I saw a very cute cartoon the other day.  It said something to the effect of singleton socks are hanging out somewhere with the storage container lids and laughing at us.  There was a second cartoon where Teacher Sock is telling the other socks to use the buddy system as they enter the dryer in the way children do on a field trip.

It is an interesting phenomenon.  Why are there so many socks without mates?  Why do the storage container lids not have a bottom to go with them? I really don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine.

Since this does seem to be a fact of life, the question is whether to accept it or find a solution.  I choose to find a solution.

The Klutter Koach’s Pearls of Wisdom dealing with Singleton Socks and Mateless Lids are as follows:

• For socks:  keep a basket close to where you usually fold your clothes.  Every time there is a sock without a mate, toss it in.  If luck is on your side, the mate will be in a future load and you can pair them up.  If the mate is MIA after a month, toss the sock.  Or use it for a dusting mitt.  Or perhaps a pre-school wants it for puppet making, but if it’s easier to chuck. it, chuck it.
• .For lids:  a good decluttering session may be in order to deal with an overabundance of storage containers, but in the meantime, start with a good matchmaking session.  Pair each lid with a bottom.  If there are tops with no bottoms or bottoms with no matching tops, into the trash they go.  They are worthless.  The only reason to keep a bottom is if you want to re-purpose it as a drawer or cabinet organizer, but unless you have a specific purpose in mind as you do this task, then get rid of it.
• Do not feel guilty.  The world will not come to an end if you throw out a lid or a sock.  You are not parting with family heirlooms, so there shouldn’t be any emotional attachment to these items holding you back from completing this task.
• Enjoy the feeling of peace as you take a paired duo of socks from your drawer and a storage container with lid out of your cabinet.

These are two very low-stress tasks needing little time commitment you can do in your decluttering process.  Good luck and happy matchmaking.

–Karen

The Klutter Koach