Any short sleeve shirt can be folded with this simple method. While your first try may take longer than two seconds, you'll love the way it folds once you get the hang of it. Take a few minutes to learn this technique, and you'll save time and effort every time you fold your laundry. And after a little practice, you'll realize that these two-second folds aren't as great as you might think.
Step
Step 1. Place the clothes neatly
Place a t-shirt or other short-sleeved shirt on a flat surface such as a clean table, with the front of the shirt facing up. Stand with the neck of the shirt on your right side, and the bottom of the shirt on your left.
Step 2. Draw a line from the far shoulder to the bottom of the shirt
Draw a line across the shirt. One hem is on the part of the shoulder that is furthest from you, between the neck and the sleeves, and the line runs across the shirt in a straight line until it touches the bottom.
If you want, you can place a flat ribbon or a straight, bendable object on top of the shirt to trace where the lines are
Step 3. Pinch the midpoint of the line with your left hand
Find a point on an imaginary line that divides the shirt into two equal parts: the one on your right which consists of the neck and sleeves; and one on your left which consists of the bottom of the shirt. Use your left hand to reach this point and pinch the fabric between your fingers tightly. Make sure you clamp both the front and back of the shirt.
Don't think too much about finding the right center line, especially before you get the hang of it. You don't have to measure it exactly to make a neatly folded shirt
Step 4. Use your right hand to pinch the end line at the shoulder
Keep your left hand in place while doing this. The shoulder of the shirt should be to your right, so that at this point your arms are not crossed. Remember, the line is between the arm and the neck.
Again, make sure to staple the front and back of the fabric. Since this is the hem of the shirt, it should be easy to place the shirt between your fingers
Step 5. Move your right hand over the bottom left of the shirt
Keep the first clasp of your left hand in place. Lift your right hand, while clamping the shoulder, and move it directly over your left hand until it is at the bottom of the shirt. Your arms should now be crossed, with your right arm over your left arm.
Your right hand should move directly over your left in a straight line, and continue to the bottom of the shirt. This movement follows an imaginary line
Step 6. Use your hands to pinch the shoulders to also pinch the fabric at the bottom of the shirt
Extend your fingers so that you can grip the shoulders (which you have pinned) and the fabric at the hem of the shirt. Again, make sure you pin the front and back of the shirt.
Step 7. Uncross your arms and take the shirt
Keep a firm grip on both clothespins and uncross your arms while lifting the shirt off the surface. You should move your left hand through the two folds of the shirt hanging from your right hand during this uncrossing motion. If you uncross your sleeves by twisting the shirt, you're going to make a mess.
This is the part that is most prone to making your clothes messy. However, once you understand the type of movement you need to do, this step will become easy and fast
Step 8. Finish the pleats by lowering the shirt from the loose sleeves
If all else works, the folded square shirt should already be hanging from your hands with the loose sleeves hanging down. Lower the shirt back onto the table. The loose arm should touch the table first. Place the rest of the shirt on top of the loose sleeve so it's not visible from the front.
If the loose sleeves aren't completely hidden after you've lowered the shirt, it's easy to fold the sleeves under the shirt by hand
Step 9. Fold a few more shirts if you want to go faster
Now you have completed your first t-shirt fold with this method. If it only takes two seconds, congratulations! You are a great folder as well as a fast reader. Even if it only took you a few minutes to learn these folds, you're now done with the most difficult part. Fold a few more shirts and check your time. Once you get used to this system, you can fold piles of short-sleeved shirts more easily than you might think.
Step 10. Done
Tips
- Try reading the entire article before folding. Doing it step by step increases the difficulty.
- This method gets faster with practice. Don't expect the first few trials to be successful in 2 seconds, but 5 seconds should be achieved after a few outfits.
- If you find that your third clasp is “twisted” when you uncross your arms, try to turn your palms outward (away from you) when you collect the last clasp.
- Using fabric softener, either in the washer or tumble dryer, will remove static adhesion and make folding any garment easier.
- This method is also known as Japanese t-shirt folding.
