# Why Can't I do This? (Folding fitted sheets) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 12, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147 "2011-02-12T18:44:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/1 "2011-02-12T18:44:45Z")
I mean c’mon. Really. I am 47 years old. Capable. Decent Housekeeper. Pretty good cook. Know my way around home and car repair. But every time, no matter how hard I try, I end up with a poofy ball of fitted sheet instead of nicely folded. My dumbass little sister. You know, the one who hasn’t picked up the dog shit out of the back bedroom for two years? Her fitted sheets are at least folded properly.:rolleyes: Am I deficient? Was this area of my education seriously screwed up?😕 HELP! Just one time I would like the damn sheets to fit in the linen closet without looking like the Tower of Pisa. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/2 "2011-02-12T18:52:47Z")
[Voila!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHTyH2nuFAw) ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/3 "2011-02-12T18:52:49Z")
I hear you. I can’t fold sheets, period, much less fitted ones. Whenever I fold sheets I always need another person to fold the other end, otherwise it ends up being a lumpy, wrinkly mess. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/4 "2011-02-12T18:55:10Z")
You are not alone. It has been demonstrated to me over and over that an ordinary human being can do this, and I have been walked through it step by step. The best I can do is flattish lumpen chaos. Martha Stewart herself takes lessons from **Mr. Mallard**. His folded fitted sheets are indistinguishable from the flat ones at a casual glance. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/5 "2011-02-12T19:02:54Z")
Flat sheets I can fold, no problem. Fitted sheets have always been impossible! But I just watched **Ferret Herder** ’s link, and that made it look easy. Thanks for sharing that link! ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/6 "2011-02-12T19:04:18Z")
Martha Stewart has a tutorial. It’s a lie. I don’t believe it can be done. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/7 "2011-02-12T19:10:04Z")
There was a good point brought up in the comments. He was folding a sheet where only two sides have elastic: many of the queen and king fitted sheets now have all elastic edges. Those are still oooogy. ---
**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/8 "2011-02-12T19:14:56Z")
I watched the tutorial. That is how I fold mine, but they don’t look like that when I’m done. Plus, they never, ever come out the same size (square) as the flat sheet. I would add that all the fitted sheets in the house are the kind that are elasticized all the way around. Maybe that contributes to the problem. Regardless. I believe there is a conspiracy at work here, fomented by the Martha Stewarts of the world.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/9 "2011-02-12T19:56:40Z")
> [@loshan](#): > > I watched the tutorial. That is how I fold mine, but they don’t look like that when I’m done. Plus, they never, ever come out the same size (square) as the flat sheet. > > I would add that all the fitted sheets in the house are the kind that are elasticized all the way around. Maybe that contributes to the problem. > > Regardless. I believe there is a conspiracy at work here, fomented by the Martha Stewarts of the world.😃 Ours are also fitted all the way around. **Mr. Mallard’s** folded ones are perfect, and the same size as the flat sheet. Watching, it looks quite simple to do but I have tried and tried and I cannot get it right. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/10 "2011-02-12T20:02:14Z")
I fold mine like shown in the video, except I don’t lay the sheet out on a bed - I fold it standing up and shaking it out. Maybe it’s 50 years of practice, but mine come out pretty good - not perfectly square, but neat and compact enough to fit in the linen closet tidily. Even with elastic all around… ---
**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/11 "2011-02-12T20:17:31Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I fold mine like shown in the video, except I don’t lay the sheet out on a bed - I fold it standing up and shaking it out. Maybe it’s 50 years of practice, but mine come out pretty good - not perfectly square, but neat and compact enough to fit in the linen closet tidily. Even with elastic all around… Wanna come to my house for coffee and/or drinks on laundry day? 😃 And Dr. Drake you are invited too…as long as Mr. Mallard comes along. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/12 "2011-02-12T20:20:46Z")
I wrap 'em all up in a flattish ball and hide them under the flat sheet. Works for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/13 "2011-02-12T21:42:47Z")
Let me show you my linen closet. I got so annoyed trying to fold fitted sheets that I just started shoving everything in there the way it came out of the dryer. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/14 "2011-02-12T22:07:45Z")
This is why I’ve started using one of the pillowcases to store the set of sheets. It hides the badly folded fitted sheet. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/15 "2011-02-12T22:56:16Z")
I start similarly to that tutorial, tucking one corner into the other, but I do it with a crosswise fold, so it’s easier to handle. That way I don’t have to lay it down, because I really don’t have a place to do that. Besides, I’m not going all the way to the bedrooms to fold a sheet. Then I put the two sets of tucked in corners together, but not into one another. It doesn’t come out as neat as his did, but pretty good, and the same size as the flat one, even if it doesn’t look quite as good. You want to mess with tricky sheets, try king-size waterbed. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/16 "2011-02-13T01:08:30Z")
I get the idea from the tutorial, but there is no way I’d spend that much time trying to line up corners like that. Plus how would you tell from a glance in your closet the flat sheets from the fitted sheets? I’d be pissed if I wanted a fitted sheet but pulled out a flat sheet or vice versa because it looked the same. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/17 "2011-02-13T03:04:59Z")
It was so much easier when I was a kid. Open the drawer, grab two sheets and go make the bed. They didn’t have to match (they were all white), you didn’t have to have flat and fitted (they were all flat). And they all folded the same way. Now I have to keep track of sets of matching sheets and pillowcases, and fight with the fitted ones to get them folded so they fit on the shelf. ---
**Author:** ![RachelChristine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RachelChristine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RachelChristine)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/18 "2011-02-13T03:09:27Z")
I just read the idea of storing the whole set of matching sheets in one of the pillow cases last week. I think that idea sounds like it might work best for me, although I’m sure I’ll still end up with a wadded up ball of fitted sheet. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/19 "2011-02-13T03:36:13Z")
Yep, stuffing the lot into one of the pillowcases is the best way. Don’t fold them, just roll them up and stuff them in. BTW, the adjective “crisp” and sheets do not go together and never will. Crisp is for potato chips. ---
**Author:** ![squeekster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@squeekster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeekster)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147/20 "2011-02-13T03:39:25Z")
The only way this works is if you live alone. Start by taking sheets off bed. Wash. Dry. Put right back on bed. You only need one set of sheets, thereby the need for folding is eliminated. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-do-this-folding-fitted-sheets/571147.md?page=2)