One of the most annoying parts of doing the laundry for my family had to be the sock chase. Chasing the socks into the laundry, sorting them back into pairs again and then the eternal question of what we do with the lonely matchless pile of socks.
After throwing away another huge pile of lonely socks with an estimated value of over $150 ( we have a lot of feet !) I decided to enforce a ‘sock lock’ system. Here’s the protocol …. It has worked with 100% success rate for us.
Step 1 – Purchase sock locks from the website http://www.sock-locks.com/ . (The single ones are great for kids under 5 and the double ones work great for larger socks. There is a pack of 30 double sock locks for $9.99. )
Step 2 – Designate a space near the laundry for the sock-locks.
Step 3 – Hold a family meeting and explain that due to the high rate of single-sock-it is in the home a sock lock procedure is being instituted stat. Show the children how to use them and explain socks wont get washed without being locked. Don’t waste too much time trying to teach the spouse ….
Step 4 – Do washing as usual, after pulling out the socks in their locks from the dryer, remove the locks, fold the socks and put the sock locks back in their designated place.
Step 5 – Enjoy having more socks in your drawers and no more single socks to feel guilty about.
fromfrazzledtofocused 
Gotta love sock locks.
As long as mankind has need for socks, there will be sock locks.