this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2024
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Some people change their socks every single day, to me that's a little to much. I'm more of a 2-3days kinda guy. Is changing socks each day absolutely necessary?

Edit: Obviously something is wrong with me, I'll take some time to rethink my life decisions and buy more socks! πŸ˜… Edit2: I mostly wear wool socks, I hope that justifies this a bit..

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[–] [email protected] 148 points 11 months ago (9 children)

Whatβ€½

People don’t change their sock daily? Do you use the same underwear too? Am I abnormal-er?

[–] [email protected] 73 points 11 months ago

Anyone who says more than a day is more beast than man. That said we are on lemmy, so yes you are likely abnormal.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 11 months ago (4 children)

I’ve never in my life been on the more hygienic side of things. I’m a barely functional mess of adhd and autism that launched itself into grad school in a new country. I don’t wear socks more than 36 hours (if I put them on at 4pm, I’ll still wear them the next day, but otherwise no).

So, probably do every day if you want to be on the safe side

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Socks and underwear are single-use items. Even if it's the same day, if they come off, freshies go on. This thread is ridiculous.

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[–] Surp 125 points 11 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 87 points 11 months ago (2 children)

You're that stinky guy, still in his 20's, who doesn't think he stinks right?

[–] LunchEnjoyer 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 80 points 11 months ago

The only clothes I wear multiple days are pants and sweaters. Only on days when I barely used socks I may wear them two days in a row.

[–] [email protected] 77 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Wearing socks two days in a row is insane behaviour. Depending on the day, I might go through multiple pairs.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Yeah. Can't believe people actually wait 2 days before changing them. I try to go for at least 2 weeks.

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[–] [email protected] 61 points 11 months ago

Wearing socks more than 1 day in a row means you've failed to uphold the social contract.

[–] spittingimage 60 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Once the socks come off, they go through the laundry before I put them on again. They're just not comfortable unless they're fresh.

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[–] [email protected] 49 points 11 months ago (3 children)

One day only! Trust me, you can't smell old socks but everyone else can! They also make your shoes stink. In the same vein, never wear closed shoes without socks unless you want them to be eternally smelly

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[–] kaffiene 41 points 11 months ago (6 children)

Changing socks is like changing undies. Daily at minimum. Don't see how being woolen changes anything. Wool socks absorb sweat and bacteria just as much as anything else

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Wool makes a massive difference and it isn't even close.

For one, it has an uncanny ability to wick away moisture from the surface of your skin, away from your body. As it reaches the outside, it more easily evaporates away and minimizes the amount of absorbed and thus odorous sweat.

Skin also maintains "comfort" at a larger range of temperatures with wool. I have thicker wool socks I wear in summer with tall leather work boots and after 12-16 hours straight of wear my socks typically have virtually no smell and they're dry to the touch. Synthetic socks like Dickies absorb the sweat and cause the fibers to break down terribly. You end up with crusty, worthless socks.

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 11 months ago

My socks smell like cheese after a single day, and I can wash a month's worth of them in a single load of laundry, what am I gaining by wearing them multiple days in a row?

[–] [email protected] 30 points 11 months ago (7 children)

I only wear wool socks and work from home. I can easily go 4-5 days if I've only gone outside to get groceries or whatnot.

If I'm going out to socialize though and it's been more than 2 days I'll get a fresh pair.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago

I wear socks with at least 60% merino wool and wear the same pair for 5 days. After airing the they have zero smell.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I would rather go barefoot in shoes than wear socks twice in a row. Heck, I often change them when I get home from work.

I've long said, the first thing I'd do after winning the lottery is never wear the same pair of socks twice because my favorite of life's little unnoticed pleasures is the feeling of a new pair of socks.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 11 months ago (3 children)

I think we found the stinky guy who was hiding here in the Fediverse... Seriously though do it daily.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Oh God. Back when I was dirt poor, I needed socks but I wanted to save money, so I wore them for two days, hanging them to dry overnight.

