Picture this: it’s early morning and you go into your overflowing closet to get ready for work. Half asleep and already late, you grab a shirt and pants from your closet or dresser and throw them on and run out the door.
But as you walk past your mirror and catch a glimpse of yourself, you stop in your tracks and nearly gasp: your pants and shirt are so wrinkled that it looks like you didn’t even do your laundry. Yet, if you had taken the time to fold your clothes, this disaster could have been averted.
Your Dryer is the Key
It is all too easy to throw your clothes into the dryer, press start, and forget they are even there. However, this can be damaging to your clothes for several reasons, including:
- Not all garments should go in the dryer.
- Overloading your dryer can prevent your clothes from fully drying.
- Too much clothing in your dryer can prevent tumbling which can lead to excess wrinkles.
- Over-drying your clothes can damage your garments.
- If you don’t fold your clothes immediately after taking them out of the dryer, they could wrinkle.
The key to folding clothes and taking care of your garments starts with your dryer. You can learn all of the best ways to fold clothes, but you will always be at a disadvantage if you don’t have your dryer at the correct setting. So, make sure you check your dryer’s settings and only dry clothes that truly require drying.
How to Fold Clothes Like a Professional
There are many folding techniques that can make your clothes look like they are sitting on a display in your favorite retail store. While the clear benefit is that your garments look good, there are other benefits to folding your clothes, including:
- Fewer wrinkles
- Clothes fit in drawers more easily
- Your clothes are easier to find
- Socks and underwear don’t get lost
- Organizational bliss
Even though folding your clothes does take some time, there are many ways to make clothes folding easy. Especially if you use a flat surface such as the top of your dryer, your bed, or your kitchen table, you can get sharper folds that make your clothes easier to store. Check out some of our other top folding tips below:
- Fold the large items first and save your socks and underwear for later.
- Fold and put away your clothes immediately after drying to prevent wrinkles.
- Use an iron if your clothing gets wrinkled.
- Consider rolling your clothes to save space.
How to Fold T-Shirts
Especially if you don’t have room in your closet to hang every one of your shirts, storing your shirts in a dresser is a great way to keep everything neat and clean so that you can easily find your favorite shirts in a pinch. To fold t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, button-down shirts, polos, and tank tops, follow these steps:
Step 1. Place your shirt flat and with the front side down. Make sure the arms are laid flat on the outside of the shirt and not tucked inside.
Step 2. Fold half of your shirt towards the center.
Step 3. Repeat on the opposite side to cover the first sleeve.
Step 4. Now that you have a long rectangle, fold the shirt into thirds.
Step 5. Fold the top and bottom of the shirt together to meet in the middle.
Step 6. Now you should have created a rectangular shape. Make sure to store your shirt facing upright.
How to Fold Sweaters
Folding more delicate material is ideal because if you hang them, they can lose their shape and the hanger can even puncture holes in the stitches or make indents on the garment if you use the wrong hanger. To fold your sweaters, follow the steps to folding shirts with a slight variation to prevent too much creasing:
Step 1. Place the sweater flat with the front facing down on a hard surface.
Step 2. Fold the arms of the sweater so that they are flat and parallel to the side of the shirt.
Step 3. Fold the left side of the sweater towards the center and back of the sweater.
Step 4. Repeat Step 3 on the other side so that the halves meet but do not overlap.
Step 5. Fold the sweater in half and add it to your sweater stack.
How to Fold Turtlenecks
If you can fold t-shirts, you can fold turtlenecks with no problem. Always make sure that with turtlenecks, you are mindful of the longer neck section. Because you do not want any wrinkles, always make sure that piece of fabric is folded down evenly.
Step 1. Lay the shirt flat on the table face down.
Step 2. Fold the arms of the sweater so that they are flat and parallel to the side of the shirt.
Step 3. Fold the turtle neck piece down and flat on the center of the shirt.
Step 4. Fold the left side of the shirt towards the center of the shirt by using the neck to guide your vertical fold.
Step 5. Fold the top and bottom of the shirt to meet in the middle of the shirt.
Step 6. Fold the shirt in half again to create a rectangle. Store facing up.
How to Fold Pants and Jeans
The last thing you want to do is go out with wrinkled pants or jeans. The best way to fold pants and jeans is to carefully lay out each piece of clothing and make sure to fold along creases if they are there.
Step 1. Check your pants over to make sure all zippers and buttons are closed.
Step 2. Hold the pants up by the waist.
Step 3. Fold the pants in half vertically by bringing each of the legs together. The back pockets should be on the outside.
Step 4. Start at the bottom of the pant leg and fold your pants or jeans either in half or in thirds depending on the size of your storage space.
How to Fold Socks
If you don’t fold your socks, odds are they will start to get lost in the great depths of your dresser drawer. When you are separating your laundry, it can help to place all the socks in a separate laundry basket and do them last. That way, you won’t have to dig through piles of laundry to find a single pair.
Step 1. Find matching socks and place them together.
Step 2. Place one sock flat against a hard surface and place the second neatly on top.
Step 3. Fold the socks in half. Rolling can cause them to get stretched out over time.
How to Fold Underwear
Although it may be tempting to throw your underwear into a drawer and call it good, this is a recipe for an overflowing drawer. Instead, try neatly folding your underwear or even purchasing an undergarment organizer.
Step 1. Place the garment flat on the bed or table.
Step 2. Vertically fold the garment in half or thirds.
Step 3. Fold the garment in half and store.
How to Keep Your Clothes Wrinkle Free
With all of these techniques, keeping your clothing wrinkle-free is easier said than done. If you are on a time crunch or just want the folding to be left to the professionals, let your local ZIPS take care of all of your folding needs with the Wash N Fold service. For just $1.49/lb, ZIPS will wash, dry, and fold your garments that do not require pressing or hangers, and then neatly package them for you to take home.
