How to Fold a Fitted Sheet Like a Pro

Everyone has their least favorite chore, and for many people, it's the seemingly impossible task of learning how to fold a fitted sheet. It has round corners and elasticated straight sides that don't exactly make it easy, which is why scrunching it up in a ball and calling it a day is seriously tempting. The good news is, there's actually a simple way to properly fold a fitted sheet that is much easier and faster than you may think. Watch this step-by-step video tutorial or follow the eight easy steps below.

Before You Begin

Before you fold your fitted sheet, make sure it's clean and fully dry to prevent the inside folds from staying damp in your linen closet. Find a clean, flat, and spacious folding surface to work on—whether it's a table or the bed in your bedroom. This will make the folding process much easier. 

Here's how to fold a fitted sheet:

1. Find the Corners

   • Find the top two corners of the sheet and place your hands inside each of them.
   • In one quick motion, flip the sheet inside out.

2. Bring One Corner Over the Other

   • Turn the sheet back around.
   • Find the two corners again and place one hand inside each corner.
   • Bring the left corner over to the right corner so that they touch
   • Then flip one corner over the other.

3. Straighten It Out

   Use your hands to go around and make sure that the seams line up and that there aren't any large creases so that you get a perfect fold.

4. Start on the Other End

   • Slide your hand towards the other end of the fitted sheet and find another corner.
   • Place your hand inside the pocket and bring it up to meet the corner that you're holding with your other hand.

5. Flip It Again

   • Bring the corners together and repeat the same action from Step 2 (flip one corner over the other).
   • The elasticated parts of the fitted sheet will form a 90-degree angle or an L-shape at this point.

6. Lay It Down

   • Lay the fitted sheet down with the folded parts facing up.
   • Touch up any seams and corners so that everything lines up and there are no major creases.

7. Fold It in Thirds

   Fold the sheet into thirds, starting with the top two corners of the fitted sheet and working your way down. You'll begin to see how neat it looks and how similar the folding is to a classic flat sheet now that you've taken care of the rounded edges.

8. Fold It Again

   • Starting with the right side and working towards the left, fold the sheet in thirds again horizontally.
   • Flatten out the top, and you're done.

   The folded fitted sheet will look just like a folded flat sheet, which is the goal.

How to Store A Fitted Sheet

Once your fitted sheet is folded properly, store it in your linen closet to keep it clean and ready for use. Correctly folded sheets are much easier to store, as they take up less space and are easy to stack. There are three different ways that you can store fitted sheets in your linen closet:

1. Store in wrapped bundles: Stack your folded fitted sheet, flat sheet, and one pillowcase together. Place one folded pillowcase on top, then slide all three bedding items inside the second pillowcase. Fold the overhang over for a nice, neat package. This keeps bedding set in its own "bag" that can be stored on a linen closet shelf neatly and is easily accessible when needed. 
2. Store in groups: Stack all fitted sheets on one shelf and all flat sheets and pillowcases on another. 
3. Store in stacked sets: Stack a folded flat sheet on top of a fitted sheet, then top it with the coordinating pillowcases. This method makes it easy to grab a bedding set without searching for individual pieces.