To throw them out?

I used to keep all the odd socks that I couldn't pair and put them in a tub, because as soon as I had thrown the 'odd' away, its pair would almost inevitably turn up.

Any socks that were left odd (and there were five kids and me so there were a LOT of random socks) I used to use to stuff cushions which we used as the dog bed.

I stopped pairing socks, as it drove me insane trying to do so. I often found the 'missing' socks somewhere. Now I just grab all the socks that aren't mine, and tell DH and DS to sort them out.
It now seems they don't mind wearing odd ones.

I did this. Game changer.

well to clarify I bought loads from the sock shop. They come in bright colours so easy to pair up. And me and the kids all share. It’s genius.

Sock shop bamboo ones are 4 for a tenner and extra win for autistic / sensory stuff as they are so comfy.

if you buy mens size ones you can wear them too unless your feet are tiny x

My mother safety pins socks together before they go in the machine. There is a little box of pins by the laundry basket

This is how I solved this issue in my house.

1. ask everyone to go through their sock drawer and find all the waifs and strays that have separated in there. Put them through the wash
2. get a bag (we use a net bag) which is the odd sock bag. When pairing up the socks all odd ones go in the bag.
3. get a teenager to go through the bag once a month to pair them up. Any that can’t be paired get thrown away.

It has saved my sanity.

I also wash each of my children’s socks in a laundry bag. I have 3 girls so it took so long to sort them all out!
The laundry bags are a game changer. I put them in the dryer still in the bags after and just return to it’s owner and they have to pair and put away

I quite like pairing socks, but then I like jigsaw puzzles and spelling out rude words with Alphabetti Spagetti.

Friend with 3 sons and a husband bought different colours for each male. Black for one, grey for one etc. That worked till the boys decided they wanted different socks. So, white Nike socks for one, get DD to choose a type and so on. Might be a plan. At one point ExDp and DD wore very similar socks and there were accusations of sock stealing. I put little tags in the back of DDs socks. Probably a step too far but it worked.

Just wash the socks, then when dry take yours and put the rest into one basket. The others can sort their own from there. If they run out they buy their own

We did similar to what you’re considering, got multiple packs of seemingly the same socks. Yet even between packs, there were differences in length and even texture and colour - who knew there are so many different shades of black? The socks I wear must be equal, iyswim, so the differences drove me mad (and it sounds like your DC would struggle), as did time spent checking and matching almost identical socks after washing.

Maybe we were unlucky/careless, but do check packs of socks very closely for uniformity before buying. I’m not a fan of Primark generally, but they might be your best bet, I’d expect their colouring/sizing to be absolutely consistent.

In this house, DH has black socks with a coloured heel, DS has black Nike, DD has coloured ones and I've got plain black. We've not got much of a sock problem. Pants and tights however - I never know which ones are DD's and which ones are mine.

This op. Get a sock box and put all socks into it. They can sort their own. In addition buy the sock wash clips. If they dont use the sock wash clips, sock box it is.

why is the lodger not washing their own clothes?

my dh is always complaining his socks go missing and he says it in a tone that suggests he think we have stolen them. I repeatedly tell him nobody wants to wear his hard, itchy socks that do not even have a heel in them.

I suspect it's just as likely because of the ND. It is ten times harder to train the DC.

Re the socks, I have turned it into a little game where I imagine that each sock has been separated from its life partner and it is my job to reunite them. I imagine their happiness when I fold their tops down and they are together again, embracing. I have a little box in the laundry room for the poor lonely socks who have yet to be reunited and every few weeks I turn it out and help them find each other. Sounds odd now I type it but it helps me to not get impatient.

I was sorting our sock basket last night , I realised all washing had been done so any socks without a partner were to be binned , loads of them , don’t understand what happened to their mate 🤷‍♀️

We went with different coloured socks for different children....Oh and I don't pair other people's socks.... They get stuff out the drier and they sort it.

Can everyone not just take their own clean washing from the pile themselves? You shouldn't be having to pair other people's socks if you don't want to.

We have different colour socks for each child (eldest black, middle navy, youngest pink) And all school socks are white.

I have beautiful soft bamboo socks in lovely colours. Husband has (crunchy, thin and horrible) socks with coloured toes and heals.

So I instantly know who has which socks. Odd socks is usually find a pair with this system.

Your teens can’t even pair up socks? Is it because they’re boys so don’t do household chores?
why is it your job? Is Dh just as incapable as the teens?

i think i have your partners!

We had the idea of black socks a few years ago… it didn’t solve our issues long term.

Edited to add : apologies cross posted with others and can't delete

Something like this would be cheaper than new socks for 4 people. And if the sock owner doesn't use the clips then all the separate socks go in a basket for the owner to search through and pair up and for you to ignore

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326661139890?chn=ps&ul=GB&trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A19ykFUnalQhuB4iGOsysAOQ49&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=326661139890&targetid=2360873003490&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006779&poi=&campaignid=21690875706&mkgroupid=169793746720&rlsatarget=pla-2360873003490&abcId=10027099&merchantid=656285642&gadsource=1&gadcampaignid=21690875706&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsPzHBhDCARIsALlWNG16HBI0y2913Z5d3cJsR5gtm3Ja8UJ5cib2Vu2lCXw5kxZVkiDTw-8aAvQQEALwwcB

Like these:
https://amzn.eu/d/1CN2bEe
https://amzn.eu/d/34IMFYm

Odd socks go in The Odd Sock Bag.

At the end of the summer term and Christmas term they get paired or binned if Odd.

I'm ruthless.

When I get like this I spend 2 or 3 weeks putting odd socks in a carrier bag instead of putting them away (my kids are too small to put away their own washing), after a couple of weeks I can usually pair a good few up.

I hear you OP. I’m at this point too. I put all the odd socks in a carrier bag and get it out every Sunday(ironing and sock pairing day) The odd socks bag is getting fuller! How? How is this happening?
DS like yours has ADHD and absolutely will not wear odd socks. DH is more than happy to wear odd ones but I reaaally want a clean slate.