Declutter Method

Decluttering Orphan Socks

Some people declutter lonely socks easily: they aren’t paired, so they are no longer “really socks.” I can’t do that. I keep wearing them, mismatched. Once they start to get holes, then, I’ll use them as rags.

Consequently, I have too many socks. Here’s a hack to be able to “toss” more of them.

Black dots indicate that a sock is an orphan and worn out, so they can be decluttered.

Whether the sock is clean or dirty, I mark the toe with a black dot. That means, next time it’s washed, it won’t be reused. They go into a rag bag.

I take these socks and use them as rags. There’s more tips below.

A tip to avoid orphan socks: buy them in bulk, so they’re all the same. All white for the athletic socks, and all black for the work socks. I try to buy between a dozen and eighteen pairs at a time. I don’t start using them all at once. They get phased in as orphans and damaged socks get removed.