Design royalty Bobby Berk has truly earned his stripes. From his contemporary yet sophisticated style to the many tips and tricks he shared during his stint on Netflix's Queer Eye, Bobby has taught us a great deal about the world of interior design. Now, we owe yet another useful tip to the design guru, and it's one that everyone should know.
He might be famed for his impeccable taste and expert eye for styling a space, but Bobby (and his work) is more than just a pretty face. Besides brilliant aesthetics, this man knows a thing or two about how to organize a home, including the more mundane household chores we all have to contend with.
In a recent Instagram post - captioned as a public service announcement to Millenials - Bobby shares a genius trick for folding a fitted sheet, and it's a technique that's sure to revolutionize your linen closet. Honestly, I'm not sure how I've survived so long without it, but my bed linen storage will be neatly stocked forevermore.
Until now, knowing how to fold a fitted sheet was one of life's great mysteries (in my world, at least). Don't take me for a fool - my towels, pillowcases, and comforters slot seamlessly into my linen closet, no questions asked. When it comes to the dreaded fitted sheet, however, I always find myself in a tangle as I desperately try to fold the sheet into something that resembles a symmetrical shape.
That was the case until I came across Bobby Berk's genius trick on Instagram last week. In just a few simple steps, he managed to neatly fold a fitted sheet into a tidy and compact square, all without being swallowed whole by the material - a commendable achievement in my books.
So, what's the secret? To start, Bobby instructs us to place the sheet flat on a surface with the elastic facing up. From there, grab the corner closest to you with your left hand, flipping the corner inside out before doing the same on the alternative side. Once you lay the sheet flat again (with the elastic facing up) you should have the rough outline of a rectangle to work with.
All that's left to do is fold the sheet horizontally twice over until you have a long rectangle. From there, start at one end and simply fold over repeatedly until you're left with a small, neat square that will seamlessly slot into your storage.
It's not just regular folk like me who've been bowled over by this trick, either; professional housekeepers are also big fans. 'The most important step does require some practice, but I think once you learn it, it’s worth it,' says Alessandro Gazzo of Emily's Maids. 'If you notice, Bobby makes a movement where he ends up having all the corners with the elastic band all into a single corner. This way, once it’s folded, it’s a perfect rectangle.'
If you're the type of person who's happy to adopt an 'out of sight, out of mind' approach, you might be wondering what all the effort is for. However, even if you're perfectly fine with haphazardly throwing your sheets into your linen closet or laundry room cabinet, I can guarantee that you have tangled sheets lurking at the back of your shelves that you didn't even know existed.
As Alessandro notes, it’s always worth taking the extra 30 seconds to fold your sheets properly. 'Aesthetically, it looks neat, and you avoid having a messy wardrobe,' he says. 'Practically, it works better as well because a perfect rectangle gives you more options. You can keep folding it as a rectangle or square, you can also roll it, and you can stack them or put them side to side. You can also store them along with other rectangle-shaped pieces without any issues, which is what usually happens if you have a small closet.'
Gone are the days of unsightly tangled sheets and creased bed linen. With Bobby's sheet folding trick, you'll have organized bedding storage that's so beautifully arranged that you won't be able to resist admiring your work every time you walk past! Voila!
