h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Maybe it is odd to refer to h2g2, but it seems possible that socks are similar to pens. Maybe they have a planet somewhere, and socks who are tired of being twin just teleport there for psychiatric treatment. When healed, they return, and appear behind the dryer to avoid too much attention... that could explain the uneven numbers.

Washing machines are sophisticated pieces of technology. They are designed to destroy a set percentage of socks. Sock manufacturers pay them for this service.

They also contain advanced logic for turning shirt sleeves inside out. This facility is very clever - if you manually turn your shirt sleeves inside out before washing on the hope of outsmarting the machine, the machine will simply leave them in this state.

I have to announs:
I'm going to throw away all my black socks, and buy 10 pairs of new socks. This will give the sock monster satisfaction for a while, I do it sort of like a sacrify to him/her, and it will also give me a fresh start in the ability to take good care of my belowed socks.
I also do this as an experiment, to controlled and concious reserarch the dissapearing of socks.

To satisfy the Sock Monster, every month you sacrifice one of your socks, so you can save the others. The Sock Sacrifice Ceremony needs the right atmosphere (smell..), candles, etc. Maybe a nice dance and a song would be also appropriate.

Could I suggest you think carefully about which Soap powder you use too.
Maybe a control could be no washing powder at all?
Does the sock monster go for a particular brand or is he just in it for the socks in situ.
Hey thats a thought put a different article such as knickers or pants in to check that its just socks he goes for.
The permutations are endless.

Like the Flinstones....maybe you can persuade the Sock Monster to move into your dish washer, and do some useful job.

What kind of useful job?

Wash the dishes (eat the rest...), keep clean, etc. Teach him to cook - give a reason for his existence....with some restrictions he could assimilate into the society, causing no more trouble. And the sock producers will go bankrupt, because sales will drop as the useful lives of socks will become longer.

Ah yes but then the crockery and cutlery manufacturers will benefit as the odd fork or plate will start going missing -and the whole process starts again!

No.....teach your monster to eat the rest of your meal, or just rubbish (no more problem with recycling)

They get depressed ofcourse, seeing their older kin-socks suffer from their wounds. And *then* they kill themselves.

Good idea transfer the sock monster to your rubbish bin.
Would that work though?
It strikes me that the sock monster only goes for clean things so he wouldn't be happy in a dirty rubbish bin.

Yups, I saw that mentioned before, and I do it myself as well. However, I must admit that I never really *lost* a sock until now.
My feet just ate them.

No, rather a complete lack of things, items, whatever *including* butter

And the most scary thought: whe actually HELP them collecting the dust!

Brainwash...keep your environment clean = eat the rubbish! I suppose every monster is green.

Yeah, they just *must* wander around, leaving their significant others, and haunting unsuspecting people by suddenly showing up as unknown phenomenae

I think that someone somewhere has set up a socks home. You know for the poor deprived socks that get worn for weeks on end only seeing the inside of your shoe on one side and your cheesy foot on the other. Their only chance of escape is when the sock is washed and they can retreat to this safe haven. As to why only some of the socks get lost I have no idea at all.

do you know where i can donate to this home?

To me it's pretty clear why not ALL socks disappear: like humans, also socks have all different personalities. One sock may be able to withstand the punishment for years on end, while the other may get depressed very easily. The latter will then take off, seeking assylum, refuge, professional help or whatever it is socks are in need of in such state of sockness.