I’m always looking for decluttering tips for my sock drawer. I know, decluttering socks sounds like a no-brainer, but I hate throwing things out, so I often put off addressing the socks until winter when I might need them. Hello, it is now November, and I’m back again. Luckily, this time, I have some great decluttering tips in mind and a fantastic new donation spot.
1 Assess What You Have
Take all of your socks out of the drawer at once. Place them all on the bed, desk, couch, or whatever space you have that will allow you to see what you have. Now start pairing them. Immediately toss out tights with big runs. Keep the ones with holes in reinforced toes because you can repair them with minimal effort — but ONLY if you are really going to fix them, and not if you are going to stuff them back in the drawer and forget about them. I may have done that move a time or two (or a dozen).
2 Declutter the Singles
Put all the singles socks together in one pile. Put the paired socks together in another. If you have socks still in the packaging, those bulk buys can go into a pile of their own. Now, the single socks – is there any chance of you finding the mate? Were they thrown out in a previous cull because they had holes in them? If you have no hope of finding the mate, decide to either relegate the singles to the rag bin (they are great for dusting blinds!), save them for the fabric recycling center (if they aren’t stained), or toss them.
3 Fix the Holes
If you are handy, pull out the sewing kit and fix any socks that have holes. I’m bad at doing this when the spot is underneath a pressure point because my repairs aren’t particularly skillful, and they leave an uncomfortable sewing ridge. However, there are some nice fabric patches out there that can save your favorite socks.
You can also check out this YouTube video that can teach you how to darn worn socks.
Note: I love this video, and I’ll be doing this running stitch soon. Very excited!
4 Donate Clean Used or New Pairs
I needed new walking socks and winter gear during the first year of the pandemic. I loved certain brands’ softness and no-slip quality, but I had difficulty justifying having a single pair of socks delivered, so I bought one of those 10-packs for each type. Now, eventually, I will probably use them, but they take up a ton of room, and I’ve only used a small percentage. Andy had some tube socks that were never worn, but the packaging was open.
Now, normally, you cannot donate socks that are used or not in the original packaging. Luckily, here in Los Angeles, LA City Sanitation is hosting a donation drive for new and gently used socks of any size (they are also accepting blankets) to assist the unsheltered. They have donation spots all around the city and accept items until 12/30/2022. If you are interested, click here for more details.
I love that there is now a place to donate socks. I hate the idea of perfectly good socks going to waste because they don’t fit or aren’t my style. Now, they don’t have to, and someone else can actually get use out of them. Love it!
Does your city have a sanitation department running a similar donation program? It’s well worth researching! Now, start decluttering!
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