Finally: The definitive guide to folding a fitted sheet

A pal once told me he never wanted to learn how to fold a fitted sheet because: "If it's not rolled up in a giant ball, how will I know which ones are the fitted ones?"

Fair play to him, that's definitely one way of organising your linen cupboard. And it’s really only a problem if you use both flat and fitted sheets, which not all of us do.

But if, like me, you refuse to be defeated by a bit of cloth and elastic, I’ve got news for you: Folding a fitted sheet isn’t that hard. I spent an hour on YouTube learning how to do it, and I’ve condensed that research into a handy one-minute video (above) so you too can smugly tell anyone who’ll listen just how easy it is to fold a fitted sheet.

If the video is a little intense – an hour on YouTube is like a month in real time, so that video might feel like a week in bedlinen bootcamp – here’s a step-by-step guide:

Tell that fitted sheet who’s boss by giving it the finger. Two fingers, actually. One in each corner of the long edge of the sheet.

If it’s a queen sheet, it may not have a longer edge, so it doesn’t really matter as long as they are at opposite ends of the same edge.

(Hot tip: If you want to really go pro with this technique, you can turn the sheet inside out before this step, so when you’re finished it will be right side out.)

Bring the points of your fingers together, so the corners of the sheet are touching. With your left finger and thumb, grab the right hand’s corner, and flip the whole right-hand side of the sheet over the corners, onto your left arm.

You should end up with one finger in two corners of the sheet, and the rest of the sheet draped down your left arm like this:

This is a tricky bit : Swap arms by sliding your right arm under the top fold, and sticking you right pointing finger in the double corner. With your left hand, shake the rest of the sheet out, so you have an upside down L fold, hanging over your right arm – this just makes it easier to do the next bit. Which is also tricky.

Stick your left finger in the double corner at the other end of the sheet, and repeat steps two and three, bringing the corners together, and flipping one over the other. You should be left with a rectangle, with two folds and the elasticated edge towards the middle, like this:

You can then just fold the rectangle as you would a flat sheet, paying attention to keeping the elasticated edge and sides folded inwards, to keep your edges flat.

If you have the space, such as a dining table or counter in your laundry, it might help to lie the sheet flat for this final step.

It should fold down to about the same size as a folded flat sheet, though it’ll likely be a little bulkier, no matter what you do.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how you fold your sheets as much as it matters that you wash them regularly (at least once a fortnight), put them away bone dry (putting bedlinen away damp can make the sheets musty or smelly, and unpleasant to sleep in), and, as with everything homeware, that you buy the best quality you can afford at the time.

It doesn’t have to be 1000-thread count Egyptian cotton or French linen, but natural fibres can help wick sweat away from your body during the night, and help you skin breath while you’re sleeping. Sleep well!