As I'm sure many of you are, too, I'm guilty of screwing up my freshly washed bed linen simply because I've never learned how to fold a fitted sheet. It's one of the most common core problems that we find people frustrated over, and for a good reason. Fitted sheets don't lend themselves to being folded neatly, so it's easy to favor scrunching it up into a ball before putting it away instead. After all, it just ends up being slept on, right?
Well, that's partially true, but having a more organized laundry cupboard is one of the easiest ways to make your home feel more streamlined and to find your linen quicker when it comes to changing over your bedding. You will have likely already selected one of the best washing machines and best irons to make sure your laundry is fresh and crisp, so it's important to continue that ethos right the way through to folding and storing your sheets, too.
I couldn't face this task alone, so I asked some experts in the organization to help me get it right. If I can do it, so can you. Join me on this journey to finally mastering how to fold fitted sheets.
How to fold a fitted sheet
I spoke to Mimi Bogelund, Organization Expert at The Organised Home and Life and The Spark Joy Collective, who offered up some top tips on how to fold fitted sheets. I change my bedding once a week after recently learning just how often you should wash your bedsheets, so luckily, I could give Mimi's advice a go quickly.
It was much easier than I expected, so I'm pleased to report that I will be following her advice going forward so that my fitted sheets are consistently stored in a tidy way, ready for their next use. Here's Mimi's step-by-step advice for anyone who is already ready to get their laundry cupboard in order.
Rebecca Jo-Rushdy, Organization Expert at The Spark Joy Collective has a top tip. "If you have various bed sizes, I highly recommend grabbing a permanent marker and labeling the tag to avoid confusion. If you have space in various rooms, another solution is to store the linens according to the rooms."
1. Pick a flat surface
Mimi recommends "using the bed as a flat surface until you have practiced." Lie out your sheet to make it easier to find the corners.
2. Find the corners
Once you have laid out your fitted sheet, fit your hands into two corners.
3. Match the corners up
Mimi advises, "Keep your hands in the corners, then fit the two other corners over the first two."
"It might feel awkward at first, but keep going." After all, practice makes perfect, so it's important to get a feel for the motions, and you'll get much neater and faster at folding.
4. Straighten it out
Your sheet should now be folded in half, so lay it down on the bed and straighten it out.
5. Keep folding until you're happy
Mimi says, "Now, just fold this much smaller shape from side to side until you have a neat bundle." It's up to you how small you want the final fold to be, based on the amount of laundry storage you have available, but keep folding evenly and smoothing out any creases until you're satisfied.
Top tips for storing bed linen
• As Rebecca mentioned above, if you have multiple sizes of bed linen for your home, then labeling them will make it easier to store. Simply use a marker to write a 'Q' on the care label if it's a queen set, and you'll make bedding changeover day a breeze.
• Be ruthless about decluttering. Keeping two sets of bedding per bed is a good amount.
• Create a bundle of fitted sheets and duvets within a pillowcase to keep each item easily contained and organized.
