This One's For The Girls

5.31.2006

Works for Me Wednesday: Sock It to Me!

This is another idea for the eternal laundry quandry that so many of us face. Laundry takes up such a large percentage of "chore time" in this house of 7 people, so one day I decided that enough was enough: "Folding socks is a major waste of time." This was an epiphany! Instead of folding socks, I decided I would stack them. Of course, the only way that this little stacking idea of mine would work would be if everybody had only ONE kind (or at the most, for the girls, TWO kinds) of socks. Here's how it works:

Spencer gets the ankle socks with the grey heel and toe.

I get the ankle socks with the baby letters (HANES) across the toe.

Abbey gets the ankle socks with no letters and no colored heel or toe.

Truett gets the ankle socks (can you tell we like ankle socks around here?) with the dark navy letters (HANES) across the toe. He has two pair of dress socks--one navy and one black.

Titus gets the crew sock with the solid grey sole. (He's a little rough on socks.) He also has two pair of dress socks--one navy and one black.

Anna gets the crew sock with the purple letters (HANES) across the toe. She also gets a stack of "nice" cable knit socks to wear with church shoes.

Jane gets the baby crew sock with the pink letters across the toe. She also has the lacey anklets.

When I do laundry, I throw all of the socks into the "Clean Sock Basket." When it's time to "fold socks," I just go to the sock basket, dump it out on the table and start stacking. Everyone takes their stack to their sock drawer and sock sorting/folding is complete. Stacking vs. folding also elimates the "stray sock" problem. I haven't talked about the sock eating monster in years! Exceptions to this little stacking fiesta is that my husband does have quite a collection of dress socks and those do get folded. I also have a few cutsie dress socks but I hardly wear them--so it's not much of an issue. And this, my friends, is what works for me. Check out the Queen of WFMW here.

Michelle
4:19:00 AM
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10 comments

10 Comments:

At Wed May 31, 04:54:00 AM, Jenn @ Frugal Upstate said...: When I was a kid my mom picked a different color thread for each of us, then sewed a little bit onto the toe of each sock so she could tell them apart.
At Wed May 31, 05:32:00 AM, Nettie said...: I don't fold socks anymore, either. Well, except mine and the baby's. I stack my husbands by color. He doesn't like them folded because they stretch out too soon. My girl's have similar enough feet, all their socks (which are mostly the same kind, bought in bulk) all go in one basket where they can pick their own matches.
At Wed May 31, 06:41:00 AM, Anonymous said...: I like this idea! With seven people in the house, folding socks becomes a major chore, and we are constantly trying to find the mate of the pink sock or the blue sock. Good tip!
At Wed May 31, 07:45:00 AM, Amy said...: You go girl! Way to solve that horrible sock issue. This has to be my least favorite chore. Too dang bad I am so frugal because I would throw away the socks we have and start from square one ;) LOL!
At Wed May 31, 08:12:00 AM, the lizness said...: I do that for just the two of us! lol
At Wed May 31, 09:29:00 AM, Jennifer said...: Great idea! I'm definitely using this one as we have more children (Lord willing).
At Wed May 31, 12:08:00 PM, Carol said...: Great idea! I'd add that the kids get to sort and fold/stack the socks themselves now. Whew! That makes the laundry quandry much easier for me.
At Wed May 31, 01:22:00 PM, Anonymous said...: SOcks are a huge thread this week (No pun intended jenn.. lol)
My sister (www.lollychester.blogspot.com) used nail polish on her kiddos' socks, and
I read two other WFMW that are talking about sox today!
I have a sock basket as well...
THANK HEAVENS FOR SUMMER AND LESS USE OF SOCKS!!!
:)
At Wed May 31, 03:53:00 PM, Maria said...: I have a clean sock basket, but have never thought of stacking them
At Wed May 31, 04:23:00 PM, Shhhhhhhh! said...: I don't like doing socks at my house. This would work wonderfully at my house. But with summer here I won't have to worry about it till school starts again since I can't get my kids to wear socks if they don't have to.