calhockeymom

I need to label all my son's clothes. I'm using a laundry pen for some things and ordered sew in labels for others but what about black socks? I don't think the sew in labels will work (and sewing 40+ labels on socks sounds horrible). Any words of wisdom? Thanks!

GMTplus7

Do a cost:benefit analysis. When the cost+time to acquire+sew a custom label exceeds the cost+time to buy a new pair of basic black socks, then I wouldn't bother.

calhockeymom

Well he needs the clothes labeled for the laundry service at his BS. I just don't know how to label the black socks....

mountainhiker

Here's what's worked for us (many years of camp, with super-dirty-sweaty riding socks, hiking socks, etc):
- use Sharpies! Black for light socks, Silver for dark socks
- write last-name only (or if it's a really long last name, first-middle-last initial) on the INSIDE of the top of the sock. If you write it on the sole, it disappears due to sweat, etc. It seems to last longer if written on the inside of the top, and it doesn't show there when the socks are worn. When I fold socks, I put a pair together, and fold down the top, so the name shows on the folded pair.

I use Sharpies to label everything. The writing does fade over time, but after sewing and ironing labels on loads of clothing the first year my kids went to camp, I swore I'd never spend that much time doing that again! As both my kids head out to BS next week, all their clothing (and lots of other stuff, too!) has been marked with Sharpies.

friendlymom

This thread make me think of a song I used to sing at sleepaway camp:

"Black socks, they never get dirty/the longer you wear them the stiffer they get./Sometimes I think of the laundry/but something keeps telling me, "don't send them yet."

calhockeymom

Thanks Mountainhiker. I never thought of silver sharpie! That is great! I'll buy one tomorrow.

Friendlymom, my son would definitely sing that song. LOL!

Periwinkle

I recognize my limits. I don't label socks. So far, the kids have returned from school with roughly the same number of socks. Perhaps some of the black socks arrived at school in another child's suitcase, but I think it evens out in the end.

My kids are less likely to leave their socks lying around campus than shoes, shirts, coats, sweaters, mittens and hats.

Label shoes and boots.

Batllo

Have him throw the dirty socks in a zipper lingerie wash bag with his name label on it.

PA-C

Wow I guess we have been lucky...son has laundry service and we don't label anything and we haven't lost anything major in 3 years. There is a provided label on the laundry bag but that's it! I guess we are a lucky family or he doesn't have the brands worth stealing!

MA2012

For overnight camp I now use Sharpies on a lot of things. Silver doesn't last quite as long as black, but it works. I usually find an out-of-the-way place to label shoes/boots - either inside the shoe or a groove underneath. I got Label Daddy labels for the kids stuff this year (like flashlight, camera, etc). They say the laminated ones are washable, but I haven't tried. I tried sew in and iron on labels, but they are kind of time consuming, but the towels I labeled 5 years ago still have them in. I got a laundry stamper too, but it really only lasted one summer. I got replacement ink, but had to keep using it for every other item.

mamatocja

My son loses clothing all the time so when my daughter went to school i decided to label her clothes. Found these guys, namemaker.com their labels really stick. Bought the plain iron on labels but they have a lot of different types. It appears they have been around for a while. Hope this helps!

girlgeekmom

MDlabels have good iron-on labels, too. But for socks, I either use a Sharpie (silver or white paint marker for darks) or figure it's easier to deal with new socks. Easy as it is to see the sharpie on light socks, they usually are so gross at the end of a few months that it's not worth worrying about a couple going missing.

But since the laundry service requires it, metallic Sharpie or paint marker's the ticket.

Sikorsky

We use a silver Sharpie for overnight camp. Works great.