Folding a fitted sheet is one of life's biggest mysteries. It can be incredibly frustrating to get everything smooth and neat and it never again looks like it did when you first took the sheets out of the package.
I've learned that there are three ways to accomplish this task.
Fold it like a flat sheet.....
Roll the sheet into a ball and toss it into the closet.....
Or fold it correctly like Martha Stewart would.
This post started the other day as I was folding sheets that had been drying on the clothesline. Don't sheets dried naturally smell so fresh? One of the many perks of summer.
Anyways, maybe everyone already knows how to fold a fitted sheet, but it was a tip I was excited to learn many years ago. And as you know, I enjoy sharing little bits of information like that with you.
But as I tried to actually photograph the steps of folding the sheets (and not doing it well, I might add) I realized that tip has already been done and done well by Martha. There is no reason to do it again unless it could be done better. What hasn't been explained is why anyone should even care about how to do it.
I'm a little OCD about a lot of homekeeping tasks and folding sheets is one of them. The look of a neatly stacked pile of bedding is worth the little bit of extra time that it takes to get it that way. It drives me nuts to see the sheets folded haphazardly just to get the job done. Not everyone is like me, though, and I know many of you are saying that it really doesn't matter what happens to the sheets after they are washed.
And maybe it doesn't.
But humor me for a moment......
Many years ago, women were expected to stay home and tend to the house and the family. Daily chores and tasks were done. Proper meals were prepared. People had fewer possessions to take care of, and the internet and cell phones were not around to distract anyone. Women took pride in having a clean home and in doing their job well. And people were happier....or at least that's what it seems like on old TV shows.
Now, both women and men work. We have a LOT of stuff in our homes. Technology gets our focus. And we are doing SOMETHING constantly.....normally not because we want to, but we feel that we have to. There really isn't a lot of time to relax, and household chores are normally done just to get them done.
Properly folding your sheets and placing them on a shelf honestly does not take any longer than the ball rolling method. But they look neater. More can be stored on the shelf. And the sheets are ready to go for the next time you change the bed.....sans the wrinkles that will form from the other method :)
And you don't need a special place to lay the sheet out, so don't even try to use a lack of space as an excuse! The kitchen table or your bed will do.
When the fitted sheet is folded it should really look no different from the folded flat sheet. Can you tell which is which?
The biggest reason for taking the time to fold them correctly is the satisfaction of a job well done. The feeling you get knowing that you slowed down for just a moment to do a chore for more than just getting it finished. The world seems all about living intentionally right now and this is one of those chances to choose doing something right and taking some pride in that.
And doesn't that properly folded stack of sheets just make you smile?
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