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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[–] Surp@lemmy.world 122 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] LunchEnjoyer@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago
[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 82 points 9 months ago (2 children)

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

[–] P1r4nha@feddit.de 79 points 9 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.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 58 points 9 months ago

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

[–] spittingimage@lemmy.world 58 points 9 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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[–] kaffiene@lemmy.world 41 points 9 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

[–] Classy@sh.itjust.works 11 points 9 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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[–] BreakDecks@lemmy.ml 39 points 9 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?

[–] 4grams@awful.systems 29 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 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.

[–] kratoz29@lemm.ee 28 points 9 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] LunchEnjoyer@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I'm gonna be know as the sock guy from now on...

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[–] BananaPeal@sh.itjust.works 26 points 9 months ago (2 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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[–] jose1324@lemmy.world 24 points 9 months ago

Dude I already know you smell

[–] odelik@lemmy.today 23 points 9 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.

[–] RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de 27 points 9 months ago (11 children)

Like a pint (450g) of sweat a day

citation needed

[–] glibg10b@lemmy.ml 20 points 9 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@lemmy.world 20 points 9 months ago

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

[–] YaksDC@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago

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

[–] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 22 points 9 months ago

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

[–] ohlaph@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago
[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 18 points 9 months ago

Average athlete’s foot enjoyer.

[–] PumaStoleMyBluff@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 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@lemmy.world 17 points 9 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.

[–] itsmaxyd@lemm.ee 17 points 9 months ago

you are supposed to change them????

[–] Nemo@midwest.social 16 points 9 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

[–] jet@hackertalks.com 13 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 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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[–] OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee 13 points 9 months ago

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

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 13 points 9 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

[–] SimianApostle@lemmy.world 11 points 9 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

[–] gandalf_der_12te@feddit.de 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)
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[–] Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee 10 points 9 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@lemmy.world 10 points 9 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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[–] BilboBargains@lemmy.world 10 points 9 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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[–] fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 9 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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[–] RIP_Cheems@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

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

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[–] RBWells@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I wear merino wool socks. They don't stink but I change them each day, generally speaking. Wear in day, take off to shower and sleep, new pair in mornings. I bought 10 pair, wash clothes weekly and wanted enough to not worry. But if you hand wash them you can manage it with fewer pairs.

Loose fitted merino stuff doesn't need to be washed often, and sweaters I can wash once or twice a year since they are outerwear but socks are like underwear, sit tight on your skin and better to keep them clean.

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[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

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

[–] lagomorphlecture@lemm.ee 9 points 9 months ago

Not trying to be gross here but based on comments some people are going to find me gross. Anyways if I'm wearing socks with shoes then they're done after the day, or the hour If I made a quick grocery trip and came home or something. But I'll wear my warm fuzzy house socks for several days. Idc because my feet aren't sweating like that without shoes so I see those socks as still being usable.

[–] seathru@lemm.ee 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Once they get so crusty they can stand on their own. That's about 8 hours in shoes, or a week next to the bed.

[–] Dkarma@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago

This guy doesn't fuck.

[–] zxqwas@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago

Office work 2-3 days.

[–] eddietrax@dmv.social 8 points 9 months ago

I’m on that Mr Rogers rotation: Twice a day. I work out daily which always includes cardio so changing socks is a must lol.

[–] cashews_best_nut@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago

This prompted me to buy socks cos apparently I'm an animal.

[–] MDKAOD@lemmy.ml 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Dude, 12 hours. Neanderthal.

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[–] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 7 points 9 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.

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