I was recently traveling in the UK. I travel light so as to make ridiculously tight deadlines – even stopping for my luggage could best laid plans lay waste. I decided this was a good opportunity to test out the relative stink-index of two kinds of socks – cotton and bamboo. So, I undertook a double blind randomised comparison. In the morning, I put one clean cotton and one clean bamboo sock in a container and shook them about. I closed my eyes and put one on each foot. I kept my eyes shut and put on my boots. In the evening, I closed my eyes, removed my boots and removed my socks, in alternate order. I sniffed each one and gave it a score 0 = “still smells freshly washed”, 10 = “I think I am going to be sick, this is so smelly”. If a sock scored <2, it made it to another day, up to a maximum of 5 days.
Over 14 days of travel, bamboo socks clearly outscored cotton socks (mean difference = 5 +/- 3 points; p<0.01 – which means that there is a less than 1% chance that in this sample, bamboo socks are not actually less smelly than cotton socks). But here is the more amazing stat – I went through 10 cotton socks but only 3 bamboo socks and the bamboo socks were only rating 3 – 4 after FIVE days.
So, although the link from this to BodyInMind is tenuous to say the least, it clearly is of importance to the world. I might expand the study and publish it. BMJ Christmas issue here we come……
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Have you tried merino wool socks??? That would be the real test! There is also merino underwear… but I think that may be pushing it a little… up to you?!!?
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Interesting study Lorimer but I worry about the rigour of the randomisation and blinding process. Mean difference is all very well but what about the NNR (number needed to reek)?
Also I wanna hear more about adverse effects. Bamboo socks? I’m thinking splinter hazard.
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you are a classic Neil.
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hi Lorimer
you just keep surprising me!
I love your real life research. BMJ Christmas Issues, the merinowool sock research might be an idea.
still cuffed to be part of the “revolution”
Annina
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yes i hace crps in feet and legs ,hand . find the bamboo sox good on my feet.wear them with warm ones over them. and yes not much smell
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Neil – the NNR is a no brainer – it’s one. The problem clearly lies in the sensitivity of the testing instrument!!!! Had the instrument been of normal sensitivity then the obvious problem with face validity would not have occurred. I of course refer to the experimental method “If a sock scored <2, it made it to another day, up to a maximum of 5 days". I fail to see how any sock could make it past one day using such criteria, which means this analogue scale is an oxymoron & lacks internal validity.
I'm also concerned because this study has not been past an etiquette committee. If it had, then there would be no aspersions cast regarding the "blinded" tester's capacity to monitor personal hygiene issues!!
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