As millions of children head back to school, parents around the world are bracing for the inevitable uniform problems, from growth spurts to torn shoes and worn-out tights.
According to a recent M&S survey, a staggering 41 per cent of parents buy new pieces of school uniform not once, but twice a year.
Shoes, skirts or pants, and shirts are the items most frequently replaced, with 57 percent of parents citing wear and tear as the main culprit.
For girls in particular, a constant frustration is dealing with tights that snag, tear or fray, often leading to dozens of pairs being thrown away each year.
However, one Florida mother may have found the perfect solution to this age-old problem.
A Florida mom may have found the perfect solution to the age-old problem of socks getting snagged during the school year: freezing them.
Last month, Tsagana, a mother and content creator from the US, posted a video on her Instagram account, @tsagana_24, revealing a simple trick to keep your tights in perfect condition throughout the school year.
The method, which she learned in her daughter’s dance class, has already earned her praise from hundreds of parents online.
Tsagana wrote: ‘Moms of girls, this is especially important before school, and this way you will save a lot of money.’
In the video, he demonstrates how soaking stockings in cold water and then freezing them overnight can strengthen the material and make them “three times” more durable.
Their step-by-step process involves soaking the tights in a bowl of cold water, placing them back in their packaging, and then freezing them for 24 hours.
The next day, rinse the socks to defrost them and then air dry them.
In his video, Tsagana stretches the material to show how much stronger it becomes, saying: “It’s fantastic! It becomes three times stronger!”
The mother’s trick resonated with parents, prompting many to express their gratitude in the comments.
The mother’s step-by-step process involves soaking the socks in a bowl of cold water, placing them back in their wrapping and freezing them for 24 hours.
The mom’s hack has resonated with parents, with many expressing their gratitude in the comments.
One person said: “Girl, you just saved me a ton of money.”
A second wrote: “This information would have come in handy in high school! You know how many times I got in trouble for having ripped tights! And how many I had to buy!”
One mom added: “This would have saved my mom thousands of dollars! I’m going to do this with my 7 year old’s tights.”
Another said: “My grandmother and mother did this for years. It was an honour to be chosen to go get socks from the freezer for my grandmother.”
A second confirmed: “Someone made this for a dance class in the 80s! Saved my expensive tights!”
However, some people were not convinced by this old trick. One person wrote: “It doesn’t work! This myth has been around for centuries.”
“I hate wearing tights, but I wore them for years. I tried them out of desperation after poking holes in them so many times, even on the first wear. It didn’t work.”