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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to ask if you have a sock thief living in your house?

77 replies

hometutor1234 · 30/09/2018 10:26

Ok genuinely can't fathom how every time I do the laundry there are odd socks. I have a row of odd socks dried and in a nice row from the last few laundry loads and am still unable to find their matching socks.

I now have a further 7 - yes 7 odd socks from the laundry I have put on the line.

How is this possible - is there a little person living in my house collecting socks?

Do other people have this problem - do you also have a sock thief? Do you ever recover the missing socks?

Do you accept this admit defeat and just buy new socks?

It's a conundrum, I need reassurance I am not the only person suffering with this recurring sock problem.

OP posts:
AamdC · 30/09/2018 14:50

Camt*

LinoleumBlownapart · 30/09/2018 14:59

My sock thief has fur and a name though. He steals them and puts them in his bed, where he likes to suck them.
Teaspoons I have no idea about. We don't even have a dishwasher!! They just vanish!

RibbonAurora · 30/09/2018 15:04

I wonder if we should do a study as to the prevalence of missing left socks as opposed to missing right socks? It could be an important factor in figuring out how this happens and why. I just asked DH this since he's the big expert and all but he just looked at me like I was a crazy person and walked away muttering.

Maybe I should have waited until he's had his second cup of coffee. Grin

Velourpine · 30/09/2018 15:06

Socks and cutlery in my house! I once bought 20 pairs of black socks and within a month I was down to 5. My forks and spoons keep disappearing too. I live alone 80% of the time so it’s quite worrying😂

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 30/09/2018 15:07

We have a sock and pant monster here

filzma · 30/09/2018 16:05

House elves freeing themselves.🙈

harrietthehare · 30/09/2018 16:20

Some of my odd socks turned up the other day - maybe the sock thief was feeling guilty!

GerdaLovesLili · 30/09/2018 16:29

You have obviously conjured up a Discworld "eater of socks"

to ask if you have a sock thief living in your house?
BeautifulPossibilities · 30/09/2018 16:45

I don't get this at all. A friend of mine has a laundry basket filled with odd socks. We very very rarely have one, it's usually under the bed if one shows up. Is it maybe something to do with your wash machine seal?

Frogletmamma · 30/09/2018 16:48

Its the golden sockeater. A large spider that collects socks not in fact to eat them but to make a comfy nest for its little spiderlings.

Frogletmamma · 30/09/2018 16:50

NOT TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DD 11

Frogletmamma · 30/09/2018 16:51

...And she used to believe me implicitly.

Frogletmamma · 30/09/2018 16:52

STILL NOT TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DD 11

longwayoff · 30/09/2018 16:54

I used to think the teaspoons went because kids unthinkingly chucked them out with yoghurt pots. But kids now no longer here and teaspoons still on their secret and solitary journeys into the unknown.

NorthernFlowerHouse · 30/09/2018 16:55

I've got one and I live alone! He seems to like knickers too, the weirdo.

TeaCupp · 30/09/2018 16:58

Yes! Mine has fur and looks suspiciously like my pup! I've given up trying to wear matching socks now as I usually have to rewash the one that's been dragged to his bed and drooled on.

Notlostjustexploring · 30/09/2018 17:01

We have the same issue here. I just don't understand it. I can have literally every sock in existence in our house in the same room to pair, and I still end up with extras. Every so often I bin all odd socks and buy new pairs and the cycle starts again.

Disappearing teaspoons has been the subject of a scientific study...
www.bmj.com/content/331/7531/1498

It hypothesises that teaspoons migrate to a spoonoid planet, which I think is the most logical theory....

Severide08 · 30/09/2018 17:01

I don't even want to add up how much I spend on socks. Especially black school ones and how many are missing now and I have so many missing it's partner .They go in the laundry basket,washing machine and then poof,vanish .Definately have a sock monster here,a very greedy one .

PawneeParksDept · 30/09/2018 17:05

I thought so until I found about 10 under the bed today when cleaning out

For me it's black hair ties and hair grips. I'm pretty sure some have vanished whilst still attached to the cardboard! Bastards.

QOD · 30/09/2018 17:09

I have the reverse. Endlessly confused by never ever losing socks.
Sometimes I’ll wash one of a pair and see the odd one in the corner of dds room. But I never have lingering odd ones

It’s most weird!

We have 3 laundry baskets and dd wears 2 or 3 pairs a day so I should lose loads 🤷🏻‍♀️

longwayoff · 30/09/2018 17:40

QOD that's weird and unnatural. I suspect you may be a secret lizard person

UnderaRock · 30/09/2018 17:41

I have cats. Usually socks and hair ties end up under the couch

ElfrideSwancourt · 30/09/2018 18:57

Washing machines do eat socks- when my friend had her septic tank pumped out they found loads of socks in it!

A great thread about housework last year really helped with odd socks, which used to cause me lots of stress.

Now I wash all the socks (some family members have even been trained to put their dirty socks straight in!!) in a lingerie washing net - hey presto no more missing socks!!

PhilomenaButterfly · 30/09/2018 19:24

I have the same problem QOD.

RoseMartha · 30/09/2018 19:36

Yes i dont understand this either, where do they go? 🤔 i have a bag of odd socks, i sometimes go through it and am able to match a couple of pairs but I dont know how it happens to be honest.