Unclutterer

1. Posted by Joyful Abode: Domesticity by Trial and Error - 09/08/2008

   Wow, the lady in the folding-a-shirt-really-small method must have a lot of time to fold! She smoothed that shirt about 28 times.

2. Posted by Fit Bottomed Girls - 09/08/2008

   My problem isn’t folding them, it’s keeping them nice and folded after storing them. Because, of course, whatever T-shirt I want is ALWAYs at the bottom of the pile and I have problems digging to get it without messing up the rest of them. Obviously storage, not folding, is my issue.

3. Posted by Dorothy - 09/08/2008

   Two thoughts:

   First, get rid of some of your t-shirts. If you have too many for your space, how often do you really wear and enjoy them? One way to enjoy them but get them OUT of the closet is to make quilts from them. Here’s one link to a quilter who will turn your t-shirts into quilts:
   http://www.tshirtquilt.com/
   I just selected that link randomly from a Google search. There are scads of quilters who offer this service. The prices seem to range from around $10 – $25 per t-shirt.

   Second, if you REALLY cannot bear to give up your t-shirts, double-hang them:
   http://www.organize.com/adcldo.html
   You can effectively double the number of t-shirts you can hang on a given length of closet rod with a device like this.

   Cheers!

4. Posted by Mike - 09/08/2008

   Sic ‘em, Bears!

5. Posted by eternalvoyageur - 09/08/2008

   How to fold a T-shirt in 2 seconds:
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An0mFZ3enhM

   Warning: it´s addictive !

6. Posted by Erin Doland - 09/08/2008

   @Joyful Abode — Seriously! I thought the same thing. She was very interested in those top shoulder seams being perfectly aligned. Too funny.

   @eternalvoyageur — You realize that is the exact video we linked to in the third paragraph of the article, right?

7. Posted by Joe - 09/08/2008

   I use the 2 second method plus I fold it in half again, this helps to keep the shirts folded while on the shelf.

8. Posted by CAB - 09/08/2008

   I bought the flip fold about a year ago and I love it. http://www.flipfold.com/ You might think of it as a unitasker but I love it because it folds everything uniformly and neatly and since it folds flat for storage, it’s easily slid away under a bed or behind a dresser or left in the laundry room.

   But I also agree with FitBottomedGirls. The shirt I want to wear is ALWAYS at the bottom of my nicely folded piles!

9. Posted by laura - 09/08/2008

   I must add my 2 cents here: I fold my T-shirts into rolls. It works especially well for storing a lot of shirts in a drawer. You fold the sleeves in as you would regularly folding, but instead of making a large rectangle in the end, you simple roll it up: like a sleeping bag! The you can put the rolls in your drawer and see all your shirts in a line. and surprisingly, if done right, they don’t get that wrinkled. I use this method when packing too. My pilot father (who has lived a LOT out of a suitcase) taught me that method.

10. Posted by jon - 09/08/2008

    I roll my t shirts up too, but after I fold them into quarters. This is probably poor form since it leaves a vertical and horizontal crease, and since I don’t waste any time on that stupid habit of ironing, I don’t care.

    I have a sort of plastic shelf thinbg from Ikea all my different Ts go in that. Now I can easily spot the one I want, and pull it out without messing the others.

    I also roll my underpants this way, which saves so much space in the draw.

11. Posted by brooks - 09/08/2008

    The problem I have with the folding lady is that her method will put a crease right down the middle of the shirt…

12. Posted by infmom - 09/08/2008

    My husband’s first job was working in a clothing store so he’s a real expert at folding stuff. Fortunately, he hates having laundry sit in the basket, so he’s eager to snag all those shirts and deal with them. Problem solved. *laugh*

    I’ve watched that two-minute video repeatedly (I think Lifehacker linked to it a while back) but I haven’t been able to actually get it to work properly yet.

13. Posted by ael - 09/08/2008

    To deal with the ‘t-shirt I want is on the bottom’ issue, I keep all my foldable clothes in bins on shelves instead of a dresser. The t-shirts go into the bin in a stack, but they’re on end, so it’s easy to identify the shirts by the folded edge, and I just pull out the one I want without disarranging the others.

