Laundry is one of my least favorite chores. Once I’ve managed to get everything washed and dried, and I’m in a folding marathon, I always end up with fitted sheets that never quite look right. No matter how many times I look up guides for folding fitted sheets, they inevitably end up in a wrinkled ball in the back of my linen closet.
If you’ve also given up on folding fitted sheets the “right” way, you’re not alone. They’re notoriously tricky, and most of us just shove them into a corner and call it a day. But with the right visual guide and a few simple moves, you can finally fold a fitted sheet like a pro and bring real order to your linen closet.
The reason why fitted sheets are so dang hard to fold is that they have stretchy, rounded edges. It’s obvious how to fold a square object, but folding a rounded one? That’s a little tougher.
Many people think folding a fitted sheet is an impossible task that takes a team (or at least several hands) or some kind of crazy gymnastics to accomplish. But if you’re hoping to get ahead on your cleaning, you’re in luck: We’ll show you a foolproof, less complicated way to fold a fitted sheet.
For more tips, learn how to best wash your sheets and bedding, and learn about these laundry symbols or you might ruin your clothes.
How best to fold a fitted sheet
First, lay the sheet out on a flat surface like your bed or the floor. Then, grab one edge and tuck it into the edge directly across from it.
So, if you grab the right edge, tuck it into the left edge. It doesn’t matter if you’re tucking horizontally or vertically — just don’t tuck diagonally. Also, as you tuck, make sure the corner seams line up.
Tuck it in, smooth it out.
If you do this part right, the elastic will be folded down and the new edge of the sheet will be smooth, right angles. Do the same thing to the bottom corners.
When you’re done, your edges should look something like this.
Final steps
The hardest part is now over, and you just need to smooth out the edges and corners. If the sheet won’t lie perfectly flat, don’t panic. The bumps will be hidden by the time you finish folding it.
Now, you should have a rectangle-ish shape to work with. Fold the sheet in half so that the elastic edges are hidden, smooth out the corners and fold the sheet in half again. Keep folding it in half until you have a nice, neat bundle.
This will probably take some practice — it definitely took me a few times to perfect. Give it a few tries and you’ll have folded linens that you can easily store without all the hassle.
A tidy fitted sheet can be achieved.
Bonus: A quick shortcut
There is another, albeit lazier, way. You can just fold your sheets however you want, then stuff them into a matching pillow case. Your linen closet will still look tidy and no one will ever know.