We all have them.
Mismatched lonely socks that sit in the sock drawer until we throw them out.
And that’s where we go wrong. You don’t need to throw them out, you just need to know what to do with your old socks.
Things You Can Do With Old Socks
- Wear them on weekends. Seriously, if the socks aren’t worn out, why not wear them when no one is going to see them? You can put some nice shoes made of recycled materials over them too.
- Fill them with kitty litter. Not because this is fun but if you pop a sock filled with kitty litter into your car and leave it on the dash, it helps stop your windows from fogging over.
- Pack valuables in them. If you’re moving, then socks are the ideal damage absorber for small delicate valuable items.
- Keep game pieces in them. Before you put your Cluedo set away, just drop all the pieces in a sock and tie it at the top to stop them from going missing.
- Use them as beer cozies. Cut off a section of the sock and wrap a beer in it, cheaper than cozies and looks great!
- Make a hacky sack from one! Fill the bottom with rice or plastic beads and then knot off the top and you have a hacky sack! Easy, right? You can get a full guide here.
- Make leg warmers from them. This is pretty easy. Cut off the toe section and you can pull your socks up your calves and keep your legs warm while watching TV at home.
- Wrap ice packs in them. Ice packs are really good for treating injuries but if you put them directly on your limbs, you’ll get ice burns. Wrap the ice pack in an old sock and it works just as well but without the burns.
- Dust the house with them. A rag is a rag is a rag. Old socks are better than any old rag though as you can put your hand inside them to wipe down blinds, tables etc.
- Use them as paint shields. Yes, normally socks go inside your shoes but when you’re painting the house, you can slip the old forlorn ones over your shoes and stop paint splashes hitting them and ruining them.
- Make a dog sweater from them. Not every sock is going to fit a dog, you need a big sock and a small dog but with a little cutting and a little threadwork, you can turn a sock into a super sweater for a furry friend.
- Turn it into a stress ball. This is really easy, fill a sandwich bag with play dough. Then stuff it into a sock and then tie the sock off. You can then squeeze it to your heart’s content and get out all that stress.
- Wipe down your white boards with it. You don’t need a special cloth or eraser for a dry-wipe board, just use an old sock!
- Turn it into an armband. With the use of a needle and thread, you can make your sock into an armband to hold a mobile device.
If all else fails and you don’t want to use your old socks for any of the things above, you can also consult our cloth recycling guide for some ideas on what to do with the material!