...Phil, washing machines eat socks. If you put 10 pairs of socks into a washing machine, there will definitely come out only 8 pairs, three more completely different single socks and one sock will (at least) always be missing. If you put the socks into a drier after washing, the 8 complete pairs will turn into 6 pairs and 4 completely single socks, and from the three different socks two will turn into a perfect matching pair and the third will disappear, because driers also eat socks. This is not the way to find socks, this is a perfect way to loose socks. Cheers :-) Sabine