The real world meets the world of algorithms. I solve the issue by buying only 1 color and type of sock.
What happens when your brand/model is discontinued?
realloc() - delete all and buy new ones.
How to pair socks from a pile efficiently?
21–30 of 42 posts
Re: How to pair socks from a pile efficiently?
#22I have 18 pairs of the same sock. I found that the most efficient way. YMMV.
Isn't this making it especially more complex because now you have to match based on wear, not just the pattern? With different patterns it's easier as the wear is constant for each pair. OCD mileage may vary :)
I do the same thing and I buy socks in large batches replacing old batches. This is by far the best life hack I have implemented. My socks are comfortable, versatile and I never need to worry about pairing. I did this after literally seeing how my upright washing machine swallowed a sock between the drum and the drum container. I never took it apart to see how many lone socks are left there.
Re: How to pair socks from a pile efficiently?
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Isn't this making it especially more complex because now you have to match based on wear, not just the pattern? With different patterns it's easier as the wear is constant for each pair. OCD mileage may vary :)
I upvoted because you make an interesting point, but I'm surprised to hear anybody matches socks that carefully! Also, wouldn't the wear work out to be roughly equal if you alternate socks roughly equally?
Socks that haven't been worn between the last time you've done laundry and the most recent time end up at the bottom of the drawer. So the worn socks get picked again and reworn before the ones at the bottom of the drawer. Then one week you skip laundry, everything ends up in the wash the next week and you realize that you have very different wear levels on your socks.
Re: How to pair socks from a pile efficiently?
#24I wouldn't pair socks, personally. I would just create piles and offload pairing to each sock-wearing instance. This becomes efficient by creating piles based on intended use, and allowing each pile to have easily-distinguished differences such as color difference or size. What's interesting is that your pile criteria changes based on your socks. For me I have a long-warm pile, long-cool pile, and short pile. But if I didn't have long or short socks i'd have to create new piles: dress, casual, athletic, for example. Another pile set might be long-short-dress, long-short-casual, long-short-athletic, or long-short-warm, long-short-cool, long-short-athletic, etc.
In each case, the pile has socks that are so distinct that it becomes trivial to identify a matching pair in the pile. This is also why I don't sort by color.
Re: How to pair socks from a pile efficiently?
#25I fold each pair of socks into each other when I put them into the washing machine and then unfold them when hanging up to dry. All pairs stay together, no sorting necessary.
Re: How to pair socks from a pile efficiently?
#26The real world meets the world of algorithms. I solve the issue by buying only 1 color and type of sock.
Fragile - potential to fall apart at Christmas!
My cunning plan is to fold the top of one sock over the other, so they come out ready paired.
Spawning a child is a great answer though.
Re: How to pair socks from a pile efficiently?
#27I have 18 pairs of the same sock. I found that the most efficient way. YMMV.
But is it pairs of the right foot's sock, or the left foot's sock?
Re: How to pair socks from a pile efficiently?
#28Give the pile to a toddler. A lot can be learnt from sorting and hanging the daily washing with a young child, on both sides.
Re: How to pair socks from a pile efficiently?
#29I have 18 pairs of the same sock. I found that the most efficient way. YMMV.
Isn't this making it especially more complex because now you have to match based on wear, not just the pattern? With different patterns it's easier as the wear is constant for each pair. OCD mileage may vary :)
If you really had OCD, you would always do laundry, pull the contents of your sock drawer forward, put clean socks at the back, and only take socks from the front. Problem solved.