When it comes to folding towels, there is no right or wrong method — it is all about what works for you. More often than not, what works for you will be determined by the size of the space that you are working with. One way to ensure that a small bathroom feels clean is by making sure your towels are nicely organized and folded (rather than in a heap on the floor).
Natasha Swingler, organizational expert and founder of Effective Spaces, has a plethora of ways to fold and organize towels. And you've probably come across quite a few options across TikTok and Instagram for folding towels like it's your hobby. To avoid overwhelm and fold towels in a way that's perfect for storing in small spaces, we asked Swingler to give us a simple how-to tutorial. Here is how to fold towels in seconds and give your bathroom the five-star hotel treatment.
Good to know
Time: Under 10 minutes (well, depends how many towels you have!)
Difficulty: Easy
Helpful hints: Space can be an issue and Swingler herself doesn’t have a dedicated linen closet. Therefore, she doesn’t have room to stack her towels in size order, nor shelf dividers to separate them to mimic all of those gorgeous Pinterest images we are all familiar with. Whenever Swingler organizes anything, she always tries to avoid stacking items in piles, especially when it comes to organizing items that are similar but arrive in different sizes.
She is also a huge advocate of keeping things close to where you use them, as this saves time. As she keeps her bed sheets in drawers under the bed so that they are close at hand when the time comes for swapping them for fresh ones.
How to fold towels
Step 1: Fold in half
The tuck-fold method is a very simple and effective way to fold towels. Start by laying your towel out on a flat surface and folding it in half.
Step 2: Fold again
Take the edges that have the seams and fold that back towards the center over two thirds of the towel.
Step 3: Fold over length-wise again
Bring the other side over again, which will turn your towel into a longer, vertical strip.
Step 4: Choose your size and fold up accordingly
Now we are working from the other side, as this next fold will determine the size of the final product. If you need a smaller-sized end product just make this fold smaller. If you have space, feel free to make a looser fold. Either fold or roll the towel up and tuck it into the other end.
Step 5: Store your towels
The beauty of this fold is that it can be customized to suit any sized space and if you find yourself searching the space for something, then at least your towels won’t unravel and you won’t have to waste time resetting your space. With this method, you could store towels vertically so you’re able to see all of them. In addition, you’ll have easier access to your towels.
FAQs
Is it better to roll or fold towels?
Folding and rolling your towels are both perfectly good options. What you will want to avoid is over-piling items. This is one of the reasons your space can become a mess in an instant. Instead, roll and place your towels next to each other or fold them and stack in short piles.
What is the correct way to fold a towel?
There is no correct way, but if you want the easiest way to fold towels and have some extra space, Swingler suggests the following method: 1. Fold the towel in half lengthways. Leave a small gap of about an inch at the end. 2. Fold the towel in half again, once again leaving a small gap. 3. Now working the other way, you could either fold the towel in half, if you have a larger surface area that you are working with, or fold the towel down in thirds, and viola!
What is the best way to store towels without a closet?
No closet, no problem — you can use a variety of methods to store towels. Swingler is extremely limited on storage space in her own bathroom and doesn’t store towels in cupboards or closets. Instead, she just rolls the towels and stores fresh ones using a towel holder on the back of the door. She also uses removable hooks to hang up towels.
