How to Fold Underwear: 7 Space-Saving Storage Methods

Most people simply throw their underwear into a drawer, but taking a few minutes to fold it can help you save space and stay organized. In this article, we’ll teach you the best ways to fold your underwear so it's compact and easy to find. We’ll also share helpful tips on how to store your underwear, no matter their shape or style!

Easiest Way to Fold Underwear

Place the underwear on a flat surface, with the front side facing up. Cross the sides of the waistband to the center, then pull the crotch area up so it meets the top of the waistband. Roll the bottom of the underwear away from you to make a tight scroll.

Method 1

Method 1 of 7:

The Square Method

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Lay the underwear face-up. Place the underwear on a flat work surface, such as your bed or the counter in your laundry room. Straighten it out and position it so that the waistband is pointing away from you. Smooth out any wrinkles with your fingers.^{[1]
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- This method works best with thongs, briefs, or cheeky underwear.
Fold the left side of the waistband toward the center of the underwear, then cross the right side of the waistband over it. The waistband will be folded into thirds.^{[2]
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Fold the crotch up to the waistband. The bottom edge of the crotch and the top of the waistband should be aligned. Smooth out any wrinkles before continuing.^{[3]
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- If you want to maximize space in your underwear drawer, fold the crotch up to the waistband in thirds to make a smaller square!
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Flip the underwear so the waistband is showing. It is now folded and ready to stack! Try storing your underwear upright (crotch-side down) in your drawer to save space.^{[4]
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- If you don’t have drawers, professional organizer Julie Naylon recommends putting them in an easy access spot and “getting bins or baskets” to put them in.
- According to organizational specialist Robert Rybarski, one of the best ways to store underwear is to purchase “dividers that separate your drawer into sections” and categorize them by color or how frequently you wear them.

Method 2

Method 2 of 7:

The Scroll Method

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Lay the underwear vertically on a flat surface. Place the underwear with the front side facing up, and position it so one of the waistband is closest to you. Smooth your fingers over the fabric to get rid of any bumps or ripples.^{[5]
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- This method works best with briefs and cheeky underwear. You can also try it for thongs, but the size of the scroll will be much smaller.
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Fold the crotch of the underwear up toward the waistband. Pull the crotch area up until it meets the top of the waistband. The underwear should be folded in half horizontally.^{[6]
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- Run your fingers over the fabric to ensure your underwear is as flat as possible before rolling it.
Start with the side that is closest to you and roll the fabric away from your body to form a tight cylinder. This creates a small, easily storable scroll.^{[7]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 7:

The Egg Roll Method

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Lay the underwear front side up on a flat surface. Position the waistband so it’s closest to you. Run your hand over the underwear to ensure it's as flat as possible before beginning the fold.^{[8]
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- This method works best with briefs, boyshorts, and cheeky underwear.
Fold the fabric toward the crotch area, and roll the fabric as tight as possible.^{[9]
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The underwear will end up flat with the back side up and the crotch closest to you.
Fold the right side into the middle, then repeat on the left side. The ends of each side of the waistband will end up overlapping each other.^{[10]
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Roll the top of the underwear toward you until it hits the crotch area. For larger types of underwear, like briefs and boyshorts, you can fold the top twice on the way up.^{[11]
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- This creates a distinct pocket inside the center of the folded underwear.^{[12]
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Flip the bundle inside out 3 times. Place your thumbs inside the pocket and the rest of your fingers around the edges of the opening. Use your middle and index fingers to push the fabric along the back of the pocket up through the front opening, while folding the outside edges back with your thumbs. Repeat this until the bundle is rolled into itself 3 times.^{[13]
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- You are basically reversing the narrow waistband folds you made earlier in the process.
- This method is perfect if you don’t want your underwear to come undone in your drawer.
- This folding technique might look a little tricky, but think of it as rolling a pair of crew socks into a ball.

Method 4

Method 4 of 7:

The Boy Short

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Lay the boy short face-up and turn the waistband 90 degrees. Place the boy short on a flat work surface, then move the top of the waistband 90 degrees so the seam is facing you and the leg holes lie on top of each other. This ensures the crotch fabric stays flat while you fold.^{[14]
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- This method works best with boy shorts and briefs.
The bottom of the leg holes will meet the waistband when you do this. Smooth out any wrinkles in the fabric with your hands.^{[15]
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Fold the left side inwards 3 times. You can fold from left to right or from right to left, depending on your dominant hand. Just make sure to fold it inward in thirds: the first fold is ⅓ of the width of the underwear, the second fold is another ⅓ of the width, and the third fold is the remaining ⅓ of the width.^{[16]
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- The final product will look like a small square, perfect for stacking and storing in your underwear drawer.

Method 5

Method 5 of 7:

The Army Roll

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Lay the underwear face-up with the waistband away from you. Place the underwear on a flat work surface, such as your bed or a countertop, then position it so the waistband is pointing away from you. Smooth out any wrinkles with your fingers.^{[17]
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- This method works best for boxers or briefs.
You want to be able to see some of the fabric on the inside. Then, straighten out the top so it’s even all the way across.^{[18]
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The right side should line up with the center of the waistband when you do so. Then, run your hands over the fold to flatten it.^{[19]
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The left side should cover the right side you just folded. This creates a small rectangle.^{[20]
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Tuck your index fingers under each end of the waistband, with your thumbs on the top of the waistband. Tightly roll the bottom toward the top like a burrito. It’s now ready to be stored!^{[21]
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Method 6

Method 6 of 7:

The Tucked Square

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Lay the underwear face-up on a flat surface. Place it on a flat work surface, like a countertop or your bed. Position the underwear so that the waistband is pointing away from you. Smooth out any wrinkles with your hands.^{[22]
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- This method works best for boxers or briefs.
Take the right half of the underwear and fold it to the left so the outer seams are aligned. This creates a smaller rectangle.^{[23]
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Shift the underwear so the waistband is on your left side and the leg holes are on your right side. Then, fold the top down to create a long rectangular shape.^{[24]
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Bring the waistband to meet the bottom edge. The underwear is now folded and ready to stack in your underwear drawer!^{[25]
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Method 7

Method 7 of 7:

The Big Square

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Lay the underwear face-down on a flat surface. Place it on a flat work surface, and position the underwear so that the waistband is furthest away from you. Smooth out any wrinkles with your hands.^{[26]
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- This method works best for boxers or briefs.
Align one side toward the center of the underwear, then fold the other side to cover the first and form a narrow rectangle.^{[27]
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If you want to save more space in your underwear drawer, you can fold the bottom up in fourths. The final product will resemble a large square, ready to be stored!^{[28]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

What's the best way to organize underwear?

Robert Rybarski
Organizational Specialist
Robert Rybarski is an Organizational Specialist and Co-Owner of Conquering Clutter, a business that customizes closets, garages, and plantation shutters to ensure organized homes and lifestyles. Robert has over 23 years of consulting and sales experience in the organization industry. His business is based in Southern California.

Robert Rybarski

Organizational Specialist

Expert Answer

There are a few ways to do this, but I'm really fond of the drawer dividers that help you separate the drawer into sections. Then, you can sort your intimates based on when you wear them, by color, or however you'd like.

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How do I fold a bra?

Aria1987

Community Answer

Fold it in half and bring the straps down into the middle to form something like a square.

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Tips

Check out our other articles to learn how to organize bras and fold socks!

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If you want to double the space in your closet, you can install double rods to hang short clothes, invest in an over-the-door rack, or add shelf dividers.

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Before organizing and storing your underwear, eliminate ones that are worn or torn. There’s no point in keeping underwear that you don’t reach for, and they’ll only take up more storage space.

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