What’s happened to my socks?
By Fleur
@Fleura (32849)
United Kingdom
September 20, 2025 2:44am CST
Recently I decided it was time to treat myself to some new socks. I found a pack of four pairs with a garden theme and thought they would be just the thing. I liked the cute wheelbarrows on these.
So I wore a couple of the pairs, and then they went in the wash. It was a fine day on the whole, so I hung the washing outside – but then a bit later along came a shower of rain so I rushed out and grabbed everything.
Most things were basically dry already so that was OK. The socks still seemed to have some damp areas, so I hung them up again indoors. But by the next day the ‘damp patches’ were still there. That’s when I realised they were actually marks.
The funny thing is I didn’t notice anything the first time I put them on new. A couple of people commented on the wheelbarrow design and they didn’t notice anything either. Everything else that was washed came out unaffected, so there can’t have been anything wrong there. They have been washed again since then and the patches are still there. I can’t think what has happened!
By the way my feet don’t normally turn out like this, just wanted to show the design!
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2025.
12 people like this
14 responses
@xFiacre (14476)
• Ireland
20 Sep
@fleura Far be it from me to intimate to a lady how to dress, but are your socks on the wrong feet? Ought not the wheelbarrows to appear on the outer side of one’s calves rather than the inside, thus rendering the art work more visible to the public?
3 people like this
I thought the same.
@JudyEv (363839)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Sep
When I first answered this, something was niggling at the back of my mind and I've now remembered what it was. Vince had a new pair of trousers that I washed and they came out with patches of a different colour as though big patches of bleach had splattered on them. They went through with other dark colours but nothing red. Very strange.
2 people like this
@Fleura (32849)
• United Kingdom
21 Sep
That is just the same but on a larger scale! Did they ever return to their original colour? Or even just to a uniform colour? I wonder if there is some chemical in new garments that sometimes hasn't been completely removed and reacts with something in the wash?
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (166027)
• United States
20 Sep
Do you use any laundry additives, or fabric softener. I used to get spots from those things.
2 people like this
@Traceyjayne (5762)
• United Kingdom
20 Sep
It is weird that that happened …..I guess it’s just one of life’s mysteries ….along with why you always lose one sock …what is it about socks !
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (160026)
• United States
20 Sep
Do you have hard water where you live? Sometimes calcium in the water can cause stains like that to appear on whites in the wash.
You can try pre-treating the stains with baking soda and water paste and see if that will remove the stains.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (160026)
• United States
20 Sep
@Fleura You're welcome. Sometimes some chemical in new material will react with the hard water. I hope it helps.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (203168)
• United States
21 Sep
That's very odd. The socks are really cute though.
1 person likes this
