There are a few housekeeping mysteries that we may never fully grasp, such as where do the odd socks go, how to finally get rid of cupboard moths for good and the art of folding a fitted sheet.
Folding a flat sheet is tricky enough if you are not blessed with long limbs, nor have have a trusty helper to get the edges perfectly aligned and the folds crisp, but add a rim of elastic and it becomes damn near impossible to get it right.
Every week (or two depending on your personal sheet sanitation management) as you fold your clean sheets you set out with the best intentions, finding the corner seams and dutifully drawing them together but when it comes to the second fold suddenly it just becomes easier to bundle that traitorous cloth into a ball and stuff it deep into the linen cupboard.
This was housekeeping extraordinare and blogger at [BabyMac]( http://www.baby-mac.com/|target=”_blank”), Beth MacDonald’s, technique too until she experienced a shift in her domestic priorities.
“Something happened to me when I turned 35, where I started caring about homewares and spending money on linen rather than shoes. Because I started spending money on a high end thread counts so I wanted to make sure I looked after it,” Beth says.
Beth admits before this newfound love of thread count she was as disorganised as the rest of us but after seeing Martha Stewart nailing the fitted sheet folding technique, Beth was inspired to perfect her own technique and her linen cupboard has never looked more organised.
Although some people can master it whilst standing up, Beth’s technique involves creating a large space on the floor to lay your sheet out, but however you get the job done you will reap the benefits of the smug sensation of custodial organisation.
“A ball of sheet will take up much more space than a sheet that has been folded properly so that would be the number one reason to do it,” Beth says. “Also, placing the folded flat and fitted sheets into the pillow case is great for organisation. It’s just easier when you look into the cupboard and you grab one thing, rather than rummaging through to find the bits and pieces.”
Life is too short for ironing sheets in many people’s estimation, however if you get your folding sorted correctly you will never need to climb into rumpled sheets again.
“A sheet in a dryer will always crumple no matter how well you fold that sheet, so if you were anal you would have to iron that, but if you have a sheet straight off the line, folded straight away it’s the same as ironing. The warmth of the sun becomes your natural iron.”
Watch Beth’s video to unveil the mystery of the fitted sheet, or follow our step-by-step guide.
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