March 27, 2026
Folding laundry might feel like the least exciting part of the washing routine, but the way you fold and store your clothes has a genuine impact on how long they last, how tidy your drawers stay, and how much time you spend searching for things each morning. Good folding protects fabric structure, prevents unnecessary creasing, and helps colours stay vibrant over time. Combine the right folding technique with Sta-soft® fabric softener in your wash routine, and every item that comes out of your drawer will feel soft, smell fresh, and be ready to wear.
Folding and storing your clothes correctly does more than keep your wardrobe looking neat. It is one of the simplest ways to extend the life of your garments. Clothes that are bundled loosely into drawers or piled unevenly become misshapen over time, develop stubborn creases that are difficult to remove, and experience unnecessary stress on seams and fabric. A well-folded garment, by contrast, holds its shape, requires less ironing, and is easier to find when you need it.
Sta-soft® fabric softener supports your folding routine in a practical way. Added to the final rinse of every wash, it keeps fabric fibres supple and smooth, which reduces the static that causes clothes to cling together and makes garments noticeably easier to handle, lay flat, and fold neatly. It also helps protect colours from the friction of repeated washing, so the pieces you fold away stay looking their best for longer.
A tidy, well-organised closet saves time, reduces decision fatigue in the mornings, and makes it easier to see exactly what you have, reducing the risk of buying duplicates or forgetting pieces you already own.
Jeans and trousers are among the easiest garments to fold badly. A few extra seconds of care at the folding stage means they stack neatly, stay crease-free, and are easier to find in a full drawer.
Start by laying the pants or jeans on a flat surface, such as a bed or clean table. Run your hands firmly along the fabric to smooth out any wrinkles before you begin folding, as any creases you fold in at this stage will be set into the fabric in storage.
Fold one leg directly over the other, aligning the inseams and outseams precisely so the edges sit flush. This creates a clean, flat folded shape. Then fold the garment in half from the ankle end up toward the waistband, keeping the edges tidy and the fold line straight. For trousers with a sharp formal crease, press gently along the fold line with the palm of your hand before storing.
Avoid folding jeans more than twice. Too many folds create bulk, cause visible crease marks, and make the stacks in your drawer uneven and unstable. One or two folds are enough for most pants to stack cleanly.
Jeans and trousers washed with Sta-soft® are noticeably less stiff and easier to handle at the folding stage. The added softness means fabric lies flat naturally rather than springing back, which makes aligning seams and smoothing creases much quicker.
Underwear takes up more drawer space than it should when folded randomly. A consistent method keeps the drawer organised, protects the elastic, and means you can see everything at a glance rather than rummaging through a pile.
Lay each pair flat with the crotch facing down. Fold the crotch section upward toward the waistband, then fold each side panel in toward the centre so the underwear forms a neat rectangle. Finally, roll the rectangle up tightly from the waistband end and stand it upright in a drawer organiser or box. When multiple pairs are stored this way side by side, you can see every pair clearly without disturbing the rest.
Underwear washed with Sta-soft® has noticeably reduced static cling, which means each piece separates cleanly from the rest of the load and lies flat without sticking, making the folding process quicker and easier.
Bras need a different approach from other underwear, as improper storage can distort the cups and damage the underwire over time. The simplest and most effective method is to stack bras neatly by nesting the cups of one inside the cups of the next, keeping the shape of each cup supported rather than crushed flat.
Store stacked bras in a single layer in a dedicated drawer section or a small organiser box, laying them flat rather than folding them in half. Avoid cramming too many bras into a small space, as overcrowding crushes the cups and causes permanent deformation.
Bras and other delicate garments washed with Sta-soft® retain their softness and shape more effectively over time. Sta-soft® reduces the friction that causes delicate fabrics to stretch and wear, helping bras and fine underwear keep their intended shape for longer.
The vertical folding method, popularised by organising expert Marie Kondo, is one of the most useful changes you can make to the way you use drawer space. Instead of stacking clothes in flat horizontal piles (where you can only see the top item and have to dig through the rest to find what you want), clothes are folded into compact rectangles and stored upright, like files in a filing cabinet.
This approach has several practical advantages. You can see every item in a drawer at a single glance without disturbing anything. Clothes stay more evenly aired because there is space between each item. Nothing gets buried and forgotten at the bottom of the pile. And because you can see everything clearly, getting dressed in the morning becomes faster.
To fold for vertical storage, fold a garment in thirds lengthwise (or fold one side to the centre then fold the other side over), then fold in half or thirds along the width until you have a compact rectangle that stands on its edge without toppling. The exact number of folds will vary with the size of the garment, but the goal is always a rectangle that is roughly as tall as your drawer is deep when stored upright.
Clothes stored vertically also benefit more from the lasting freshness of Sta-soft® fabric softener, because the airflow around individual garments allows the fragrance to be appreciated each time you open the drawer. For tips on choosing a fragrance that suits your household, read our guide on finding your ideal laundry fragrance.
If uniformity matters to you, particularly for T-shirts, which are notoriously difficult to fold to a consistent size, a cardboard folding template is a simple and effective tool. Cut a piece of cardboard to your preferred folded T-shirt size (approximately 28 x 20 cm works well for most adult T-shirts), then use it as a guide: lay the shirt face down, place the template on top, fold the sides in over the template, fold up the bottom, then remove the template and fold the shirt in half.
