The KInd Life Community Forum

My daughter's teacher this year asked for each child to bring in and old pair of socks to use to clean the whiteboards. We also make sock puppets at home but obviously this is only an option if you have young children.

When it comes to old undies....well at my house we use them until they are basically unusable for anything else, and I don't feel bad for throwing them away at that point!! But if I had to do something with them, I would collect up a bunch and make a dog bed for my pups and stuff it with the old undies and any other old rags or stuffing I could find...That is my best idea!! :)

Although, the way my dogs chew through things this could make for an awkward situation later...I can see my dog coming out with a pair of old undies in her mouth some night when we have friends over!!

Carol, that is brilliant! Our beagle LOVES to lie down on our laundry. I think she likes the smells of us all in one pile and the softness, of course. It makes her feel good. I am SO going to do that. I'm going to make her a pillow and stuff it with old socks and undies. She will absolutely love that.

Seriously...that's brilliant. Thank you!

Hi I have a couple of ideas for those of you that have plants and/or gardens - but first run the undies/socks through the washer without any soap and dry them all on your dryers highest setting. Strips of underthings with a little give (stretch) * They're gentle enough on stems to tie them to stakes as they grow up (tomatoes, cukes, beans, sweet peas, etc) * Socks - lay zucchini and other squash on old socks as they grow and sprinkle a little salt around the sock/dirt base to keep snails away. * cut socks down the sides so that they're STILL attached at the toe and then stake them (I use wee bamboo sticks) to hover above & protect seedlings that I've set out and then suddenly need to shield them from a sudden & harsh direct sun or to shield them from the cold. * If you have problems with neighborhood cats digging in your garden you can steep socks in a in black pepper tea and put where they've been leaving deposits, the nose tickle will make them find another place to go. (actual black pepper can easily be inhaled and they'll be bothered for a long while so you can just make the tea which will have the same effect but without lingering irritation because it won't be as potent.) * place pieces of socks at the base of seedlings (not touching them) so that you can water them without eroding their dirt-base, it keeps the moisture in longer too. * socks can act as "mulch" around plants as they grow, you move them further and further away from the base of the plant as the plant grows, you won't be wetting the socks anymore, and weeds won't grow under the socks.
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I love these ideas Nina...I am really going to have to get my garden in order this year so that I can use them!