How to Fold a Fitted Sheet—and More

Unless you’ve had a housekeeper all your life, you have undoubtedly done battle with a fitted sheet. If you’re not struggling to pull it over corners, you’re trying to fold it. Too often, it winds up in a ball stuffed into the linen closet.

While you can do away with a top sheet, a fitted sheet protects your mattress from body oils and, well, sweat. So, it also requires regular cleaning.

Here are some expert tips to help you conquer this nemesis.

Finding the right fit

For a good fit that stays snug, purchase the proper sheets for the overall mattress size. For instance, don’t put a queen sheet on a double bed, says Melanie Summers, CEO and founder of I Speak Organized, which offers home-management services. “It’s essential to ensure the corners stay securely in place and don’t flip off during the night.”

If you bought the right size but the fitted sheet still refuses to cover the corners, the culprit could be a pillowtop mattress requiring a sheet with a pocket up to 18 inches deep. A standard fitted sheet is from 8 to 11 inches deep.

Measure the mattress, taking a pillowtop into account.

Making the bed

It’s easier to determine the top or bottom on a queen- or full-size sheet; the shorter side is obvious. That’s not the case with a king.

Pick a corner and find the closest. The short distance between corners indicates it goes at either end of the bed.

Generally, the manufacturer’s tag on the corner goes on the bottom right side. Some now come with labels that read “top or bottom” and “side.” Or use a fabric marker to label the corners, Summers notes.

After securing one corner, stretch the sheet diagonally across the mattress to the opposite corner. “This will ensure the sheet is properly aligned,” explains professional organizer Laura Price of The Home Organisation in London.

She says she fits the remaining corners, saving the most accessible for last. You may need to yank and pull, so you’ll need room to move. Then, tuck the straight sides under the mattress

Managing the wash and dry

Wash sheets every one to two weeks, and ensure they’re fully dry before storing, Price says.

Sommers removes the sheets from the dryer when they’re slightly damp, and air dries them the rest of the way, about an hour longer. The strategy minimizes wrinkles and makes the sheet easier to fold, she maintains. Of course, folding a fitted sheet is easier said than done.

Perfecting the fold

Overall, the goal is to create a neat rectangle. The Company Store offers this simple method:

1. Put the sheet on a flat surface, such as the bed or a table. The elastic should face up, and the long edge should be at the bottom and top.

2. Grasp the top two corners of the long edge and fold them toward each other until the short ends meet.

3. Turn the sheet 90 degrees, and fold again.

4. Turn the sheet another 90 degrees, fold it in half once more, and then fold it again to form the rectangle.

5. Fold the ends toward the center, and then fold the entire bundle in half.

Repeatedly folding the sheet hides uneven edges.

Storing your sheets

The Container Store and other retailers sell specialty cases for sheet sets. Or fold the set with one or more pillowcases, and tuck the bundle into a matching pillowcase. Make sure the linen cupboard or closet is dry to prevent mold, Price says.

An under-bed container is another option, so the sheets are ready and waiting when it’s time to make the bed, a task that will no longer fill you with dread.