    For my clothes that are bulkier or less even (wrinkle-free shirts, skirts, and dresses), I use the roll-up method.

14. Posted by Katy - 09/08/2008

    You know, I count on you guys to help me keep my s**t together. I just waisted the last 15 minutes folding my t-shirt and making a t-shirt out of a dollar bill. I’m at work. I better put my t-shirt back on before anyone walks in.

15. Posted by verily - 09/08/2008

    I find the 2 second version too difficult to happen in 2 seconds. And it leaves one of the sleeves on the bottom from the looks of it, so it seems more likely to fall apart.

    I can fold one of my t-shirts in about that much time the normal way by folding in the sides and folding in half. They may not be crisp lines but it fits in my drawer. Then again, I suppose my t-shirts are mostly smaller shirts cut for women, so there’s less fabric to deal with.

16. Posted by Dorothy - 09/08/2008

    @CAB, yes, the FlipFold is a Unitasker. Nevertheless, if someone thinks s/he wants one, try making your own before you plunk down the bucks, viz.:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqq8eAl5Xyk
    (and several others — search on “t-shirt folding machine).

    Cheers!

17. Posted by sm - 09/08/2008

    @ fit bottomed girls–I used to have the same problem messing up all my t-shirts trying to get to the one on the bottom. For me, it wasn’t a question of excess, but one of access. I recently started stacking them vertically in old shoeboxes within my drawers, like a file drawer. They actually stay up pretty well, and I always know at a glance what’s in there and what is in the laundry.

18. Posted by Chris - 09/08/2008

    When I was at basic training for the air force. We had to fold our shirts so perfectly it is not even funny. We had to make sure all the folds looked the same. and for the ends of the shirt had to look like a book. It was insane. But I tell you what for taking each shirt and folding them for 15 min is time consuming. I still have a few that I saved that are still folded and they don’t have any problems. It is similar to the way stores fold them but they all have to be a certain width and length. But good luck with the folding thing. I think if you have a problem with hanging them then you need a bigger closet or sell some of them.

19. Posted by Laura - 09/08/2008

    I have found that using a medium sized cutting board works perfectly. I lay the t-shirt face down, and put the cutting board on top at the neckline, evenly between the sleeves. I then fold in the sleeves and sides, fold up the bottom, and slide the cutting board out from the top. Makes most t-shirts the same size for easy stacking.

    You may want to use a larger cutting board for men and/or older teen boys.

    Then, take the cutting board back into the kitchen, cut up some limes, sit back and enjoy a margarita!

20. Posted by Mike Dunham - 09/08/2008

    I throw them all into a deep drawer on my bureau. They’re T-shirts, for God’s sake. If I’m wearing it under my clothes, I don’t care if it’s wrinkled. If it’s going to be my only layer, then I hang it up in the bathroom while I take my morning shower, and the bigger wrinkles go away.

21. Posted by Eden - 09/08/2008

    I use a Flip N Fold. I use it for all kinds of laundry, it makes everything a uniform width and makes for more effective storage of everything from t-shirts to towels.

22. Posted by Greg - 09/08/2008

    I also purchased the flip fold this past year. My wife and kids thought it was pretty silly(I do most of the laundry). We use this device at the store I work at. Now everyone likes their shirts folded with it. They all are uniform and perfect It stores in right next to the dryer so as the t-shirts come out they are quickly folded and put away.

23. Posted by Haley W. - 09/08/2008

    I run a clothing retail operation, and we use flip-folds (you can buy them at http://www.flip-fold.com) to fold all of our t-shirts. Easier than wrestling tees around clipboards and cardboard cutouts.

24. Posted by Michael@ Awareness * Connection - 09/09/2008

    I use a folding card dealie that comes with the Eagle Creek Pack It Folder for long sleeved shirts for trips. http://www.eaglecreek.com/acce.....g_folders/ It works essentially the way that Laura describes using her cutting board, but likely thinner and smoother so it slides right out. It would work for t-shirts too.

    I was fascinated with that video when I first saw it a couple of months back. I agree with what someone said before. One sleeve just sits on the bottom and the whole thing comes apart easily. It is a nice party trick though.

