The dirty truth about what's in your socks: bacteria, fungi and whatever lives between your toes
In fact, your feet may be home to a miniature rainforest of bacteria and fungi, with anywhere from 100 to 10 million microbial cells per square centimetre of skin surface. Not only do feet host a huge variety of microorganisms – up to 1,000 different species per person – but they also have a wider range of fungal species than any other part of the body. That means your feet aren't just sweaty or smelly – they're genuinely biodiverse.
Because your feet are microbe-rich, your socks become prime real estate for these same bacteria and fungi. Studies show that socks harbour both harmless skin residents, like coagulase-negative staphylococci, and potentially dangerous pathogens, including Aspergillus, Staphylococcus, Candida, Histoplasma and Cryptococcus. These microbes thrive in the warm, moist spaces between your toes, feeding on sweat and dead skin cells.
Their byproducts, such as volatile fatty acids and sulphur compounds, are what give sweaty feet, socks and shoes that notorious odour. It's not the sweat itself that smells, but the microbial metabolism of that sweat. Perhaps unsurprisingly, smelly feet are so common the NHS has dedicated pages of advice on the issue.
The sock microbiome isn't just influenced by your feet – it also reflects your environment. Socks pick up microbes from every surface you walk on, including household floors, gym mats, locker rooms and even your garden. They act as microbial sponges, collecting bacteria and fungi from soil, water, pet hair and dander, and the general dust of everyday life. In one study, socks worn for just 12 hours had the highest bacterial and fungal counts of any clothing item tested.
And those microbes don't stay put. Anything living in your socks can transfer to your shoes, your floors, your bedding – and even your skin. In a hospital study, slipper socks worn by patients were found to carry floor microbes, including antibiotic-resistant pathogens, into hospital beds. It's a reminder that foot hygiene isn't just a personal issue – it can have broader implications for infection control and public health.
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India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
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2 days ago
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Mint
4 days ago
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Britain's AI-care revolution isn't flashy—but it is the future
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Though fine for the most mundane tasks, they are no replacement for Ms Westwood's kind and competent team. At Cavendish Park, residents treat their chatbots as companions (one 99-year-old says she spends all her time playing 'Quick-fire Quiz"). Meryem Tom, who leads the Alexa division at Amazon, insists that the Alexas are 'complementary" to humans. One risk is that care workers could become tethered to digital metrics, a grim prospect for such a human job. Consent is another concern. Many of the clients whom AI might best help have dementia, raising doubts about whether they can meaningfully opt in. Some homes already feel like prisons: the dementia wing at Cavendish Park, Chatsworth House, is locked with keypads. AI could worsen that controlling urge. With enough surveillance, warns Andrew Sixsmith, a gerontology professor at Simon Fraser University, they risk resembling Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon, a theoretical prison where a single guard can watch every cell. 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