Compression Garment Care Tips

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Wearing compression hosiery and diabetic socks on a regular basis is one of the best things that you can do in order to reduce the swelling and pain associated with the disorder. While it may seem like common sense to treat them like regular socks and just throw them in the washing machine, there are actually a few requirements for dealing with compression hosiery that you may want to keep in mind before washing them. Just keep these extra guidelines in mind and you won't have any problems.

Before you actually start washing your compression socks for the first time, it is very important that you take the time to read any instructions that the manufacturer may have provided. The reason that you want to read over these instructions is that there are a variety of different manufacturers of medical compression hosiery and each of those manufacturers may have their own specific requirements when it comes to taking care of their socks. Knowing whether there are any specific requirements before you even begin is the only way to ensure that you have no problems.

There are a few different methods that you can use to actually wash your compression socks. Some of them are going to need to be washed by hand, but others can actually be washed in the washing machine on the delicates cycle. Warm water with a very gentle laundry soap is the best combination when it comes to hand washing these socks. In order to prevent them from stretching, you will want to be very gentle with them. The warmth of the water makes them more likely to get stretched out.

Still, even the most durable compression socks that are treated in the most careful manner are going to wear out in time. As the older pairs get stretched out, you are going to need to be replacing them with new ones in order to continue receiving the full benefit from their use. It means an added expense, but the component that provides the benefit, the elastic, simply wears out over time through regular use. Most manufacturers agree that medical compression hosiery generally lasts about three months. An easy way to judge whether or not your compression socks need to be replaced is to look at how easy they are to put on. If you have no difficulty putting them on at all, it is time that you went out and got a new pair of socks.