How to take care of your socks?

The Sock Care Guide

Taking care of your socks not only preserves their appearance but also extends their lifespan. Here are some simple and effective tips for caring for your mid-calf or knee-high socks, whether they are made of cotton, wool, silk, linen, or cashmere.

Machine washing socks: good or bad idea?

Hand washing is often recommended for delicate garments to avoid damage. While it is suitable for socks, machine washing is perfectly appropriate and poses no risk for most materials.

As a general rule, opt for washing at 30°C with a spin speed below 800 rpm. Delicate cycles, with lighter spinning and gentler cycles, are ideal.

Low-temperature washing is sufficient to effectively clean your socks while preserving the fibers, colors, and elasticity.

Specific recommendations by material:

• Merino wool: our wools are pretreated to withstand machine washing up to 40°C. The risk of shrinking is therefore eliminated, but we still recommend washing at a low temperature.
  
• Cashmere: cashmere is a softer, warmer wool than merino but also more delicate. The gentlest possible programs (cold wash, little or no spinning) are essential. When in doubt, prefer a short hand wash. This material is not very soiling and hypoallergenic.
  
• Silk: its care is similar to cashmere, although silk is less prone to felting. Lightly soiled, it is ideally hand washed in cold water with very little detergent.

Note: We strongly recommend using a laundry bag to put your socks in. This bag prevents friction with other clothes, especially those with zippers or velcro, which tend to pull fibers from socks.

These bags are also useful for keeping socks together so you don’t lose them! (Invisible socks are particularly concerned).

Choosing detergent for sock care

Use a mild detergent without bleaching agents or harsh softeners. Avoid products containing bleach, especially for wool or silk socks, which could be damaged.

Using fabric softener is generally unnecessary:

• Scottish thread (mercerized cotton) maintains a crisp feel throughout its lifespan.
  
• Linen becomes softer wash after wash.
• Cashmere and merino wool retain their softness thanks to the lanolin in the fibers. If softness is less noticeable after many washes, it can be restored with detergent enriched with suint (lanolin).
• Linen gains softness over time with washing.
• For non-mercerized cotton, using fabric softener is even discouraged. These products accelerate fiber wear.

Drying your socks: prefer air drying!

Avoid tumble drying: it weakens fibers, affects elasticity, fades colors, and shrinks socks, especially those made of natural fibers.

To dry your socks, lay them flat or drape them over a drying rack away from direct sunlight to prevent fading.

Additional care

We do not recommend ironing your socks. The knit naturally stretches out with first use, eliminating wrinkles. It is also advised to wash socks before wearing to remove the ironing effect applied after manufacturing.

For storage, fold your socks or roll them up for optimal storage. Sorting by material can be useful, especially for seasonal socks (linen and Scottish thread in summer, wool and cashmere for winter)...