Save Your Socks!

As I was folding a load of laundry yesterday while watching the Patriots beat the Colts, I found myself one sock short of a pair. Now that might be a problem for some folks, but not me, because I’ve found some terrific ways to put my solo socks to use. Here’s a few of the best:

Debugging the garden. Save your unmatched and worn-out socks this winter. Then come bug season, sprinkle some Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) powder in one, and shake it over your plants in the morning.

Buffing wood floors. Slip a couple of old socks over each foot, “skate” up and down the floorboards (like Tom Cruise in “Risky Business”), and they’ll shine like new!

Washing up. Stick little soap slivers in a clean, old sock. Tie it shut, and hang this “soap bag” by an outdoor faucet next spring for a great place to wash up after gardening.

Protecting knees. Cut the toes off of old tube socks and use the leftover tubes as knee protectors when gardening, washing floors, etc.

Keeping hands safe. Cut thumb holes in two socks, and pull one over each hand when handling prickly plants like roses or cactus.