Hi Reader,

After last week’s adventure in the underwear drawer, I figured we might as well keep going with the small stuff. This week: socks. And if your house is anything like mine, you probably have at least a few socks that have been living a very uncertain life. You know the ones. In our house they've lovingly earned the name, lone bros. One sock with no matching partner, sitting around waiting for the other one to magically reappear.

So this week’s challenge is simple: Find 5 socks to let go of.

Here are some ideas to look for:

The lone sock. If you’ve been waiting months for its partner to turn up, I’m giving you permission to stop waiting.
​The sock with holes. If your toes or heels are making an appearance, it’s probably time to say goodbye.
​The stretched-out sock. If it slides down all day or has completely lost its shape, it has served its purpose.
​The sock that doesn’t fit anymore. Too small, too tight, too uncomfortable? Out it goes.
​The pair you never choose. Maybe there’s technically nothing wrong with it, but every day it's overlooked and somehow gets left at the bottom of the drawer. That’s telling you something.

And while you’re at it, here’s one little system that can make the whole lone-sock situation much easier: Dedicate a specific home for the lonely socks.

We have a spot in our laundry room where all the lone bros go. That way, when a sock comes out of the dryer without its partner, it doesn’t get sent back to someone’s bedroom where it will disappear forever. It goes in the lone bro spot.

Every so often, we check to see if any partners have turned up. And when that spot starts getting full, that’s our cue to let some of them go. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a simple basket, bin, or designated spot on a shelf works just fine. The important part is that you have a place for them to go and it limits the amount to hold on to.

Because sometimes simplifying your home isn’t about making a huge decluttering decision. It’s just creating a simple system that keeps the same little problem from happening over and over again.

So go find your five socks.

And may all your lone bros finally find peace.

Happy decluttering!

Nicole

P.S. Need a home for your lone bros? If you don't already have a little basket or bin in your laundry room for unmatched socks, I've rounded up a couple simple options here. Nothing fancy, you just need a designated spot so they don't disappear back into the depths of a closet somewhere.

​Wall hanging sign​

​Small basket​

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