Many of us would have been satisfied to learn how to fold a fitted sheet a few years ago. However, now there are thousands of folding tutorials on the internet to help people find inner calm and tranquillity by reducing the chaos of their world. So, can a tidy house help us to achieve a tidy mind?
In this article, we look at ways to neaten up your clothes storage and enable you to see everything you own without digging through drawers to find the item you are looking for. These folding techniques can be applied to all your clothing items, but we will focus on three short-folding techniques to share tips on quick folding, compact packing for travel, and file-folding.
How to Fold Shorts Quickly
This method is particularly useful if you are packing shorts into a drawer and want them to be small and visible—this type of folding works with any clothing with a few tweaks here and there.
- 1
Step One: Hold the shorts by the waistband and give them a good shake to remove wrinkles. Lay the shorts on a flat surface with the front facing up. Iron out the material with your hands to make them as smooth as possible.
- 2
Step Two: Fold the shorts in half evenly, ensuring the edges are aligned, and no bits are sticking out.
- 3
Step Three: Rotate the shorts so the waistband is on the right and the bottom is on your left. At this point, you should be able to see the curved section of the crotch area. Fold this part down evenly towards you in a straight line to create a rectangle shape with straight edges.
- 4
Step Four: Depending on the size of the garment, you will then fold the waistband over twice, three times, or four times. Children’s garments will require fewer folds because there is less material. Pick up the waistband and fold it over to the middle and then to the bottom of the pair of shorts.
- 5
Step Five: If you have folded the item currently, you should be left with a tiny, neat rectangle. If you stand this upright with the fold up and the edges down, it should stand up without assistance and can be placed in the drawer alongside other garments.
How to Fold Shorts when Packing
This option is a brilliant idea if you are travelling and want to pack your clothes compactly, enabling you to see everything in your suitcase. It makes unpacking easier as, once packed, the clothes remain separate and stay put until you unfold them.
- 1
Step One: After shaking out your shorts and placing them on a flat table facing up, smooth them down with your hand to iron out wrinkles.
- 2
Step Two: Turn the waistband of your shorts down at least 5 cm so that the inside of the shorts is on the outside at the top section.
- 3
Step Three: Fold the shorts in half and rotate them on the table so the waistband is on the right and the bottom is on your left. Fold the crotch line of the shorts towards you to create a rectangle with clean lines.
- 4
Step Four: Roll the shorts from the bottom up to the waistband as if you were making a Swiss roll shape.
- 5
Step Five: When you reach the top of the shorts, you will see that the folded waistband has created a pocket to tuck the edges into on both sides. It should maintain its shape until you untuck the pockets, and rolling them in this manner prevents them from getting wrinkly.
How to File-fold Shorts
This method lets you fold your shorts as a file or tent shape to stand them up in a drawer. Much like the quick fold, this gives your clothing a look similar to the spines of books in a library, enabling you to find and select what you want quickly.
- 1
Step One: Hold the shorts by the waistband and shake them out to remove wrinkles. Place them face up on a flat table and smooth them out with your hands.
- 2
Step Two: Fold them vertically over the central line.
- 3
Step Three: Rotate the shorts so the waistband faces right and the bottom faces left. The crotch line should be at the top of the garment as you look at it. Fold down the crotch line towards you to create a rectangle with straight edges.
- 4
Step Four: Fold the shorts in half from bottom to top so the leg meets the waistline.
- 5
Step Five: Fold the shorts in half again and then stack them in a triangle shape with the fold at the top and the edges at the bottom. If they have been folded correctly, they should stand up in a tent-like shape without assistance.
Folding shorts is not dissimilar to folding jeans or long pants, but it is a lot easier because there is less material to work with. Practice folding shorts and then move onto pants.
Top tip: If you are trying to stack shorts in a drawer neatly, alternate the waistbands in opposite directions, with one on the right and one on the left to keep it tidy!
For more household tips and tricks, visit Cleanipedia today!
