vanished

it's common knowledge that socks disappear in the wash. where they go is a different story. do they get dropped on the way to the laundrymat? Do little elves steal them from the dryer?

today, i solved it.

i was doing laundry in my building's laundry room this afternoon, and when I went down to switch loads, i noticed that the big wash sink that's in the room, into which tubes from both washing machines lead to drain, was almost full. this only happens when the drain is blocked, so i reached in to clear it, and pulled out a sock. my sock. a sock that had been in the load i was about to take out of the washer.

i've pulled socks out of this drain before, and always just assumed their owner had dropped them while transfering laundry. but, i think that the drain that empties the washing machine is actually big enough that socks can be sucked in. since normally our washing machines drain right into the pipe system, we don't ever see the socks again. but now i know.

oh, i know the secret.