How to Wash Black Socks

Due to the nature of my job and the uniform I wear, the majority of my sock laundry is black. Is there any hope for me to get the same cleaning success you can get with Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach and whites? What is the best method for laundering black fabrics to ensure that they stay black, get clean, and feel great?

The answer depends somewhat on the fiber composition of the black socks. Black cotton dyes are usually not very “colorfast,” and will fade over time with normal washing — thus the recommendation to always sort and wash dark colors separately. This prevents bleeding or dye transfer to the remaining items in the wash. Here I would use a liquid detergent and color safe bleach.

If they are synthetic or of a stretchy material, then using a good liquid detergent and Clorox 2® for Colors Stain Remover and Laundry Additive in at least warm water should do the trick.

A couple of other tips:

• Turn the socks inside out when washing.
• Consider air drying to minimize further dryer abrasion, which leads to pilling and gives the socks a faded look.