Imagine you are opening your closet, or unpacking a suitcase after a trip, and you see the rows of neatly folded clothes. Nice, isn’t it? Now you can quickly find and put on the necessary item of clothing, and you don’t have to waste your time on ironing. But sometimes we are too lazy to fold every item properly, and we do not always have enough time to do that. Fortunately, there are many life hacks now, there are a lot of simple techniques that can save you a lot of time. There are several simple ways of quickly folding a t-shirt.
The classic way
It allows you to fold t-shirts into a neat square that does not take up much space in the closet, and does not wrinkle. To fold like this, please spread out the t-shirt on the table, fold it in half to match the sleeves with each other. Straighten the folds with your hands. Fold the sleeves over the t-shirt.
The lower part is folded up to the top. Now all that’s left is folding it in half one more time.
How to quickly fold a t-shirt using the Chinese method
This method allows you to quickly fold the t-shirt at three points. It takes less than two seconds to fold one item using this method. It can take more time, and the result won’t be quite that perfect the first or second time around, but after a few attempts, you will be able to fold the short blindfolded.
Clothes that are folded this a way don’t take up much space, and will never wrinkle in the process of storage in the closet. Use smaller t-shirts the first time you’re trying this folding technique.
Spread the t-short you selected out on a hard and flat surface. You can use the table, ironing board, or even the floor. First, the t-shirt is turned on the right side and placed flat on the table.
Mentally draw a line between the neck and sleeve (this is about the middle of the shoulder seam). Mentally extend a straight line to the bottom. The first pinching point is the middle of the shoulder seam, and the third is the bottom edge. The middle of the imaginary drawn line is the second pinching point.
Hold the fabric at the first pinching point with your left hand, and in the second point with your right hand. You need to make sure that you take hold of both layers of fabric. Run your left hand under the right hand to the third point, don’t release the fabric. Grab the edge of the fabric on the imaginary line, without releasing the shoulder seam.
And the last step is to return the left hand to its original position. The fabric is lifted and lightly shaken to lay down as needed. After that, just fold the second sleeve.
How to fold a t-shirt using cardboard
This is not as quick a method as the Chinese one, but it is very neat. This method is used in stores to store clothes. It can be used to fold shirts or hoodies with long sleeves.
This method requires an A4-sized piece of cardboard, or hardcover a magazine. The selected item is placed face down on a horizontal surface. Place the prepared cardboard in the center. The top edge of the paper should be level with the collar.
Fold one side of the shirt, and place it on top of the cardboard. Fold the sleeve back. Do the same thong on the other side. The next step is to fold the bottom portion up. This way, the fabric is wrapped around cardboard. You can pull the piece of cardboard out by pulling towards the collar. If you store the item with the cardboard still inside, it is guaranteed not to wrinkle.
Do not start folding clothes immediately after ironing. Hot fabric will easily form creases along the lines of folds, which will be difficult to iron later.
There is another method of folding using cardboard. It is faster than the previous one, but it requires some preparations.
First, you need to make a device that will conduct this entire operation. It is made of 6 identical square pieces of cardboard or plastic. The surface of the device is adjusted according to your clothing size, or you can use a universal one of 23 cm x 31 cm.
Put the squares in 2 rows with 3 pieces in each row. Attach the middle square of the first row with other squares on the right, left and below using sticky tape. Attach the squares on the sides of the first row to the ones at the bottom along the sides where they meet.
The resulting contraption is laid out on the table. Place your T-shirts on it face down. Fold the left side to the center along with the fabric in it. Bend the cardboard back out, leaving the fabric folded. Repeat the same on the right side.
After that, all you have to do is fold the lower part. Put away the folded t-shirt, and then you can stretch another one on cardboard.
Marie condo roll
The Japanese method developed by Marie Kondo allows you to store things in the closet that are not stacked in piles, but are rather standing upright like books on the bookshelf. The main convenience of this method is that the clothes do not collapse if you pull one thing out of the middle of the row.
The t-shirt is placed on the table face up. Bend the sleeve and 10-15 cm of the side of the shirt to the center. Flatten it out. Gently bend the sleeve back. Repeat on the other side. The result should look like a long rectangle.
Fold the lower third part up to the center twice. Fold the resulting strip in half. When folded, a piece of clothing looks like a small book.
How to store t-shirts in the closet neatly
The traditional way of storing clothes is folded into neat piles on the shelves of the closet, or in the drawers of the dresser. However, this option is not too convenient, as the piles can easily collapse.
T-shirts stored and folded in the special Japanese method will stand up straight like books on the shelf.
Those who like to hang clothes in the closet on hangers can use the method of hanging with a chain. Attach a long chain to the first hanger, and hang all the other hangers on its links. That way, the hangers do not take too much space basically hang on top of each other.
Another option for compact storage is placing rolled t-shirts in boxes.
How to fold a Polo shirt
You can’t apply neither the Kondo method, nor the three-point method to Polo shirts. The collar, which is considered their distinctive feature, will not allow effective use of any of the quick ways on these shirts.
Use either the cardboard method or the classic folding method for Polo shirts .
Spread the shirt out face down on a flat surface, smooth out all the folds, and straighten the collar. Mentally divide the t-shirt’s length into three equal parts. Fold a third of the fabric on the left side inward on the back of the item. Straighten the collar, fold the sleeve down. Repeat with the other side.
The resulting smooth rectangle is divided into 3 parts once again. Fold the lower part towards the back. The resulting rectangle is folded in half. Make sure to smooth the collar again when you’re done to avoid the creases forming.
How to pack clothes in a suitcase
Use a special rolling method to avoid things wrinkling in a suitcase while traveling, and so they don’t take up too much space in it.
Straighten your clothes on a flat surface, smooth all folds and creases out with your hands. Fold 10-15 cm of the fabric from the bottom up. Mentally divide the t-shirt into three parts, and fold both sides in to the center, as if folding with the classic method.
Then gently roll the resulting rectangle into a tight roll from the collar to the bottom of the piece. When you’re done rolling, fix the roll with the fold y at the bottom you made in the beginning.
Using the rolling method allows you to pack your clothes in a suitcase very compactly, and they do not wrinkle during transportation.
In a simpler version, the t-shirt is folded up at the bottom, and then folded in half parallel to the side seams. The sleeves are gently folded in the opposite direction, so they do not appear over the edge of the t-shirt. Then the item is rolled from top to bottom, and fixated.