Housekeeping Laundry & Linens Laundry Tips & Checklists How to Fold a Fitted Sheet You'll be a laundry pro in no time with these methods for folding fitted sheets. By Mary Cornetta Mary Cornetta Mary Cornetta has been in the professional organizing industry for over 5 years. She knew she had a passion for decluttering and organization upon graduating Marist College in 2007, however, pursued it as a hobby instead of a career. All of that changed when Mary founded Sort and Sweet Inc on Long Island in 2017. Since then, she has worked hands-on and virtually with hundreds of clients to clear their clutter and create functional systems in their homes and offices. Mary runs the Sort and Sweet social media accounts, creating content and writing captions with organizing tips and inspiration for more than 12,000 followers. Recently relocated to Savannah, she continues to own and operate the business with the help of a talented team. Mary has been a weekly contributing writer for House Digest and has been interviewed as an expert by Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, and Health magazines. She is the owner of the blog, Organized Overall, in which she details how she creates organization in her home. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on December 8, 2023 Project Overview Total Time: 5 minutes Skill Level: Beginner Fresh sheets feel amazing, but there's always one thing that just won't fold right: your fitted sheet. After several furious attempts to figure this puzzle out, it's understandable to give in and roll it into a wrinkled ball to store in the linen closet. However, thanks to this helpful tutorial, you don't have to struggle anymore! We'll show you fold a fitted sheet, plus show you how to store linens in a neat and tidy folded package. Jason Donnelly What You'll Need Materials Sheet set Instructions How to Fold a Fitted Sheet Jason Donnelly Lay the Sheet Flat Begin by laying the sheet flat, with the corners facing in and the elastic edge facing up. Jason Donnelly Pick Up Corners Slip your hands into the back of the sheet's long side corners, then shake out the sheet. Move each hand down the short edge until you reach the next corner. Pick that corner up and tuck it in the other two corners you worked with before, so all corners are over one hand. Make sure all the corner seams are fully inside each other. Jason Donnelly Create a Rectangle Shake the sheet out. Move your right hand over your left hand so that all the corners are on your left hand. You will be left with two straight edges. Lay the sheet on a flat surface with the elastic facing up. Smooth into a rectangle. How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets? Probably More Than You Think Jason Donnelly Fold in Thirds Finish by folding the sheet in thirds lengthwise. Jason Donnelly Fold in Thirds Again Repeat this process width-wise, again folding the sheet in thirds. You should now have a fitted sheet folded into a tidy square. How to Fold a Sheet Set into a Tidy Package Jason Donnelly Fold Top Sheet Fold the top sheet in half a few times both lengthwise and widthwise until it's slightly larger than the folded fitted sheet. Stack the top sheet on top of the fitted sheet. Jason Donnelly Fold Pillowcase Fold the first pillowcase in half lengthwise, then in half widthwise, twice. Stack on top of the folded sheets. Jason Donnelly Fold Into Pretty Package Fold the second pillowcase in thirds, lengthwise. Grab the entire stack of sheets and pillowcases, and place it in the center of the folded pillowcase. Wrap the ends of the case across the sheets and tuck them in to create a set. How to Create a “Bed in a Bag” This is an alternative method to the instructions above. It keeps all pieces of a sheet set together for easy storage. This makes it easy to make a bed for last-minute guests. Jason Donnelly Fold Sheets If they’re not already in place, locate the fitted and flat sheet along with all pillowcases to make a full set. Using one of the above methods, fold the fitted sheet as compactly as you can. Do the same with the flat sheet. Fold all but one pillowcase from the set. They only need to be folded in half so that they lay as flat as possible. Jason Donnelly Combine Sheet Set Place the pillowcases on top of both sheets in a neat pile. Then, slide the sheets inside the remaining pillowcase, horizontally. Think of it like packing a mailer. Jason Donnelly Keep It Organized The “bed in a bag” method works best when stored vertically on a surface. If you have multiple sets of sheets, stack them on top of each other on a shelf in the linen closet. To keep it organized, position the opening of the pillowcase toward the back of the closet. You can store them in a basket as well, which can help sort different-sized sheet sets. Jason Donnelly Additional Tips for Folding Fitted Sheets Fold After Washing As tempting as it might be to procrastinate, folding sheets as soon as they come out of the dryer is recommended. Tackling one of these methods for folding fitted sheets while they’re warm reduces the number of wrinkles and makes them easier to handle. If you let them sit for too long, try using a steamer or smoothing them with an iron before folding them. Find a Flat Surface No matter which method for folding fitted sheets you choose, you’ll need a flat surface to finish the process. Be sure to have a table or tidy bed to get it done. Use the Buddy System Don’t be afraid to ask for help to get the job done. Not everyone's arms can reach all corners easily, so employing a second set of hands can help. Have a partner stand opposite of you and mirror your method until the fitted sheet is small enough for one person to take over. Place Sheets in a Basket If you’ve been practicing, but folding is just not your forte, consider adding your so-so folded sheets into a basket in the linen closet or on the top shelf of your closet. This will reduce visual clutter while keeping items organized. Add labels to the front to differentiate a variety of sheet sets. Avoid using wicker, rattan, or metal baskets in case the material snags on your linens. Remember, folding sheets isn’t just a good idea for aesthetic purposes. True, it helps reduce wrinkles when you make the bed and keeps the linen closet looking neater. But using one of these methods also saves a ton of space. If you’re working with a small home, nicely folded sheets will free up space for additional storage.