25. Posted by Keter - 09/09/2008

    I have a lot of tees, too, both cotton ones and synthetic ones to wear to work with jackets. I have a method that goes quickly and doesn’t leave wrinkles. I also have the perfect storage solution.

    Take your tee by the hem with the front facing you and shake it out. Drape the top of the shirt onto the table or bed you are using for folding. Usually the sleeves will fall more or less like they should. Without fussing over it, just fold the shirt in half so that the hem is mostly aligned with the shoulders. You can do this in one motion, and it produces a horizontal fold. Now fold the folded edge that is closest to you up again to the hem/shoulder, another horizontal fold. You’ll have a short shirt with sleeves sticking out. Now grab one sleeve and fold it toward the middle. You want the end of the sleeve to be about on the centerline of the shirt. This produces a vertical fold. Do the same with the other sleeve. Now pick up one of the sleeve folds and fold again vertically so that the two sleeve folds are aligned. You end up with a really small folded shirt that has the front design visible and no hard creases that are likely to ruin the design.

    Your small folded shirt now fits perfectly in rectangular storage boxes. (You probably will have to adjust your folding a little to accommodate differences in shirt sizes and container sizes.) I currently used nylon collapsible boxes from Ikea in a Malm dresser, and have used plain plastic shoe boxes that set on shelves. Either will work; you want to put the shirts into the container with the shirt flat to the short side of the container and the last fold facing up. You’ll get 4-7 shirts in a box depending on material thickness. Using this method and containerizing the results, you can fit up to 30 shirts into one relatively wide dresser drawer, and you can quickly locate and retrieve any particular shirt you want. I do the same thing with bulkier foldables like sweaters, and just use slightly wider boxes.

    If your shirts are completely dry (and not too hot from the dryer – if they’re hot, lay them flat until they cool) when you fold them, they will not wrinkle significantly even if you don’t smooth out the wrinkles. With practice, it takes me about 5 minutes to fold 20 shirts, and less than one minute to put them away.

26. Posted by Gabriel - 09/09/2008

    I suggest growing up. I quit wearing t-shirts regularly when I graduated college. Now I don’t look like a slob all the time.

    Plus, the whole “let’s collect a bunch of t-shirts” is a fad that’s disapearing quick.

27. Posted by Erin Doland - 09/09/2008

    @Gabriel — I think how you choose to live your life and treat others says a great deal more about a person’s adulthood than his or her decision to wear a t-shirt. I will contend that I don’t look like a slob, and I wear t-shirts every day. Even to work. Even in my professional headshots that appear over at RealSimple.com (http://simplystated.realsimple.....land.html). If my mechanic wore an oxford from Brooks Brothers or Pink, I would think he was inappropriately dressed to do his job. Making harsh and rude judgments about people seems to me to be more juvenile than a t-shirt.

28. Posted by Molly - 09/09/2008

    I just switched all my husband’s band shirts from hanging to drawers, or should I say drawer. I used the “2-second” method, but then folded the shirts in half (hamburger-style, for lack of a better word) so they won’t fall apart when picked up. Then I squished them vertically in a drawer so he can see exactly which shirt is which. I fit about 30 shirts perfectly in one dresser drawer.

29. Posted by Jeff Flowers - 09/10/2008

    I don’t fold my clothes anymore. I keep all of my clothes on hangers, except for my socks and underware, which I keep in two clear plastic tubs in the bottom of my closet. I refuse to own a dresser.

30. Posted by Joseph - 09/10/2008

    That’s one decrepit, abused baylor shirt there! Who’s is that?

31. Posted by Scott James - 09/10/2008

    Who’s the Baylor alum?

32. Posted by Emily - 09/16/2008

    @Kathy – I never post to unclutterer but I have break with tradition to say that was the funniest post I’ve ever seen on this site. I laughed until I cried! Hope no one walked in on you. I suggest it should go in an “All Time Funniest Post” section.

    Since I’m here, I might was well point @Joseph and @Scott James to this article that will explain the Baylor shirt. http://unclutterer.com/2007/08.....rom-stuff/

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