You’re Probably Folding Your Fitted Sheets Wrong. Here’s How

By
Alina Bradford
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Folding a fitted sheet is considered by many to be an impossible task that takes a team to complete. But it’s not really that hard once you know how to do it the best way. 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. 

There’s a lot of tutorials online about how to properly fold a fitted sheet, but here’s a fool-proof way that’s a little less complicated. Here’s what to do. For more tips, learn how to best wash your sheets and bedding, and learn about these laundry symbols or you might ruin your clothes. 

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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, be sure to make the corner seams line up. 

Tuck it in, smooth it out.


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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. 

folding fitted sheetfolding fitted sheet

When you’re done, your edges should look something like this.


Alina Bradford/CNET

Final steps

You can breathe a sigh of relief: The hardest part is over. Just 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 to get the hang of it — it definitely took me a while. But give it a few tries and you’ll have folded linens that you can easily store. 

folded fitted sheetfolded fitted sheet

A tidy fitted sheet can be achieved. 


Alina Bradford/CNET

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.

More laundry tips and tricks

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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