Very dull question about socks

[chipmunksex]

How can I keep my socks nice and soft and stretchy like new?

I buy new socks and they are lovely; they slip onto my little tootsies with ease and come up to my ankles how I like 'em.

fastforward 6 months and the very same socks are a bit too short and have to be dragged onto my feet because they are all stiff and rough.

Do you tumble dry them?

Cor an answer! No no tumble dryer, socks are line dried or pegged on a thingie on my pulley thing.

I like dull questions ;)

Line drying or too long near a heater or radiator will make them stiff and rough. Try half drying on your thingy and them finish off with a blast in the dryer (or maybe you don't have one?) to soften them up. Not too long or they'll shrink.

If no dryer, them just make sure they don't 'overdry' on the line.

No tumble dryer.

Do you think fabric conditioner would help?

Fold them into pairs instead of rolling into a ball -better for the elastic apparently

Yes FC helps. Sort of stretch and pull heel out flat shake from heel wide
Can't describe.... Not a banana shape of sock, hold heel and pull wide the shape if you look down at your feet. Then the sock folds in half. Pop on radiator

But I tumble to keep soft.
There is of course the possibility that your feet rot the cotton a bit more than me ?!?? Are you particularly sweaty ? My feet barely sweat. My armpits are a different story!!

can depend on make of sock too.

sounds weird but i like tesco socks, packs of 3, they just keep their shape. and are lovely and soft.

How dare you! my delicate fairy tootsies do not 'sweat'.

I am however on my feet a lot, maybe I just wear them out?

too hot a washing temperature maybe?

I'm told washing hard woolens in shampoo (!) helps restore their texture

Too hot temperature and too fast spin cycle?

I had this problem when I bought cheap socks.

Solution - quality socks and no shrinking and stiffening up after washing.

agree with Piglet John. Wash at 30 degrees or less, and they seem to stay soft and pliable. Unless you have a very sweaty teenage son:o

Everything is washed at 30 or 40 here, the socks weren't that cheap-M&S ones.

use a washing bag -that helps as does fabric conditioner (though not for every wash)

how do you wash them?
we wash ours on 40 but the longest cycle (dh has proper sweaty feet) hang to dry and fold, not roll. don't use softener because it makes the socks smelly (of sweat) for some reason. also I only use a little amount of detergent, about a third of what it says on the pack, which certainly keeps them softer for longer.

but anyway, once a year we buy new socks and the old ones are degraded to shoe polish duty.

Tescos, next and gap are all worth a try.
DHs plain black M&S socks have gone hard his Next ones haven't.
I loose track of where DDs and my socks come from, but I have feeling M&S are not the softest.

I second that Tesco socks stay velvety soft.