The Great Sock Mystery: What Do You Do When One Goes Missing?

We’ve all been there — you unload your laundry, only to realize that one sock is mysteriously MIA.

It’s a common problem, but how do most people handle it when a sock loses its match?

A recent poll tackled this age-old question and found that 38% of people hold onto the lone sock for a short period, hopeful that its partner will turn up on the next laundry day, or maybe the one after that. After all, socks have a way of reappearing in the strangest places, right?

But for 29% of people, that lonely sock could be around for the long haul. They keep it indefinitely in hopes of a reunion, even if it takes months (or years) for the missing one to appear.

Meanwhile, 19% of folks have no time for such waiting games and toss the stray sock immediately. (Really? No patience at all?!)

Then, there are the truly unbelievable ones — the 9% who claim they never lose socks. Never? Like, ever? We’re not saying they're lying, but… let’s say it seems suspicious.

Related: YOU KNOW YOU’RE OLD IF YOU WEAR “BADASS” ANKLE SOCKS?

Age Matters in Sock Patience

Interestingly, older generations seem to have the least tolerance for missing socks. They’re more likely to chuck that single sock without a second thought. Maybe they’ve just lost one too many in their lifetime to care anymore!

As for how people store their socks, 84% of those polled said they always keep them paired up. But 9% admit to letting single socks sit in their drawer, which, let’s be honest, sounds like a recipe for chaos — unless, of course, all your socks are the same. In that case, who even needs pairs?

So, what do you do when a sock vanishes into the laundry void? Are you a hopeful matcher or a swift tosser?