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Tired of messy stacks of sweaters always falling over in your closet? Here’s how to fold sweaters so they stay nice and tidy.
I’ll admit that my laundry-folding game has always been all about speed. That definitely gets the laundry done every day and put away, but the results aren’t always the prettiest. The one thing that I always make a point of keeping tidy, though, is my sweater shelf. At one point, I just got so tired of those stacks of sweaters falling over and making everything look cluttered that I decided it was time to learn how to fold sweaters “properly,” and it was actually so satisfying. I love to see pretty, tidy stacks of all my favorite sweaters waiting for me in my closet, and the best part is that it really doesn’t take any longer to fold a sweater properly compared to folding it any which way.
Whether you keep all the garments in your wardrobe, from pants to jeans to shirts to skirts, perfectly folded at all times, or whether you only take special care with your favorite wool sweater drawer, you’ll agree that this little trick fortifying up really does make life a little bit simpler.
Read next: How to Properly Fold Socks
Step One for an Organized Closet: Declutter Your Sweaters
Of course, you can’t escape the fact that if you just have too many sweaters, your closet is never going to look tidy, and you’re always going to have a bit of a frustrating time when you go to choose just the right piece for your chilly day outfit.
The key to making your life easier in this area is to own only sweaters that you love and use. Those ones that you reach for again and again because they just feel right. A big part of the stress of getting dressed comes from rooting through all the things that you don’t want to wear to get to the ones that you do. So just get those in-the-way items out of the way, and when you put your perfectly folded sweaters back in your closet, you’ll breathe a great big sigh of relief.
If you’re not quite sure how to decide which items to keep, or you feel like you might not be ready to get rid of some pieces, I highly recommend Courtney Carver’s Project 333 to help you ease your way through the process without completely committing to getting rid of everything right away.
More tricks for easy garment care: The Rubber Glove Trick for Wool Jackets
How to Fold Sweaters Perfectly
Start with a clean sweater and a flat surface. I have a nice laundry room counter that I like to use for folding smaller things right out of the dryer, but for larger items, I like to use a larger surface like a bed or a big kitchen table so I can really spread out.
Lay your sweater face-down on your surface and smooth it out so it lies completely flat without any lumps, bumps, or hidden folds. For hooded knitwear, fold the hood down and flatten it to remove any wrinkles. If you’re working with a cardigan, button it up and then fold it according to the folding method below.
Fold in one side of the sweater, with the sleeve extending straight out and across the other side, leaving about 2 inches of shoulder space next to the collar.
Next, fold the sleeve down again over itself, lining it up so it’s perpendicular and aligns with the edge of the body of your sweater.
Distribute the Bulkiness For a Tidy Sweater Pile
Repeat the same thing exactly on the other side. The two sides should overlap, and this will help distribute the bulk of the sweater and help you create a flat, level top for your final folded article. This will help with keeping your sweaters neat and in a straight stack as you place them on top of each other.
Folding using this method helps to distribute the bulkiness of the sweater evenly, so you avoid areas that are a lot higher than others, thus compromising the structural integrity of your sweater stack when you stack them up vertically. If you’ve ever quickly folded three or more sweaters and tried to stack them up, you know what I mean. It doesn’t end well.
Completing the Sweater Fold
Now, all you need to do is finish it up!
Fold the bottom of the sweater about halfway up, then fold again, bringing the bottom all the way up to the top of the collar. Flip your sweater over and admire your work!
This little chore really works for keeping your sweater shelves or drawers much nicer-looking and easier to navigate when you’re trying to find just the right thing to keep you cozy.
Try it out on your next laundry day or for a new year closet organizing refresh.
It’s the little things that make a big difference, and this is one little thing that makes a difference to me. 🙂
Do you have a sweater organizing trick that works really well that we all need to know about?
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.