How To Properly Fold A Pillowcase

Washing, drying, and folding your bedsheets is a never-ending but highly necessary cycle. As Sleep Foundation points out, you should be washing your sheets at least once a week, since they very quickly collect lots of dirt, oil, dead skin, and other grime throughout the week — most of which also leave behind a foul odor if not addressed quickly.

The washing and drying part is rarely the issue, though. In fact, the most time-consuming aspect is the folding, but that doesn't make it any less important. While it may not seem necessary for the purposes of cleanliness and freshness, this is the best way to keep them wrinkle-free and your linen closet organized, per Anderson and Grant.

Most organization experts recommend either folding sheet sets together or tucking your sheets into one pillowcase. But what should you do with stray or extra pillowcases that don't belong to a set? Keep reading to learn the best way to fold a pillowcase.

On its own, folding a pillowcase may seem rather straightforward, and in many ways, it is. Since the cases are made of such a thin and flimsy material, they can actually be a bit more difficult to fold than something with more density, like a flat or fitted sheet. The goal is for it to hold its fold, meaning it needs to be compact without being bulky.

To do this, Life on Summer Hill says to begin by folding the pillowcase in half width-wise, so that the bottom seam touches the open end. Lay it flat on a surface, like a coffee table, dining table, or bed, to smooth out the wrinkles, and then fold it in half the same way again. 

Additionally, use the edge of your hand to help sharpen the crease as you fold. When you're left with one long rectangle, fold it into thirds lengthwise, again taking time to smooth out the folds and creases. Either place the pillowcase with a stack of matching sheets or store it in your linen closet.

Another option for folding and storing pillowcases — and subsequently all your sheets — is through the KonMari method. The technique was developed by Marie Kondo, author of the groundbreaking organization book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," which details a process for decluttering and simplifying your life.

While Kondo is best known for her message of retaining only what sparks joy, she also pioneered a fantastic, universal method for folding everything from shirts, socks, and underwear to towels and linens alike. The basic goal of the KonMari method is to get everything folded thick, but neatly, enough that it can stand up vertically in a drawer or basket, per KonMari. 

This isn't dissimilar to the previous method, with A to Zen Life explaining that the basic rule is to fold each item into neat rectangles by folding in halves and then thirds. The difference here, though, is that you would add another half-fold before your final three-panel fold, allowing the pillowcase to stand vertically in a basket or bin in a linen closet alongside other sheets and linens.