There are a variety of ways you can fold your sweaters depending on the design, thickness, and fabric type of your sweaters. In this guide, we are going to go over all the best ways to fold your sweaters.
Let’s start out with some simple folds, and then move on to some more space-saving ways that you can fold your sweaters. I recommend that you watch the video before you start practicing the folds.
After watching feel free to use the table of contents to jump to the type of fold you would like to do. I have also written a guide for folding hoodies, and how to hang your sweaters towards the end of the article.
How to Fold Sweaters to Avoid Wrinkles
This simple fold is great for your cardigans, thick sweaters, and knit sweaters in general as it is won’t wrinkle the fabric and is also very gentle on your sweaters.
First, close the zippers and buttons, then lay the sweater with the front facing up. Then fold both arms in, and fold both sides of the sweater in 1/4 the total width. From here from the sweater from the top down to the bottom. Let the sweater rest on top of the end of the roll.
If your sweater doesn’t have any buttons or zippers you can also fold the sweater in half from side to side instead of 1/4 of the way on both sides. This eliminates one step to fold the sweaters a little quicker.
How to File Fold Sweaters like the KonMari Method
The file fold takes a little more time than the simple roll, but it is a fantastic way to organize your clothes. This style of folding clothes was popularized by Marie Kondo who is a big name in the home organizing world.
The idea is that you fold your sweaters in a way that allows you to fold them standing up. This way it is very easy to get an overview of your clothes. Often it is beneficial to use a folding system like this one from IKEA (Amazon paid link) to support the file-folded clothes.
Generally, you can fold all your sweaters like this, but be aware that it does crease your sweaters slightly more than the simple roll.
With all buttons and zippers closed, and the front side facing up, fold both arms in. Then fold both sides in 1/3 of the total width of the sweater. The second fold should completely overlap the first. From here, fold the sweater down 1/3 of the total length of the sweater twice. Now you can place the sweater standing up with the side with a single fold facing upward.
I have an entire guide on how to file fold the rest of your clothes that you can check out here.
How to Fold Sweaters to Save Space
The ranger roll is a great way to fold sweaters to save space. This fold is best used on jumpers and other sweaters that don’t crease up easily.
You should not use this fold on your delicate sweaters made from cashmere wool, silk, or linen. Also, avoid this fold if your sweaters have a lot of details like embroideries.
This is my personal favorite when it comes to travel and saving space. I made an entire guide on how to fold all your clothes in the ranger roll style, check it out later if you’re interested.
With the front side facing up, flip the bottom of the shirt inside-out and fold both arms in. Now fold both sides in 1/4 of the total width of the sweater. From the top, roll the sweater all the way down to the bottom and lift up the sweater. Now flip the inside-out part over the rest of the roll to secure it.
This fold can be a bit tricky the first few times, but rewatch the video and follow the illustrations below and you will master it in no time. It can be easier if you make the inside-out section a bit longer the first few times
How to Fold Hoodies to Save Space
Generally, you can roll all your hoodies up and secure them in the hood. This also works great for hooded jackets in general.
Lay the hoodie down flat with the backside facing up and fold in both arms. From here, fold both sides in 1/4 of the total width of the hoodie. From the bottom, roll the hoodie up until you reach the base of its hood. Now wrap the hood over the roll to secure it.
If your hood has strings you can tighten them and make a bow to further secure the hoodie.
Is It Better to Fold or Hang Sweaters?
The main problem with hanging sweaters is that the fabric that rests on the hanger tends to stretch out over time.
This problem is especially prevalent on knit sweaters as they tend to stretch out particularly much. However, most other sweaters can be hung for short periods of time if you want to avoid creases.
Generally, you should fold your sweaters as hanging them will stretch out the shoulders over time. It is OK to hang your sweaters short-term if you want to avoid creases.
The best would be to roll the sweater using the simple roll that you learned at the start of the article, as this will prevent wrinkles.
But I will teach you a way that you can hang your sweaters that doesn’t stretch out the sweaters as much as the normal way of hanging sweaters.
How to Hang Sweaters and Not Stretch Them Out
Fold the sweater in half, then fold the lower part of your sweater over the hanger. Now take the arms and fold them over the other side of your hanger.
If you found this guide helpful, I recommend that you check out my guide on how to fold clothes fast, or how to fold clothes to save space next. Both these guides are in the same style as this guide, and you can learn how to fold the rest of your clothes too!
I’m an expert wardrobe organizer and a bit of a clean freak. I created this website and its YouTube channel to share practical guides about laundry and organizing. My teachings have been featured in multiple large news publications, and I’ve self-published two wardrobe organizing books and an entire course on the subject.
