Comments on: Reader question: How to fold a t-shirt

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:43:50 +0000

@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/

By: Scott James

Scott James — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:29:17 +0000

Who’s the Baylor alum?

By: Joseph

Joseph — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:08:07 +0000

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

By: Jeff Flowers

Jeff Flowers — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:34:53 +0000

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.

By: Molly

Molly — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:19:32 +0000

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.

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:19:28 +0000

@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.....oland.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.

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:04:00 +0000

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.

By: Keter

Keter — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:10:46 +0000

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.

By: Michael@ Awareness * Connection

Michael@ Awareness * Connection — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:18:03 +0000

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.

By: Haley W.

Haley W. — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:33:56 +0000

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.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:31:43 +0000

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.

By: Eden

Eden — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:10:57 +0000

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.

By: Mike Dunham

Mike Dunham — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:26:55 +0000

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.

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:59:43 +0000

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!

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:39:31 +0000

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.