How to Fold a Fitted Sheet Properly—Because It Really Is That Hard

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We've all been there. You finally washed your sheets and are ready to store the extras in your linen closet (or under the bed, for all you small-apartment dwellers) only to end up wrestling with the fitted sheet, struggling to properly fold it. For many of us, folding a fitted sheet has been a bit of a mysterious skill to master. Usually, the fabric ends up in a haphazard mess that vaguely resembles a neat rectangle and gets shoved into the depths of our closet until its next use. But as it turns out, there is an art to folding a fitted sheet. It may take a few tries, but once you learn how to tackle those elastic corners, you'll be surprised at how long it's taken you to figure out. In fact, it's probably much easier than you think. Watch the video above and follow the steps below to learn how to properly fold a fitted sheet. You can thank us later.

How to fold a fitted sheet:
1. Drape the fitted sheet over your hands by putting one hand in each corner. Make sure that the seams are facing out and the elastic is facing towards you.
2. Then, take your hands and flip the right corner over the left corner to fold the sheet in half vertically. This will create a small pocket.
3. Flip the sheet, one corner over the other, and repeat the same step (flipping one corner over the other) so that there are now two pockets. You should now have one hand in each pocket, and the elastic should be aligned at the top.
4. Fold the sheet in half again by bringing your two hands together so that all four fitted corners meet. Then, flip the right set of corners over the left set.
5. Use a flat surface (like your bed or a table) to lay the folded sheet down with the gathered elastic edge facing up. To create a straight edge, fold the longer part of the curved edge in towards the center a few inches. You now have a rectangle!
6. Finally, fold the sheet in half lengthwise and then into thirds. You did it!

Even if it takes you a few tries at first, before long, this method will become second nature.