Update 2018: This blog post showing How to Fold a Fitted Sheet has been so popular that I’ve updated it recently with this video tutorial in addition to the video below from 2014.
One of the ways we save money when we move is using our linens to pack fragile items…I’ve always washed them as we put them away at our new home so it just makes since to save money (and the environment!) by reducing the amount of packaging and bubble wrap we use each time the Army sends us somewhere new.
As we’ve been unpacking these past two weeks and doing laundry we’ve been washing and folding a lot of laundry. The other day I came upon a blob of a sheet sitting on my bed. I asked my husband if he folded it like that or it just got set down out of the dryer in what looked like a meager attempt at a rectangle. It was just then that I realized that he (and a ton of other people out there apparently) didn’t know how to fold a fitted sheet! I must be a lucky one that my mom taught me young but just in case anyone else doesn’t know I thought I’d share today!
*Updated February 2016-I’ve added a video to make it a little more clear!
{Please be aware my husband took these photos with my phone and was trying to make me laugh constantly during the process, so forgive any weird faces and graininess!}
Time needed: 3 minutes.
Step by Step Instructions for How to Fold a Fitted Sheet
- Start with your sheet inside out with your hands in each of the corner pockets on the long side of the sheet.
- Use your chin to hold the middle of the sheet and bring your hands together.
- Fold one corner over the other.
- You should now have a somewhat 90 degree corner on the side of your pockets. Turn your sheet and put the corner pockets one inside the other on the opposite end of the sheet.
- You now have something resembling a true rectangle. Yay, you’re almost finished!
- Just as you did in step 2 keep each hand in a corner pocket and use your chin to hold the center as you fold in flip
on set
of corners over the other. - It’s at this point I move to a flat surface to finish folding. Straighten the corners when you lay it down to make it as cleanly rectangular as possible.
- Fold the sheet into thirds starting with the “frumpy” end first and then, depending on your sheet size fold into halves or thirds to finish it up.
That’s it! You can now amaze your friends and relatives with your fitted sheet folding perfection!
So I have to know…were you taught to fold a fitted sheet growing up, learned it on your own, or have you been living in fitted sheet chaos all these years? Let me know in the comments!
Benjamin
This was the first result on Google! Congrats!
I’ve seen this done on TV, and every time I see it I think “Oh, I get it now. I can definitely do that”, but I never really could. Just did it for the first time! Made my backup sheet set look like new!
Karissa
Love the video! Thank you for being a genius, I’ve struggled with folding fitted sheets for 31 years! Never again thanks to you!
Melissa
lol. I wouldn’t know if someone hadn’t taught me too Karissa!
Shelby
I try my best when folding my fitted sheets, but they just never turn out very well. I’m very OCD about how I fold and hang my laundry………all shirts must be facing the same direction in my closet, folded shirts are folded as you would see them on display in a retail shop (learned that one working retail clothing sales), and all pants are folded using the inseam of the pant legs and folded in thirds just like retail. I pride myself on that. I really tried to follow this guide to folding a fitted sheet, but I think I need actual video to follow along because I wasn’t quite understanding each step.
Abby Rojas
I always wanted to know how to do this! Thank you for sharing!
Dls
One step further, and use the pillowcase to store the folded sheets in.
Maureen
35 years of chaos. will try this and see if it works.
Lisa Michnick
There is a cool twist of this that makes for a neat package of the whole sheet set. When you have the fitted sheet folded into quarters with the edges neatly flat, fold the left and right thirds to the backside and flip the whole thing over. Put the rest of the sheet set folded to the appropriate size at the bottom. Fold all up towards top. The take ahold of the “pocket” that was formed on the “back” side and slide it over the top. It encases everything into one nice little package that looks so neat on your shelf!
Melissa
I’ll have to try that Lisa-great tip!
Lisa Martin
I love this tip so much, I think I will put a link to this post on my blog! I have always struggled with folding fitted sheets. I tend to just avoid this by putting the folded sheet right on the bed after I take them out of the dryer.
Carol F
All my sheets are king size, so the only “table” big enough to use when folding is the bed itself! When I fold the fitted sheet, I start with a single inside-out corner over my hand. I bring the next corner up over it right side out, matching the corner seams. Third corner goes next, inside out. Fourth corner follows, right side out. Now I have a square, with two sides fatter than the rest because of the sheet portion that covers the sides of the mattress and tucks under it. I lay the sheet on the bed and make two folds, first bringing the fat side (apx. one-third) in and then covering it with the neater edge. Then I fold the other direction twice and voila! a neat 14″ square. Here’s the stack: top sheet on the bottom, pillowcases next, then the fitted sheet so it’s first available when I pull out the set for making the bed.
Pillowcases inside out! It’s hard to leave them messy looking, but inside out is the key to easily putting them on the pillows when making the bed. Lay the pillowcase on the pillow, put your hands inside, and grab the corners of the pillow. Keep holding those corners while using your arms to cause the case to turn right side out over the pillow. It’s so much easier to adjust the open edge of the case than to wrestle the pillow corners into position after sleeving the pillow.
Where did I learn these techniques? Online for the pillowcases and in a magazine (before internet) for the sheet folding. In the early years of marriage, I enlisted DH’s help to fold the sheets; but this often required leaving them in a heap until he was available. Then there was the fact that getting our movements coordinated reminded me of a game of Twister!
Susan
I was self taught for most of my house work skills, including folding sheets, but my method is pretty close to yours. I also store each of my sheet sets inside one of it’s own pillow cases. Makes for a very tidy closet.
Lynne Tilley
Heehee, when I was growing up we never had enough sheets to have “extra”. They were either on the beds, or in the wash. I guess I must have figured out folding them on my own after I got married. I never thought about there being a method, but I love to see how you do it specifically. I can get a fairly neat fold, but your method is wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Melissa
With three boys, one of which is potty training our “spares” are few and far between Lynne!
Noella
This is the only way I have folded fitted sheets; my mother taught me when I was very young. I never understood why this is not common knowledge. Thanks for the tutorial to pass on to others!
Melissa
You’re welcome Noella-I learned this trick from my Mom too and was surprised it was such “secret” knowledge!
Donna
Hello everyone! I use to ball it up too but then I started a job in a nursing home and one of the ladies taught me how and I have been doing it for seven years now . I also took what I leaned there with me and I opened my own cleaning business and I when I clean my clients house’s, I do there sheets the same way.
marie eckl
Love this idea and have a closet full to use it on.
Sue
I taught myself this technique after having children and much laundry. I makes storing and stacking clean unused sheets so much easier.
debbie
I worked motels since i started working and that was at age 25 . so i did it on my own. very easy with all laundry
Melissa Riker
I worked in a motel in college one summer Debbie and I was surprised that they didn’t use fitted sheets at all, we made the bed with flat sheets on top and bottom!
Shannon
I have always wondered how people folded the fitted sheet to make it look nice. I’m giving this a try! Thanks for the photos!
Melissa Riker
I hope it helps Shannon! Once you get the hang of it it’s pretty fast and easy!
Runt
I always try to remember this when I’m folding sheets and I just can’t get it right! So I ball it up and into the closet it goes! =]
cassie
you mean my roll-it-into-a-ball-and-shove-it-in-the-closet method isn’t what you use????? pinning this! i need it!
Julie Claveau
I didn’t do this for the longest time until one day, my mom showed me and I was like… woah! Lol. Tidy towel closet, yay! Great tutorial.
Love, x
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