The bane of every linen closet’s existence is the dreaded bed sheets. Amid perfectly folded and stacked towels, neatly piled quilts and comforters and rigid towers of washcloths, is a haphazard, embarrassing cluster of wadded up bed sheets. Instead of cringing at the heap every time the linen closet is opened, follow these simple tips to transform the chaos into fresh, crisp order.
Contents
Fold Immediately After Drying:
Sheets that have been recently dried are wrinkle-free and easier to handle. If you are late getting to the dryer and your sheets have already cooled, wet a clean washcloth and toss it in the dryer with your sheets. Run the dryer for fifteen minutes to get all the wrinkles out. If you fold your sheets as soon as they come out of the dryer, the only creases in them will be the intentional ones made by folding. When it comes time to redress a bed, you will have smooth, appealing sheets with which to cover a mattress.
Folding in Sets:
Instead of pulling everything out of your linen closet, frantically trying to find a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases that match, fold sheets in bundles or sets. Place the folded fitted sheet and two folded pillowcases within the folded flat sheet. When a bed needs making, you’ll find everything you need is in a nice, neat package.
The Dreaded Fitted Sheet:
Folding a flat sheet is simple enough, just line up the corners and smooth the sheet after each crease to prevent wrinkles. What about that tricky fitted sheet, though? Bed owners all across the world have been tackling the problem of the fitted sheet, and a simple folding method has been generally agreed upon. First, fold the sheet on a flat surface such as a table or bed: the process is infinitely easier this way. Place the sheet on the flat surface with the “top” side down. Grabbing the top left corner, invert it and tuck it snugly into the bottom left corner.
Do the same with the top right corner, tucking it into the bottom right corner. Smooth these corners by placing a hand beneath the diagonal crease and tugging until it is flat and neat. Your sheet will now have a top crease and two tucked corners at the bottom left and right. Next, fold the sheet in half from right to left, tucking the right corner into the left corner. Again, smooth after each fold, making sure that the corners are tucked into one another snugly. At this point, your sheet should be a rectangle, and all of the elastic should be in the bottom left corner. Fold the sheet lengthwise once more and then fold it into thirds. Flatten and smooth the fitted sheet until it forms a neat, rectangular package. If you have been dilligent with your creases, you can also iron the folded fitted sheet to encourage it to lie flat. If, however, you iron a sloppily folded sheet, your sheets will have unattractive creases in them when they are unfolded.
Storage:
Store your sheet bundles on a separate shelf from other linen closet members. This will prevent them from being jostled and unfolded until they are needed to make a bed.
Unfolding:
For a quicker, easier alternative to ironing sheet sets before making a bed, try ironing only the pillowcases and the top half of a flat sheet. This will give the impression of a crisply ironed bed set without the work.
