The Real Reason Why You Should Change Your Socks Everyday
Hands up if you’ve worn the same pair of socks two days in a row? Two hands up if you’ve done it for three. We don’t even want to know if you’ve done it four or more!
We’re all guilty of wearing the same pair of socks for a couple of days in a row at some point or another. Whether it be a camping trip, too cold to change them or just to save on the washing. I know I’m guilty for the simple reason of not having a fresh pair of socks available! Whatever the reason, I want to share with you why it’s not ok to wear the same pair of socks more than once, especially when it comes to kids.
We wear socks to keep our feet warm when it is cold and to provide extra cushion for our shoes. They help prevent blisters and make most of our shoes more comfortable to wear. Some socks can even be a real fashion statement. With so many fun designs around, why wouldn’t you. Anyone got a Paw Patrol obsessed son at the moment rotating his Marshall and Chase socks?
The thing is, whilst socks provide all these benefits, the downside of keeping our feet toasty warm is they create an environment perfect for fungus.
Our feet sweat, a lot! And sometimes we don’t even realise it. Some people’s feet sweat so much their socks become wet. A warm, dark and damp environment is the perfect breeding ground for fungus. And as anyone who has suffered foot fungus will tell you, it is a bugger to get rid of.
Fungus grows in the sock fibers and your warm, sweaty feet provide the perfect feeding ground. Sounds gross doesn’t it. The longer you wear your socks, the more you are optimising the environment and encouraging growth. Infections such as tinea and athlete’s foot thrive in these conditions.
Why Your Kids Reusing Their Favourite Pair of Socks Is Bad News
Changing socks daily is particularly important for kids. They run around a lot and their feet are known to get quite sweaty. School aged children who dress themselves are especially known to reuse the same pair of socks. It’s a blend of laziness and “time-management” by the fact they were most likely easily accessible on the floor from the night before. By the time you come to realise, it could be too late.
School shoes, even quality leather ones, can still sweat when feet are placed in extreme circumstances like running, playing and wearing the same shoes day in day out. It is because school shoes are worn 5 days in a row that it is more important for your kids to change their socks every day. By the time they start to smell, bacteria is already growing.
Failing to practice good foot health could lead to the conditions we mentioned above, and for your kids, that is really unpleasant. Not to mention torture for you and the rest of the family if it spreads.
The other thing to keep in mind is your kids may have a favourite pair of socks and sneakily wear them more than once. Keep an eye on your kids sock stocks and make sure they are wearing new ones each day. Keep their feet dry and use talcum powder to remove excess moisture, particularly between the toes.
Other articles from our blog.
