Helpful Folding Hacks and Tips

WASH here… with some helpful hacks to boost your laundry folding game!

Folding clothing and linens saves space when storing them away, and it also prevents wrinkles from setting into the materials. Folding laundry isn’t exactly brain surgery. It’s more like origami — but don’t be intimidated. We’ve got some helpful tips to make folding even the most difficult items a breeze!

• Fold clothing as soon as it leaves the dryer for best results. Leaving clothing sitting in a drum for too long can set in hard-to-remove wrinkles from the material.
• Learn the proper method of folding a fitted sheet. It’s practically fruitless to describe with text, but there are plenty of instructional videos available online.
• Make finding and pairing socks a breeze by washing them together in a mesh laundry bag.
• Practice the KonMari techniques of laundry folding, popularized by Marie Kondo. This style utilizes compact folding that encourages at-a-glance recognition and availability. The KonMari method has been applied to everything from tee shirts to undies.
• After folding, stand clothing up “on-end,” vertically, in your drawers or collapsible storage bins. This will allow you to see easily what’s available, and prevent you from always wearing whatever is at the top of a pile.
• If you fold a large number of shirts, consider purchasing or constructing a quick shirt folding board for home use. Tutorials for a DIY cardboard version can be found online with a simple search.
• Fold socks rather than balling them up inside of themselves. Stuffing them inside each other will wear elastic out at an accelerated pace, and can lead to that wavy stretched out appearance.
• Learn to fold towels into thirds. Folding towels properly will allow them to easily go from storage closet to hanging without reshaping. It also provides a ”5-star hotel” look if you’re storing towels on shelves.
• When folding dress shirts, be sure to secure all buttons, smooth collars and edges before folding. Business Insider offers a great visual aid on the topic.
• Folding professionals all echo the same sentiment: The key to great, painless folding is using a proper surface. If folding is literally a pain in the back for you, avoid the aches and fatigue of hunching by using something of proper height. Your folds also will be cleaner if you use a flat, sturdy surface.
• If all else fails, you can always just hang your clothes instead!

Don’t be afraid to enlist some help — seriously! You’d be surprised how much faster the task goes with an extra set of hands. If you struggle to make yourself fold, bribe yourself with caffeine or entertainment while you work. Folding isn’t the most glamorous or entertaining activity, but it does have quite a fashionable end result. Be sure to check out our library of other helpful articles on WASH.com, as well as our assortment of videos and helpful tips on our social media!