Other Uses for Old Socks and T-Shirts

If many of us were to raid our closets I'm sure we'd find a lot of shirts, especially boring plain white t-shirts with various amounts of different stains in the underarms. Even if your t-shirts are in good condition with no awkward stains, perhaps they are just old and unworthy of being worn on your body, or whatever reason you have for not wearing plain white t-shirts. Anyway, these, along with old socks can prove to have many other uses around the house than just throwing away, getting lost in the laundry, laying in multiple rooms of the house, etc.


SHIRTS

I'm sure you're thinking "My, what large text for a seemingly mundane and common household item" and I'd agree with you. However, it is now that shirts become more than ordinary and more than simply just something to add to closet clutter. That's why this is important. For you. For the world. For the universe. Let's go.

• If you're like any normal homeowner, you have dust that settles on your television, and your counter, and your video games, and your tables, etc. Use an old t-shirt for dusting purposes rather than spending money on a cloth specifically designed to dust. I can attest, it works perfectly fine.
   
• In addition to just dusting you can use the t-shirt as an applicator rag for a homemade or store-bought (less recommended) cleaning solution. You can also use it to apply polish sprays that will shine your wood tables such as Pledge. Just make sure you store the t-shirt under the sink or where your cleaning supplies are. You would hate for it to make it's way back in to your closet somehow. 

• If you are willing to give up your ownership to old t-shirts you can format the shirts to fit over the body
  of your dog or cat to keep them warm in the winter. As long as you don't wear matching sweaters there shouldn't be a problem here.

• Similarly, you can use an old shirt as a toy for your puppy or dog. They love playing tug-o-war with old shirts! 

• In a true frugal manner, you can use old shirts to make into a reusable shopping bag. It doesn't waste paper or plastic bags and you can... re use it! 

• I'm sure you've cooked at home before. Use an old t-shirt to pick up hot pots and pans when cooking. Make to make layers of the pot holder. It will serve only to burn you if you don't.

• Conversion is a fun aspect of owning things. Take one thing and turn it into something else. Why not cut the old shirt up and make a perfectly good headband? Save $10 and make your own! You won't have to feel guilty if you sweat too much into it!

•  Use the fabric to make a pillow out of!

• Fashion them into seat covers!

• Wash your floors and windows with it. You'll get much less streaks than paper towels. It's reusable at that point too!

• If you can get creative you can make quilts, rugs, and other clothing items out of old shirt fabric!

• Use a shirt to erase a dry-erase board if you have nothing better.

• If you're still feeling creative, you can turn an old t-shirt into a scarf for the cold months (if you have cold months). 

• If you don't have sponges, you can use an old t-shirt to wash your car with.

SOCKS

• All of us get injured at one point in our lifetime. Whether we tried to scooter on a patch of ice or jump off a deck into a tree, we all get bumps and bruises. Fortunately, you can take an old sock and fill it with ice and use it as an ice pack. Just fill the sock up with ice and apply it to your battle wound. 

• Similarly we may need just the opposite of a cold ice pack. Fortunately, our fellow laundry escapists, socks, can cover that too. Fill the sock with rice and make sure the end is closed. Put the sock in the microwave for a few minutes depending on your microwave and how warm you want it. Take the sock out and apply to the desired area! The rice will retain the heat for a good amount of time. 

• Use an old sock as a carrier for change. A great frugal tip is to save as much change as you possibly can. A cheap and easy way to store it is in a sock. 

• If you have more exciting socks you don't necessarily want to wear anymore you can cut the socks up and use them as a sort of glove for your drink glasses. It will also prevent condensation from dripping down the glass onto the table. Oppositely, you can use it to dampen the heat of a hot drink of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate too. 

• Socks too can be used as chew toys for your pets. Dogs will love to play tug-o-war and cats will love to chase and bat at the socks. 

• Much like an old t-shirt, you can use an old sock for dusting and cleaning. Just put your hand in the sock as you would a foot and dust. However, if you're feeling lucky or silly that day, why not dust with your feet? I'm sure someone would get a kick out of it. 

• Use socks on your hands as garden mittens, cutting grass, working with tools, etc. It's a good way to reduce the chance of blisters. 

• Cut socks into patterns and use them as drink coasters. 

• Socks are great as a storage device. Store screws, nails, pens, pencils, erasers, paperclips, markers,  any other thing inside of a sock. You could even try storing valuable things in your socks, because really...who is going to look inside of a sock? Just don't end up forgetting it's there!