Can anyone advise?

WNTBDF

[boefixepa]

???? What are they doing with them????

When I was a young teen, I was feed up with missing clothes in the washing process and having to fight my siblings for things like socks. So what I finally did to make sure I had clean clothes to wear and a clean towel to dry off with??? I started doing my own laundry!!!

I claimed two towels as 'mine' and gathered all my own clothes. I kept them all in my room. Keep my own dirty clothes basket and when I needed to do laundry I did it myself and brough it all back to my room. No more sitting at the 'socks box' on a school morning despertly searching for a pair of matching socks that weren'y boys socks or orange! It was great.

Now I don't know if mandating that for my brothers would have worked, they may just have worn dirty smelly clothes, but I know in my aunts house each person was in charge or doing their own laundry on specific days and it worked for them. You don't have to be but what, maybe 8, to know how to work the washer and dryer and get it done. It's not rocket science, but I know some women who have to it 'their way' or not at all....don't know if your wife would be willing to let the chore out...out it sounds like a good thing to try IMHO.

Aaahhh... I love personal responsibility......

[merrychristman]

Have you tried safety pinning the socks together before throwing them in the laundry?

Sorry, I don't have any tips for the undergarments!

[disneysteve]

Sorry, I don't have any tips for the undergarments!

I don't know which undergarments you are losing, but my wife washes her and DD's bras in one of those mesh bags. I suppose you could put underwear in one also.

[FrugalFish]

Are you using your own personal washing machine? Not a communal laundry room where maybe someone is stealing stuff? Sick, but some people are. I also learned a couple years ago that underwear is one of the biggest sellers at thrift stores. Average cotton underwear... This isn't weirdos, just regular people who like to save money on undies. I'll buy just about anything used, but not my undies.

Do you know the socks and underwear are actually making it into the laundry? Maybe they are getting piled in your youngun's closets or under their beds?

I've only had a problem losing little people socks in the dryer. They statically stick to things like sheets, so they end up folded in the linen closet and it can be a very long time before they turn up again.

When I was a kid my family bought a used washing machine cheap because it needed work. When we took the basket out of the machine, we discovered a couple of LARGE pairs of womens underwear that had apparently gotten over the side and gunked up the works. Turned out to be a good deal (and a good laugh) for my family.

[cicy33]

I believe that it is just easier (and safer) to let the sock monsters eat the socks. Then they will leave other things alone! Seriously, socks are so small they just seem to run away. We start over at least twice a year with socks. underwear we do okay on. I do all the laundry in our home. I cannot afford to replace a machine so I don't let the kids do the laundry. Once my daughter was a teenager I did. But not when they are under 12. It is more like they just don't care and dont' use the machine properly than can't learn. and somehow it would be me that ended up finishing it anyway!

[Cassandra]

Be thankful it's just socks and underwear.

I sometimes notice that my shirts and cardigans have wandered off. I'll search everyone's hampers and closets but not find them. Then, 2 or 3 weeks later my missing clothes show up.

The only suggestions I have are pin the socks together (or roll) and put them in a mesh laundry bag with the underwear. And, if you don't already, keep everyone's wash separate.

Cassandra

[dotcom]

lol, damn underwear fairy

[cicy33]

The only suggestions I have are pin the socks together (or roll) and put them in a mesh laundry bag with the underwear. And, if you don't already, keep everyone's wash separate.

Cassandra

.

Problem with this is that you have a LOT of laundry that way. Not frugal at all. I do generally wash the kids seperate from ours but not when it comes to whites and towels. Those I do combined loads. Usually we have one full load of whites and that is with everyone's socks and stuff in there.

[Lindahfx]

When I still lived at home with my parents and sister, I had an idea to have a "sock party". So one evening while we were all watching TV, we all brought our single socks to the party to see if someone else had the match. It worked! We were able to recoup some pairs of socks. Those that were left over we threw out. You might want to check in everyone's socks drawers to make sure that there are pairs of socks to be found.

[Cassandra]

.

Problem with this is that you have a LOT of laundry that way. Not frugal at all. I do generally wash the kids seperate from ours but not when it comes to whites and towels. Those I do combined loads. Usually we have one full load of whites and that is with everyone's socks and stuff in there.

Didn't think of it like that!

I've always kept my laundry separate because I didn't want anyone in my family to screw up a wash (my father ruined my favorite wool dress that way). I never realized how much money and water I was wasting doing that.

Cassandra