How to Sort Your Sock Drawer

Argyles mixing with stockings? Bobby socks colluding with trouser
socks? It's just not right. Take control of the situation and sort things
out with a simple system. You'll save time each morning by skipping
the missing-sock tango.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Pull all socks out of the drawer and onto a bed or table. Match up pairs of loose socks. Set aside those that need mending. Remove socks that are beyond repair, along with single socks, and reuse these for another purpose (see Tips) or toss.

2. Insert a drawer organizer. Use narrow shoe boxes or commercial sock boxes. Make use of as much space as possible, placing the boxes lengthwise in the drawer.

3. Designate a small area as a holding place for lone socks. Toss them after a month.

4. Return the pairs to the drawer, grouping them in the boxes by color and type (pantyhose, sport, dress). Use a trifold method for storing the socks versus the cuff-over strategy. It's quicker and minimizes stretching of the cuff elastic.

5. Match up pairs as you sort each batch of clean laundry and place them in the appropriate box.

Tips & Warnings

• Give a second life to your worn cotton socks by using them as polishing cloths for shoes, silver, mirrors and more. They slip nicely over a hand and allow fingers to work into small areas.
• To avoid choosing the wrong color from your dark socks, label the end of each sock organizer with a color. Use labeled zipper-lock plastic bags to separate dark-colored pantyhose.

[colleen28]

on 1/22/2009 My co-worker wanted to organize his sock drawer but he had no idea where to start so I showed him this article. He said he found it very helpful and immediately devised a plan of attack. He made a list of steps and finished the job all in one evening. He bought the commercial sock boxes and labeled them. He also switched from the cuff-over strategy to the trifold method. He said he likes the trifold method much better and has already recommended it to two people. He said it's much easier now to find the socks he needs because his sock drawer is nicely organized.

[zekethecork]

on 8/25/2007 I don't know about you but as a teenager I had a bad foot order problem. I had a doctor tell me this was cuased by the dye they use in socks, not from keeping your feet clean. Also shoes made from imitation plactic leather. Since I now only buy white socks never have any problem finding socks that match. Simple problem, simple solution. One drawer full of matching socks, may be an odd number but they all match.