Every shirt folded this way comes out exactly the same size, which means drawers stack perfectly and nothing topples or sags. Once you have the routine, it takes only a few seconds per shirt.
T-shirts rinsed in Sta-soft® lie flat more cooperatively during folding, with less static-driven bunching and a smooth, soft feel that makes handling and aligning edges straightforward. The result is a neater fold, every time.
Packing efficiently for travel is its own skill, and folding technique makes a significant difference to how much you can fit into a bag and how well your clothes arrive at the other end.
The roll method is ideal for most casual garments: T-shirts, jeans, shorts, leggings, socks, and light tops. Lay the item flat and fold lengthwise once (or twice for wider items like jeans), then roll tightly from one end to the other. Rolled items take up less space than folded ones, stack easily in any gap in your bag, and tend to arrive with fewer creases than flat-folded garments.
Garments treated with Sta-soft® are more pliable and roll more smoothly, resulting in a tighter, more compact roll that holds its shape in your bag and arrives at your destination with fewer travel wrinkles.
The bundle method is ideal for longer trips where you want to minimise wrinkles in smarter garments. Start by laying your largest, most crease-prone item (a pair of trousers or a skirt) flat. Layer progressively smaller items on top in the centre of the previous one. The final item in the centre of the stack is typically a soft bundle of underwear or socks. Wrap each outer layer around the inner bundle in reverse order, so the outermost layer wraps around everything else.
The result is a single compact bundle that takes up a square footprint in your suitcase and keeps each garment protected by the layers around it. Organising by outfit at the bundle stage means you simply unwrap the right bundle each day rather than searching through everything for matching pieces.
Sta-soft® keeps each item pliable and fresh, making the wrapping of each layer easier and more precise, and ensuring your travel clothes smell as good on day three of a trip as they did when you packed them.
The right physical storage setup makes a significant difference to how easily folding habits are maintained. Without a proper system, even well-folded clothes quickly become a disorganised pile.
Drawer dividers are the single most useful investment for a tidy wardrobe. They divide a large drawer into smaller sections, keeping different garment types separated and preventing the collapse of neatly folded piles when you reach into the drawer for one item. Adjustable dividers are available in a range of sizes and can be configured to suit whatever you are storing.
Storage boxes and lidded bins are ideal for seasonal items or pieces used less frequently. Storing winter knitwear in labelled boxes during summer, for example, frees up prime drawer space for the clothes you are actively using and keeps stored items clean and protected. Always store seasonal pieces clean, as any residue or staining that goes unaddressed during storage can set and become very difficult to remove.
Combining vertical folding techniques with drawer dividers and organised storage boxes is the approach that gets the best results. Each element reinforces the others: dividers keep vertical stacks from toppling, consistent folding makes the best use of divided sections, and dedicated storage keeps rarely used pieces out of the way without being lost.
Not all garments benefit from being folded. Knowing which items to fold and which to hang protects garments from unnecessary stress and saves drawer space at the same time.
Fold: Cotton T-shirts, jeans, casual trousers, knitwear, sweatshirts, underwear, socks, pyjamas, and sportswear. These garments are better stored flat where hanging would stretch them out of shape over time, particularly heavy knits and denim.
Hang: Blazers, structured jackets, dress shirts, formal trousers with creases, dresses, blouses, and any garment that creases easily when folded or needs to hold a specific shape. Use padded hangers for delicate items and woollen blazers, as wire hangers can leave shoulder marks and cause garments to lose their shape at the shoulders.
Heavy knits and delicate fabrics need extra consideration when folding and storing. A chunky wool sweater left hanging will stretch gradually under its own weight, distorting the shoulders and body of the garment permanently. These items should always be folded and stored flat.
To fold a heavy knit correctly, lay it face down on a flat surface and smooth it into its natural shape. Fold each sleeve in across the back of the sweater, then fold the body in thirds lengthwise so it forms a neat rectangle. Store flat, not upright, in a drawer or on a shelf where other items will not be piled on top of it.
For delicate items like fine-gauge cardigans, cashmere, or silk garments you have chosen to store folded rather than hanging, place a sheet of acid-free tissue paper between stacked layers to prevent friction and protect the fabric surface. Check stored delicates periodically for any signs of moth activity or moisture.
Sta-soft® plays an active role in keeping heavy knits and delicates in excellent condition between washes. By reducing friction between fibres during the wash cycle, it slows the rate at which knits pill and delicates weaken, preserving the texture and shape of each garment for longer. For step-by-step guidance on washing wool and other delicate fabrics, read our guide on how to wash wool in the washing machine.
With these folding and organisation techniques, and with Sta-soft® fabric softener as part of your regular wash routine, your clothes will stay in better condition for longer, your drawers will stay tidy with less effort, and your wardrobe will work harder for you every day. Softer fabrics, fresher scents, and a closet where you can find everything at a glance: that is the practical benefit of getting both the laundry and the folding right.
Visit our Laundry Tips Hub for more expert advice on fabric care, washing techniques, and getting the most from your clothes.
Consumer tip: Always follow product instructions.
