Folding without piles

Short answer: Fold straight from the drying rack instead of gathering everything into a pile first. The pile is where folding gets put off until the next day. When each item is folded as it comes down, the job is done in a few minutes.

Fold as you take down

Each item is handled once instead of twice. Take an item off the rack, fold it and place it on its stack before you take the next. It takes no longer than dropping it in a basket, and the work is done at the same time. Underwear such as a bamboo bra can be put away directly so it keeps its shape.

The pile is the enemy

A pile on the bed gets moved to a chair and forgotten. Once the clothes are lying together, it is easy to put the job off, and later often turns into the next wash. Meanwhile the clothes crease, and clean gets mixed with worn. Even simple items like bamboo t-shirts for women end up with creases they did not have.

Sort into categories at once

One stack per drawer makes putting away quick. As you fold, put t-shirts in one stack, underwear in another and socks in a third. When the rack is empty, carry each stack straight to its drawer. Pair socks at once, especially if you have several matching pairs of bamboo socks.

Why the pile stays put

The job looks big when everything lies together. Ten items on a line look small, a pile looks overwhelming, even though it is the same clothes. That is why it is easier to start when you take one item at a time. You finish before the job has a chance to feel heavy, and there is never a pile to put off.

Have a flat surface by the rack

It goes faster when you have a flat surface to fold on right next to the rack. It can be a chest of drawers, a table or the bed if the rack stands in the bedroom. Then you do not have to walk back and forth with each item. The stacks stay in place while you work, and you can see how much is left.

Bras and soft underwear

A bra should not be folded like a t-shirt. Place the cups inside each other and tuck the straps in, so the shape is kept. Briefs and other soft underwear can be folded small or rolled so they take up less space in the drawer. It takes a moment longer, but everything lies neatly and is easy to find in the morning.

Carry the stacks away at once

When the rack is empty, carry the stacks to the drawers and put them away straight away. A stack of clean clothes on a chest of drawers easily becomes a new pile. Put the fresh clothes at the bottom of the drawer and move the older ones up, so you wear everything evenly. That way no item wears out faster than the rest.

A few minutes each time

Once you are used to folding straight from the rack, it rarely takes more than a few minutes. The clothes are smooth because they never lay in a pile, and the drawers stay tidy. The result is that the laundry is finished when the clothes are dry, not a couple of days later.

Frequently asked questions

How do you avoid the pile of clean laundry

Fold straight from the drying rack. Each item is then handled once, and there is never a pile to put off until the next day.

Why does the pile stay put

Because the job looks big when everything lies together. Ten items on a line look small, while a pile looks overwhelming, even though it is the same clothes.

What is the fastest order

Sort into one stack per drawer as you take things down. Each stack can then be carried straight over and put away without handling the clothes again.