It’s Not OK to Re-Wear Socks

According to a recent poll, 67% of people admitted to re-wearing socks on occasion. 30% said they’ve done it “maybe” once. While 22% said they believe socks can be worn “multiple days.”

Well, now the science on repeating socks has been revealed, and according to science, stop doing it.

According to science, our feet are a “microscopic rainforest” of fungi and bacteria, containing 1,000 different species. As a bonus, foot skin also contains some of the highest amounts of sweat glands in your body.

That being said, bacteria and fungi love the warm area between your toes and take in nutrients from your sweat and dead skin cells. That’s why your feet get stinky.

Your socks trap all that sweat and other bacteria from the floor of your crib, the gym, or anywhere else you walk around in them, making your socks a nest for bacteria. As a matter of fact, socks contain 8 to 9 million bacteria per sample. A t-shirt only has about 83,000 per sample.

All in all, don’t rewear your socks. Wash your feet regularly and change your socks daily. Oh, and wash those stinky socks in hot water.