Diabetes, obesity, and other disorders result in a good bit of pain in the lower limbs due to the lack of proper blood flow, and one of the best treatments that you can find for that is the use of compression socks. While there is definitely some added attention that you are going to have to take in order to care for your compression hosiery, it is not nearly so bad as you may be fearing. The following guidelines will help you when it comes to taking care of your compression hosiery.
Your manufacturer may have included a list of washing or care instructions with your socks; be sure that you read them before you do anything else. In order to ensure that you don't accidentally ruin your socks, reading the instructions ensures that you can take any care irregularities into account before you try washing your socks for the first time. The only way to avoid running into any problems is to know about them before you begin.
There are a few different ways to actually go about the washing of compression hosiery. You are going to have to wash most compression socks on the market by hand in order to extend their lifespan, but some of them can handle the delicates cycle of the washing machine. In order to prevent damage to both your socks and your hands, a mild soap in warm water is definitely the way to go. Stretching them out is a concern, so gentleness is key in washing them. The compression in these socks is provided by elastic, and that elastic can be more easily stretched out after it has warmed up.
Unfortunately, even the best compression hosiery that is given the best care is still going to wear out sooner or later. Since they are continually getting stretched out, even from regular use, compression socks need to be periodically replaced if you are going to continue receiving the full benefits of them. The reason that this occurs is that the elastic that makes up the compression component of compression hosiery, even when it is treated as gently as possible, still wears out over time. Compression socks can be expected to last about three months or so under regular use. When the time comes that you notice how easy it is to put your compression socks on, it is time to get a new pair.
Whatever kind of medical compression socks you buy, the thing that you are going to want to be sure to keep in mind is that each and every one of them is a little bit different. Your manufacturer's instructions are going to be the best place to start looking when it comes to figuring out how exactly to take care of them. Just remember that, more than likely, you are going to need to be hand washing them.