I ended up with athlete's foot. Don't skimp on socks.

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[–] YaksDC 25 points 11 months ago

Once a sock comes off I cannot put on a used sock again. So at least once a day for me.

[–] jose1324 25 points 11 months ago

Dude I already know you smell

[–] [email protected] 23 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Feet sweat. A lot. Like a pint (450g) of sweat a day or more if particularly active or you have larger feet.

So for me, daily at the least. On particularly active days, multiple times.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 11 months ago (11 children)

Like a pint (450g) of sweat a day

citation needed

[–] [email protected] 20 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, that's half a litre of salty water soaking into your socks and shoes. I find that hard to believe

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[–] SpaceNoodle 21 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That's ... a lot. Are feet really supposed to leak that much human juice?

[–] [email protected] 23 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I tend to wear anything made from wool for a week or so before laundering. Anything else I tend to wash after one wear

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 11 months ago

This is exactly the type of thing I imagine my fellow Lemmings asking as a serious question.

[–] ohlaph 19 points 11 months ago
[–] PumaStoleMyBluff 19 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Two. They're Darn Tough wool socks, and the packaging recommends even more days between washes for longevity.

Before these I had only worn cotton socks, mostly Nike, and those stink like hell and did need to be washed daily. But these wool ones really don't, even in the summer.

I also alternate pairs, so they're not two days in a row. e.g. A B A B C D C D etc.

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[–] Delphia 19 points 11 months ago

Winter time and minimal activity, if Im running low on socks or if Im lazy and they are right there I might give a pair a second day.

Summertime? If they come off they are done. I could go 3 pairs in a day.

[–] 9point6 18 points 11 months ago

If I take my socks off, they go straight in the wash, if I need socks again that day, fresh ones go on

[–] [email protected] 18 points 11 months ago

Average athlete’s foot enjoyer.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago

you are supposed to change them????

[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago (5 children)

I change my socks and give them for washing after every use. It's kinda necessary as I sweat a lot.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 11 months ago

Depends what I'm doing. Yardwork or exercise? Change as soon as I'm done. Just sitting around the house in pyjamas? They're fine to wear again.

Two caveats: I don't wear socks to bed, and if I'm wearing socks indoors (I prefer bare feet) I always wear shoes or slippers over them

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

If they smell they go into the wash, if your not sure surprise your SO by putting your sock under their nose and ask for a second opinion

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago

Daily unless I don't have any clean in which case...until I do a load of laundry.

[–] SimianApostle 12 points 11 months ago

If clothes touch skin directly then they are put in the wash every day (socks, underwear {boxers}, tee shirt, shirts etc...) other wise it is a check to see.id still.good for follo days - did jeans get muddy / dirty, did I spill coffee on trousers etc... jeans go in wash after a week of wearing even if no spills / mud

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Obviously it depends on a bunch of things... type of sock, type of shoe, type of activity, weather, et cetera.

Generally clean socks every day is nice though.

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[–] BilboBargains 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Around a week usually. Wool socks go much longer before they stink. All this washing and obsessive attention to hygiene is enabled by freely available access to energy and resources that many people don't have. Can you imagine these first world people walking down to the local river with a bag of washing every day? No, they too busy posting on insta for such humdrum peasant activities.

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[–] TheGiantKorean 10 points 11 months ago

I'll only wear a pair again if I happen to run out somehow. Then I usually get more socks to make sure it doesn't happen again any time soon.

[–] Lemminary 10 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Once a day and once every two days if I didn't use them much.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Well I wear mine for way longer than anyone else in this thread dares to admit.

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[–] lemmefixdat4u 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It depends on how much you sweat, the stuff in your sweat, how much skin you shed, and your own microbiome. Everyone is different. I change socks every 10-12 hours. My friend changes her socks -and- shoes at lunch. If she doesn't, the smell will literally chase everyone out of the room when she takes off her shoes at the end of the day.

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[–] RIP_Cheems 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

1 day? Hoodies I can go a week or more, buy socks changed every day.

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