Foolproof Hacks For Folding Laundry

Give five people a towel to fold and they’ll all do it differently. Folding laundry is far from a science, but it is one of those things that everyone does their own way — and hardly anyone does right. Have you ever noticed the way shirts and blouses are folded in retail stores? Or admired the stacks of towels in a hotel bathroom? You’ve probably wondered once or twice how they achieve such precision and absolute perfection, and how to get the items in your home to look that great. Well it’s time to take your laundry game to the next level by following these foolproof hacks for folding laundry.

Wall Cabinets For Laundry Room Folding Essentials

housewife is doing the ironing in closeup over white background

While technique certainly plays a role in folding laundry, it is really the tools that make all the difference. Keep these folding essentials in your laundry room cabinets to speed up folding time and achieve that professional look.

  • Folding Board: If you’ve ever worked in a retail store, you may already be familiar with the almighty folding board. This simple piece of plastic can take an “okay” folder to a pro in seconds. This tool is fairly inexpensive (around $10) and serves as a guide to folding shirts, blouses, sweaters, and pants. For a little extra money, you’ll find more advanced systems that offer to simplify this process even further. In a pinch, you could make your own with cardboard and tape — click here to learn how.
  • Steamer or Steam Press: Want to know another secret to professionally folded clothing and linens? Steam! When your items are wrinkle free and perfectly creased, they look 10 times better. Stock your wall cabinets for laundry room steaming with a hand steamer or steam press. When items are nearby, you can streamline the folding process and finish the task faster.
  • Wrinkle Release Spray: Minimize the need for ironing and get clean laundry wrinkle free with a wrinkle release or ironing spray. Spritzed onto fabric and then smoothed over, these products help to eliminate wrinkles so that your folded clothes look amazing.

A Few Folding Tips To Take On Towels And Linens

Laundry basket filled with colorful folded towels

Now that you know what you should keep in your wall cabinets for laundry room folding perfection, let’s talk towels and linens. These larger pieces of laundry aren’t made for a folding board, so you’ll have to rely solely on technique. No problem! We’ve got a few tips that will completely change your linen closet forever.

  • Folding towels: The trick to folding a towel is to first spread it out on a flat surface. You’ll fold the towel differently depending on where it will be stored. If the towel will be hung over a towel bar or ring, fold one side long ways, slightly over the middle mark. Then take the other side and fold it almost to edge of the towel. You will have one long, triple layered fold at this point. Now fold the towel in half, with the one edge slightly shorter than the other.

If the towel is going on a shelf, fold each side long ways, so that the two sides meet in the middle. Next, fold the towel short ways, so those two ends meet in the middle as well. But this time, leave a small gap in between, so that you can fold the towel in half seamlessly.

  • Folding linens: While folding a flat sheet never seems to fluster us, fitted sheets are a different story. To easily fold a fitted sheet, first lay it flat on a bed with the elastic facing upwards. The sheet should be horizontal so that the width is longer than the height. Tuck your hands into the two corners closest to you and then lean forward to slide your hands into the opposite corners. All four corners will now be around your hands (two on your left and two on your right). Stand up straight and shake the sheet out. Move your right hand over the left hand so that all four corners are now on the left hand. Lay the sheet down with the elastic facing up again. Smooth the sheet and fold it in thirds lengthwise by first folding in the elastic side. Fold in thirds again to create an even folded square.

At The RTA Store we help make your dream home a reality with RTA (Ready To Assemble) and Pre-Assembled cabinets and accessories. Whether it’s your kitchen bathroom, laundry room, home office, bar room or TV room, we offer the same (if not better) quality you would find at any retail store, but for a fraction of the price. Stop by our website or give us a call and let us make your dreams come true with the help of our free room design tool!