How to Use the File Folding System

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be on a zoom call with a professional organizer named Ivanka. Elementary school teacher turned professional organizer, Ivanka started her own organizing company called Tidy Moose. On the call I learned about how to file fold my clothes. While I had heard of it before, it wasn’t until then that I decided to try it out. Let’s just say, the switch has been more than I expected. My already organized closet looks 100 times better than before and my constant clutter drawers/shelves in my room are completely gone.

Once you learn how to file fold, you can basically apply it to any type of clothing. In my room, I have my t-shirts, jeans, leggings, shorts, and athletic shirts folded with this system. Of everything I did, file folding my athletic shirts might have been my favorite. Those were always the shirts that never liked to stay in their pile because of the material. File folding them has helped so much to keep them in their place.

Before we get into how to actually fold your clothes, I just want to add that learning how to file fold isn’t only for drawers. Other than my t-shirts, the majority of my clothes are stored on shelves in my closet. To do this, I just folded each category into its own bin. Then, when I need something, I slide out the bin like pulling out a drawer.

I use clear, stackable bins for most of my clothes. I love being able to see what is inside and they are the perfect size for pants and shorts. To see more about these bins and my other favorites, check out my article about My Perfected, 5-Step Guide to Organize ANY Space.

How to file fold Shorts

1. Lay out your shorts on a flat surface, with the front facing up

2. Fold your shorts in half, placing the left side on top of the right side

3. Folding over the excess material, fold your shorts in half again, placing the bottom half over the top half

how to file fold Pants

1. Lay out your plants on a flat surface, with the front facing up

2. Fold your pants in half, placing the left side on top of the right side. Make sure the two sides of the pants are straight.

3. Fold your pants in half upwards, placing the bottom half over the top half

5. Placing your hand in the middle as a guide, fold your pants in thirds

how to file fold T-Shirts

1. Lay out your t-shirt on a flat surface, with the front facing down

2. Fold the arms into the middle, so the shirt becomes the width of the collar

3. Fold your shirt it half upwards, placing the bottom half over the top half

4. Placing your hand in the middle as a guide, fold your shirt in thirds

how to file fold Athletic Shirts

1. Lay out your shirt on a flat surface, with the front facing down

2. Fold the arms into the middle, so the shirt becomes the width of the collar

3. Fold your shirt it half upwards, placing the bottom half over the top half

4. Fold your shirt in half upwards again, placing the bottom half over the top half

That is all for what I will be showing, but don’t stop here! You can literally file fold anything, so keep going if you want. And just as important as folding it correctly the first time is keeping everything folded correctly. File folding definitely makes it a lot easier than regular piles, but that doesn’t mean some upkeep isn’t required. Just try to keep everything looking like it does when you finish folding and you should be good to go!

To check out more about Ivanka and her organizing company, Tidy Moose, click here!