Aside from the fact that there’s almost nothing worst than smelly feet, you could also come down with stuff that’ll make you never consider wearing sandals for a long time because you’re concerned about what people will think of your scaly-looking leg.
Wearing socks without washing repeatedly is not a stunt to pull at all, don’t be so lazy that you don’t take your health into consideration.
Here are some nasty things that will happen when wear the same socks every day
Table of Contents
- Athlete’s foot
- Smelly feet
- Trench foot
- Blisters
- Redness
- Blotchy skin
Athlete’s foot
Also known as tinea pedis is a fungal infection that usually begins in between the toes due to very sweaty feet sandwiched between damp socks and tight shoes.
When symptoms become obvious, you have a rash, scaly skin, and Inflammation in between the toes. It’s generally a very unpleasant and uncomfortable experience, not funny at all.
It could be treated by applying antifungal creams topically, and it’s advisable to always air your feet when you’re not bound to be stuck in a shoe after work hours.
Wearing sandals or slides around the house too can help too! In essence, stay away from anything that asphyxiates your feet.
The smell
I keep remembering when I was little and whenever my dad gets back from work, I always did the honors of taking off his shoes and socks. Boy! I died each time. The smell is terrible!
But each day came by and I did the honors of taking off his socks with a smile on my face like I was in a rose garden picking out the best of the roses smiling even though I was being pricked by thorns.
No doubt, unwashed socks smell very bad, like steamed fart and fermented baked beans and it can also be very embarrassing when the damp smell sticks to your feet and gives you a signature smell.
Please save your loved ones life by taking care of your feet, they may not say anything about your horrible smelly feet because they love you and doesn’t want to hurt your feelings but I will.
You can start some remedy by washing your feet with warm water and soap and drying it very properly with a towel is very important.
Trench foot
This is a condition that was first discovered during World war I, It emerges as a result of the foot being wet for too long.
Thousands of soldiers lost their lives as a result of the condition. Since then, the awareness of keeping the feet as dry as possible has been ongoing. It’s a very unpleasant experience, it is accompanied by symptoms like;
Standing in wet socks and boots for a very long time results in this condition, it must be treated immediately if not it might lead to grave actions being taken like an amputation.
If you’re already having these symptoms, before going to the hospital make sure you dispose of any unwashed socks.
Bacteria must have birthed a colony there and no matter how hard you wash them or sun them once they get damp again, the whole process starts all over again.
In essence, you can wear your socks more than once only if you wash them properly.
Blisters
An area of skin covered by swollen skin, fluid-filled bubble. This could be very uncomfortable and hurts quite a bit too.
Redness
The affected area could show signs of redness due to inflammation.
Blotchy skin
Standing in wet socks and boots for a very long time results in this condition. It must be treated immediately if not it might lead to grave actions being taken like an amputation.
The area of inflammation will change color due to the infection, might look quite pale or yellowy.
If you’re already having these symptoms, before going to the hospital make sure you dispose of any unwashed socks.
Bacteria must have birthed a colony there and no matter how hard you wash them or sundry them, once they get damp again, the whole process starts all over again.
In essence, you can wear your socks more than once only if you wash them properly.
Is it bad to wear socks more than once?
Wearing socks two days in a row is not a death sentence, but giving thought to wearing the same socks the day after that and the day after means you are signing up for some uncommon dose of feet infection.
So no, it’s not bad to wear the same pair of socks more than once but you shouldn’t make it a habit of not washing your socks or repeating them more than once.
Your feet on their own is a moist environment and can harbor bacteria that is harmful to your health, not to forget the discomfort.
Why do people wear socks more than once?
Why do people do anything at all? For different reasons, maybe there’s an emergency meeting that you weren’t informed about the previous day and you haven’t done your laundry in a few days.
You check your wardrobe and realize that you have exhausted the secret stash you kept for rainy days.
At last, you might be forced to wear the pair that is holed up inside the shoes you wore to work yesterday, it’s not so bad, as far as you air them and they aren’t damp.
Or, you’re one of the rare folks that dispose of socks after each use, you miss your 7 o’clock alarm and it’s too late to dash to Walmart’s footwear section without getting a query at the office.
Due to your obsessive-compulsive disorder, you cringe at the thought of wearing yesterday’s socks or even touching them, *lol* you have to touch this pair, and you have to wear them.
Just this once, you mutter to yourself and you can’t wait to be done with the day’s work and storm Walmart.
How often should you replace your socks?
You should replace your socks as often as possible. Two or three times a month will not be a bad idea at all. Buy them in pairs, have them lying around in almost every drawer.
They should be as cheap as 1 dollar at Walmart enabling you to pick as many as possible, so you can get as many as possible.
Don’t be modest when it comes to caring for the most neglected part of the human body, refuse to be part of the population of the world that doesn’t remember that their feet exist, or disregard pedicure now and then.
I recommend that you do not wear the same socks twice unless you have to. And even if you do, it has to be air-dried or better still sun-dried.
Whenever you’re out to get groceries or you happen to drive past a supermarket, make a quick stop and go into the mall, take a stroll to the footwear section, and pick up some pairs of socks.
Let sock shopping become a reflex action because your feet will thank you later and you get to enjoy the benefits too.
Don’t forget to visit the salon for some feet pampering once a while, pedicure is very important too.
In an attempt to care for your feet excessively don’t forget your hands, manicure is very important too.
Also, it will definitely come in handy ( I hope you catch that), especially when you’re behind the laundry day schedule.
How long can you wear the same pair of socks?
Socks shouldn’t be worn three days in a row. Especially if you wear it to work and the nature of your job requires that you stand for long periods of time.
I said three days because we’re all humans and can ignore the slight smell that accompanies unwashed and damp feet.
We are most likely to be behind schedule due to unforeseen circumstances that we face every single day.
But if an incidence occurs for the third time, then it’s no longer considered a mistake and you’re most likely on your jolly ride to the range of bacteria that causes feet infections.
What are the best socks to wear more than once?
First of all, we have to keep in mind that cotton is one of the most breathable materials. So I’d recommend cotton socks and an uncolored one too.
When the dye in socks gets soaked in sweat the reaction with the feet is not healthy.
Bacteria and fungus thrive in a humid or damp environment. Moisture is trapped in a silky material and this is bad for the feet. Cotton socks should always be chosen over any satin material.
Wool too is a breathable material that doesn’t retain moisture and that’s a very good characteristic for good socks whenever you’re out to buy.
Conclusion
Finally, go for socks that can dry very quickly, and can’t retain moisture.
Take them off as soon as you’re home and toss them into the washing machine, never repeat a pair of socks except it’s necessary and it shouldn’t be more than once.
Practice proper hygiene because it’ll save you a lot of stress and expenses that you’re supposed to spend on drugs if you get sick.
Most importantly, during winter or spring, make sure you don’t repeat your socks because the weather is usually cold, and this is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to sprout.
Take extra caution, aside from your feet, wear your gloves and hat too. Keep warm and dry as much as possible all the time, the chances that you’ll get sick are very minimal.
After a bath always dry up properly, avoid wet clothes or clothes that aren’t properly dried they could make you really sick giving you skin infections like:
- Dermatitis (eczema)
- Ringworm
And other skin disorders which can be very unpleasant and take quite some time to go away. Just be on the safer side, after all the dryer the better.