Cheating? Found a clean sock that is not mine.

Picture this: a cozy apartment, the hum of a washer in the background, and a guy folding laundry—until he pulls out a single white sock that doesn’t belong to him. For a 30-something man living with his girlfriend of six years, this was no laundry mishap; it was a red flag. Add to that a whiff of cigarette smoke in her car—when neither smokes—and his trust started to wobble like a loose dryer drum.

He’s not the jealous type, but these odd clues sent his mind racing. Her nervous reaction to the smoke and vague explanation about the sock didn’t help. Is he paranoid, or is something off? Let’s dive into this tale of socks, smells, and suspicion to see if love can survive the spin cycle.

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‘Cheating? Found a clean sock that is not mine.’

I believe my girlfriend is cheating or has cheated, am I crazy? I've been together with her for about 6 years and live together. I'm not the jealous type, the type of guy who questions friends, or snoops throuh phones. There are no clear cut signs of infidelity except for two recent events that were odd.

The first event, we enter her car and I get a hint a cigarette smoke, nothing crazy but odd considering neither of us smoke. I say out loud 'it smells like cigarettes in here' she then starts acting very weird and changes the subject while still acting off. Brushed it off, never smelled like cigarettes again.

The second and more alarming sign was going through my clean clothes and finding a single men's white sock, alarming because I only wear black and our laundry is done at home, not at a laundromat. I question it this time a bit more sternly but without accusations, 'it's not mine, it's not yours, who's is it?'

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The response was I don't know possibly when you used to do laundry at the laundromat (meaning I took it without knowing). While this response seems totally feasible I have to remind everyone that we have our own washer and dryer, i haven't used a laundromat in 3 years and when I did it was before I lived where I do now,

lastly in the past 2-3 years I'm certain I would have noticed a single white sock in my sock drawer. So I'm asking everyone for help, is she cheating? Other than being up front, what should I do to have more concrete evidence towards my suspicion? Thanks.

A stray sock and a smoky car might sound like a quirky sitcom, but for this couple, it’s a trust test. The boyfriend’s suspicion stems from two jarring clues clashing with his non-jealous nature. Her cagey responses—dodging the cigarette smell and blaming the sock on old laundry habits—fuel his doubt, turning minor oddities into potential dealbreakers.

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This reflects a universal relationship challenge: trust under uncertainty. A 2021 Pew Research study found 41% of adults have experienced trust issues in relationships due to perceived dishonesty. Here, the girlfriend’s evasive behavior amplifies the boyfriend’s fears, even if there’s no concrete proof of infidelity.

Relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, notes, “Trust is built through consistent honesty, even in small moments”. The girlfriend’s deflections, intentional or not, erode that foundation. A calm, open conversation could clarify things—perhaps she’s hiding a secret smoking habit or a friend’s sock got mixed in.

He should express his feelings without accusing, focusing on how her reactions make him feel. If she’s open, trust can rebuild; if not, deeper issues may surface.

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Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

Reddit jumped into this laundry basket of drama with gusto—here’s the scoop:

megacondenser − maybe someone just had to poop

InoffensivePaint − I mean the two things together and her acting suspicious, sure. But honestly socks and washing machines are a well-known voodoo time-space portal interaction. I’ve 300% found socks in my washing that weren’t mine and have had no way of getting there. I mean *no way*.. EDIT: Oh my goodness, first silver. Thank you!

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momofeveryone5 − Do you have any friends that ever come over or family that spends the night? Any of her girlfriends ever change at your house or your friends? As for the smoking, does she have any friends that you don't really like? Could she have hung out with them

and just didn't want to hear a lecture about how crappy that person is? The other flip side is she's cheating. If you want to go that way and investigate, you can. But be prepared to feel like an ass if you don't find anything. Or worse, have her question you bc she thinks your projecting.

Junkmans1 − Maybe it's just my lack of experiance in sleeping around (I've never cheated and have been married many years), but: If I were to go to someone's house to have s** I'd probably be sure to put both socks back on before leaving.

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[Reddit User] − As someone who has been accused of cheating, I would like to point out other possibilities. A lot of people hide the fact that they smoke. Maybe, as unlikely as it may seem to you, she just smokes? It would explain her awkward behavior about it. I've witnessed that kind of thing quite a bit with friends and acquaintances and their partners.

Another thing is that I've accidentally taken other people's socks/pants/shirts after drunk nights and didn't realize they were my brother's/friend's/bf's until months later when I see them again.. There is still the possibility that those two things that look very bad aren't exactly what you think they are. I sincerely hope you aren't getting cheated on. That s**t is brutal

apeachypoet − I think that the only thing for you to do is to talk to her. In all honesty, I'm 99% sure that there's a reasonable explanation for the cigarette smell and the sock. But if you aren't sure, and you feel that you are losing trust in her - just talk to her. Setting up surveillance, trying to catch her in the act etc.

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will just f**k up your relationship if she is innocent, and is wayyyyy too radical for this. Just be calm, and polite, and sit her down and tell her that you really just want an answer. Explain that she's been acting off, and you've noticed and you are worried.

Emphasise the 'I', 'me', 'my feelings' etc. rather than being accusatory and saying 'you did this, you are being this'. Don't accuse her of cheating. Just give her the option to come clean about whatever has (or hasn't) been going on.. Or, let it go and don't think of it again.. Edit: wow guys, thanks for the silver!

misstatbieo − My theory is she probably enjoys a cigarette occasionally and doesn't want you to know. I was with someone for 5 years and we were both secretly smoking here and there and neither of us found out about each other until our 4th year together lol. The sock isn't that weird. I agree with everyone else about washers and dryers being part of a time-space portal lmao

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Plumrose333 − My car has recently started to have a cigarette smell. I don’t smoke and neither does my partner. I have no idea what could be causing it. So it could just be a case of a mysterious cigarette smells

liz_said − Did you buy the washer and dryer new? Because if previous people have used it, it could have been trapped in the washer/dryer timespace warp.

ItsNeverMyDay − Seeing as you posted this on this sub, you’re looking for more confirmation of your suspicions than rationally thinking it through. But in my opinion, both can most likely be easily explained.

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Perhaps she is smoking behind your back, or her friend is. Perhaps the sock is from a gym. It could be a number of things. You’ve been together for 6 years, that is a long time. Either you trust your partner or you don’t. If you do, then you’ll just talk to them and figure it out.

From washer time-warps to secret smokers, the theories are wild and witty. But do these hot takes unravel the truth, or just add more lint to the mystery?

A rogue sock and a smoky car turned this couple’s routine into a trust tumble. The boyfriend’s not crazy for wondering, but jumping to cheating might be a stretch without more clues. Communication is the key to sorting this laundry—will they fold together or fall apart? Have you ever stumbled on something that made you question your partner? Drop your story below and let’s keep the convo spinning.

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