It’s time to bring out all those lonely orphan socks that you’ve been accumulating for long and put them to work. Here are the best ways to do so.
1. Use it to hold your jewelry when you travel. The sock will provide cushioning and it will also (hopefully) deter thieves.
2. Use spare socks when you need to pack breakables like glasses or vases, or use them as padding in boxes.
3. They’re also great for storing breakable Christmas ornaments.
4. Another holiday tip: Cut off the cuff part of the sock and put it on wrapping paper rolls so the paper won’t slide off.
5. You can use the cuff part to wrangle and contain loose electrical cords.
6. The next time you garden, put sock cuffs over your knees to protect your clothes and provide a bit of padding.
7. Cut a sock into strips to tie your growing plants to stakes.
8. When painting, slide larger socks over your sneakers and shoes to shield them from splatter.
9. Place a sock in your bed frame to stop squeaks.
10. When moving furniture at home, put socks on the feet of your chair or table legs to prevent scratching the floors.
11. Take multiple socks, fill them with a mix of popcorn kernels and quilt/pillow batting, and connect them! Voila: You’ve got a nifty draft stopper to put under the door.
12. Use stray socks to cover your golf clubs.
13. Keep any stray golf, ping pong, and other small balls together in a sock.
14. Put your wet umbrella in an orphan sock to keep the inside of your car dry.
15. Fill socks with silica kitty litter (which is extremely absorbent), and keep them on rear and/or front window ledge to stop windshields from fogging up.
16. On a hot, sunny day, place a sock over the metal parts of seat belts so they don’t burn people’s skin.
17. In the winter, put them over windshield wipers after you park your car to prevent wipers from freezing and sticking to the glass.
18. Place a tennis ball inside a sock, knot it, and use this to roll out knots in your back or legs. (Looking for other neat uses for tennis balls? Try these.)
19. Combat aches and cramps with a DIY heating pad. Just fill a clean, dry sock (use one that’s all or mostly cotton or wool, with no embellishments) with white or brown rice (not the instant or quick-cooking kind), dried beans, flaxseed, or barley. Either knot the sock or sew it shut with cotton thread, and microwave it for one minute. If it’s not hot enough, up the time in 15-second increments. (Here are other genius ways to use your microwave.)
20. For pains and itches that require a cold touch, fill a plastic bag with ice and place it inside of a sock to make a softer ice pack.
