With today (May 9) being Lost Sock Memorial Day it got me wondering just how many socks the average person loses each year. Where do all the socks go?

While researching the question that has plagued man for centuries, I ran across a study commissioned by the Samsung company.

Even though the study was conducted exclusively in Great Britain, I think it's safe to say the findings would probably also hold true even in this country.

Researchers questioned 2,000 people and determined the average person loses 1.3 socks each month and more than 15 per year. And with the average person living to 81 years of age, that adds up to a whopping 1,264 socks lost during a lifetime.

The most amazing part of the study to me though was the fact that researchers were actually able to come up with a Sock Loss Formula - the higher the figure the higher the likelihood of losing socks.

Sock loss index = (L+C)-(P x A)

  • L = Laundry Size
  • C = Washing Complexity
  • P = The Positivity Towards Doing Laundry
  • A = Degree of Attention

The study also found a "Psychology Reason" for sock loss such as assuming someone else has it covered or will assume responsibility. It's actually a fascinating read.

If you would like to glance the study over for yourself, here's a link to the website.

Source: Samsung Appliances


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