The mystery of why laundry ends up inside duvet covers during washing, and the disappearance of socks, has intrigued many. While fluid dynamics might seem like a relevant explanation, a simpler statistical perspective offers insights into the duvet cover conundrum.

Professor Daniel Bonn suggests that the many ways for laundry to enter a duvet cover, compared to the single way to exit, explain this phenomenon. He likens it to tangled headphone cords. To prevent this, close the snap fasteners or turn the duvet cover inside out before washing.

Regarding missing socks, one theory suggests that they get trapped inside duvet covers. A washing machine manufacturer once commissioned research into this issue, producing a report with a formula to calculate the probability of sock loss. However, this research has been criticized as flawed and statistically unsound.

Professor Casper Albers highlights that socks are easily overlooked due to their small size, and their frequent washing increases the chances of loss. The fact that socks come in pairs also makes a missing sock more noticeable.

Missing socks may be found on the bedroom floor, in the laundry basket, or even inside the washing machine itself. Socks can get stuck in the rubber drum edge or the pump drain.