Stop everything. This is the definitive way to fold fitted sheets, as told by experts

Top Ten Reviews (Feb 2023):

(Image credit: Holly Cockburn)

I finally cracked my biggest laundry pet peeve by asking the experts how to fold fitted sheets.

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 learnt how to fold a fitted sheet. It's one of the most common chore 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 washers 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 organization to help me get it right. If I can do it, so can you, so join me in 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.

1. Pick a flat surface

Mimi recommends "using the bed as a flat surface, until you have practised." 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.

WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS...

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 label the tag, to avoid confusion. If you have space in various rooms, another solution is to store the linens according to the rooms."

Top tips for storing bed linen

• As Rebecca mentioned above, if you have multiple sizes of bed linen for your home then labelling 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 a fitted sheet and duvet within a pillow case to keep each item easily contained and organized.

Published in Top Ten Reviews, written by Holly Cockburn, Feb 2023