A fitted sheet has elastic sewn into a curved seam all the way round, which is why it will never fold flat like a duvet cover.
The trick, in one line
Do not fight the corners — nest them inside one another so the curved edges disappear and you are left with a rectangle. Once you have done it twice it takes about thirty seconds.
How to fold a fitted sheet, step by step
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Hold it inside out
Stand and hold the sheet lengthways with one hand inside each of two corners on the short edge, wrong side facing you.
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Fold one corner over the other
Bring your right hand to your left and drop the right corner over the left, so one pocket sits inside the other and the elastic seams line up.
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Pick up the third corner
Reach down the long edge, pick up the corner hanging in front, and tuck it over the two you are already holding.
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Add the fourth
Do the same with the last corner. All four are now nested together and the curved elastic edge sits along one side.
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Lay it flat and square it off
Put it on a bed or table, smooth it out, and tuck the elastic edge inwards so you have a clean rectangle.
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Fold into thirds, then in half
Fold the long sides in to make a narrow strip, then fold that in half or thirds until it matches the size of your shelf.
The step people get wrong is the second one. The corner in your right hand has to go over and inside the one in your left, not beside it. If the seams are not sitting on top of each other, the corners will not nest and every fold after that fights you.
Why fitted sheets are so hard to fold
A flat sheet is a rectangle, so it folds like paper. A fitted sheet is a shallow box with elastic gathered around the opening. There is no flat state to fold it into — you have to create one, and nesting the corners is what does it. The deeper the sheet, the more fabric there is to manage, which is why an extra deep 40cm sheet feels harder than a shallow one. It is not harder, it just has more body to it, and the nesting step matters more.
How to fold a double, king or super king fitted sheet
The method is identical at every size. What changes is how much fabric you are holding, and on a larger sheet it is worth using a bed or a table rather than doing the whole thing in the air.
Comfortable to fold standing up, start to finish.
Nest the corners standing, then lay it down to square off and fold.
Nest the first two corners standing, then work on a bed. A super king is 180cm wide and will drag on the floor otherwise.
Storage tip. If you are folding a set, tuck the folded fitted sheet, the flat sheet and one pillowcase inside the second pillowcase. The whole set becomes one parcel and you never hunt for a matching sheet again.
The quicker method: rolling
If the sheet is going into a cupboard rather than on display, you can skip the neat rectangle. Nest the four corners as above, lay the sheet down, fold it roughly in half, then roll it tightly from one end. It takes a fraction of the time, holds its shape in a stack, and creases less than a flat fold because there are no hard edges pressed in.
Folding a sheet with elastic all the way round
Some fitted sheets have elastic only at the corners. Others — including every sheet we make — are elasticated a full 360° around the skirt. Fully elasticated sheets are actually easier to fold, not harder: the elastic pulls the whole edge into a consistent curve, so once the corners are nested the edge naturally forms a straight line rather than a lumpy one. Pull the elastic edge taut before you square it off and it will sit flat.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to fold a fitted sheet?
Nest the four corners inside one another, lay the sheet flat, tuck the elastic edge in to make a rectangle, then fold in thirds. The nesting step is the one that matters — everything after it is ordinary folding.
Do you have to fold a fitted sheet inside out?
Yes, start with the wrong side facing you. The corner pockets need to face towards you so you can drop one inside the next. Starting right side out means the pockets face away and the corners will not nest.
How do you fold a fitted sheet so it lies flat?
The elastic edge is what stops it lying flat, so tuck it inwards once the corners are nested. Squaring the sheet off into a proper rectangle before the first fold makes far more difference than how many times you fold it afterwards.
Should you iron a fitted sheet?
Most people do not need to. Take it out of the dryer promptly while it is still slightly warm and smooth it flat with your hands, and the creases fall out on their own. There is more on this in our flat vs fitted sheet guide.
How often should you wash a fitted sheet?
Once a week is the usual advice, and every two weeks at the outside. A fitted sheet is in direct contact with skin all night, which is why keeping a second one in the cupboard is worth it — you can strip the bed and remake it in the same five minutes.
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