The Right Way to Fold Fitted Sheets

Folding clothing is usually one of the last steps involved in a successful laundry day (with the final move being actually putting everything away). And while folding button-down shirts, tees, underwear, and pants is more or less the easy part, many people run into trouble when it comes to properly folding oddly-shaped garments and bedding—like fitted sheets.

Of all the pieces of bedding you need to make your mattress more inviting, it’s perhaps fair to say that the fitted sheet tends to cause the most frustration, at least in terms of folding. This is all thanks to its elastic edges and sewn-in creases. It’s supposed to fit securely on top of a mattress so it doesn’t come undone and fly off while you’re sleeping.

But unlike pillowcases, top sheets, and even blankets, a fitted sheet doesn’t conform to a tidy square that’s stackable and easy to stash away in a linen closet. In fact, most people just roll it up and run the risk of dreaded wrinkles.

However, there is a hack that can help you fold a fitted sheet as easily as the rest of your bedding set. Here’s how: First, hold the fitted sheet inside-out lengthwise with the bottom facing you (the top should face away from you). Then, place your hands inside the two corners (upper left and lower left). After that, take the lower left corner that you’re holding and tuck it over the upper left corner to create a point. Straighten out the edges while you’re at it so they sit flush on top of each other.

Once you’ve done this, take the lower right corner and tuck it over where the lower left and upper left are situated. Finally, take the upper right corner and tuck that over the rest of the corners. Now, all four corners of the fitted sheet should be folded into each other, like four stacked traffic cones. 

After you straighten the edges of the sheet, it should look like a rectangle. Place it on a flat surface to fold it into thirds lengthwise, then fold it into thirds again widthwise, so it looks like a square. Now, you’re finished, and you should have a properly folded fitted sheet that you can keep neatly stored in your linen closet.

It may take some time and practice to get the hang of it, but this is one bedding hack that you don’t want to sleep on. It’s so much more satisfying to fold a fitted sheet than to roll it up, throw it in a closet, and call it a day.

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