How to Fold Clothes Military-style
When was the last time you heard someone say that laundry day was their favorite day of the week? Or, that packing a suitcase is the best part of traveling on vacation?
They’re both mundane tasks, and most of us will do anything just to get them done and over with it already.
And while having clean clothes is certainly nice, it’s the folding and fitting into tight spaces that make both of these simple tasks feel like tedious chores you’d rather avoid.
That is until you learn how to fold military-style—also known as Ranger Rolling.
Military-style folding is a quick and easy way to fold your laundry and get it to fit in tight spaces easily while still keeping all of your clothing wrinkle-free and looking nice.
With this technique, laundry day and packing suitcases become a breeze, and you’ll no longer dread completing these basic chores.
In this guide, we’ll lay out each step for how to fold clothes military-style so you can finally stop slamming overpacked drawers shut and having to sit on suitcases just to zip them up.
What is military-style folding?
Military style folding is a technique service members use to keep all items of their clothing neat and tidy.
It basically consists of rolling your clothes, instead of folding them, so that each item is compact enough for storage purposes but still stays wrinkle- free.
The benefit of using military style folding is that it helps you make the most of the storage you have available; plus, it makes it easy to see all of the items of clothing you have quickly.
How to fold a shirt military-style
Learning how to fold a shirt military-style, or Ranger Roll a shirt as it’s also called, is a lot simpler than you may think.
With just a few basic steps, your shirts will stay wrapped up and fit nicely in your drawer or suitcase.
1. Lay the shirt flat
Lay the shirt flat and front side up on a clean, level surface like a countertop, bed, or table.
2. Make a cuff
Fold the bottom of your shirt upward about three inches or so on both sides to make a cuff and smooth out the crease.
3. Fold inward
Fold the left side of the shirt inward toward the center of the shirt.
4. Fold sleeve outward
Fold the sleeve of that same side outward so that it rests on top of the fold.
5. Fold inward
Fold the right side of the shirt inward toward the center of the shirt.
6. Fold outward
Fold the sleeve of that same side outward so that it rests on top of the fold.
7. Roll
Starting at the collar of the shirt, roll the shirt tightly from top to bottom. Roll until you reach the bottom fold you made in Step 2.
8. Wrap
Take the cuff that you made in Step 2 and wrap it inside out around the rolled shirt to keep it in place and then smooth it down.
How to fold pants military-style
Now that you’ve mastered the art of folding shirts military-style, we’ll walk you through the process of how to fold pants military-style.
It’s so convenient for storage purposes, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it this way all along.
Folding pants military-style saves so much space you’ll hardly believe it. Let’s get started:
1. Lay flat
Zip and button the pants, if applicable, then lay them flat and front side up on a clean, level surface like a countertop, bed, or table.
2. Fold waistband
Fold the waistband of the pants down about three inches and smooth out the crease.
3. Fold in half
While keeping the cuff intact, fold the pants in half lengthwise with one leg of the pants laying on top of the other leg of the pants, then smooth.
4. Roll
Roll the pants tightly from bottom to the top starting at the ankles and working your way up to the waistband then smooth.
5. Wrap
Take the cuff you made in Step 2 and wrap it inside out around the rolled pants to keep them in place and then smooth.
How to fold shorts military-style
Similar to pants, learning how to fold shorts military-style provides extra room in your drawers and your suitcase. Here’s how to get it done:
1. Lay flat
Zip and button the shorts, if applicable, then lay them flat and front side up on a clean, level surface like a countertop, bed, or table.
2. Fold the waistband
Fold the waistband of the shorts down about three inches to form a cuff and smooth out the crease.
3. Fold lengthwise
Fold the shorts in half lengthwise with one leg of the shorts laying on top of the other leg of the shorts then smooth.
4. Roll
Roll the shorts tightly from bottom to top starting at the knees and working your way up to the waistband then smooth.
5. Wrap
Take the cuff you made in Step 2 and wrap it inside out around the rolled shorts to keep them in place then smooth.
How to measure clothes
How to fold socks military-style
If there’s one drawer that’s bound to get messy quickly, it’s a sock drawer. Use our advice and learn how to fold socks military-style next.
Not only is it a great solution for keeping your socks matched up, but it helps you avoid over-stretching the elastic.
And while this technique does work with all types of socks, like ankle socks, crew socks, and knee-length socks, it is a bit easier to manage with crew socks.
Here’s how you can do it:
1. Pair the socks up
Pair the socks up and lay them on a clean, flat surface, like a countertop, bed, or table, one on top of the other.
2. Fold heels
Fold the heels in together.
3. Roll
Roll the socks tightly from bottom to top starting with the toes and ending up near the ankles.
4. Pull apart opening
Gently pull apart the opening of the sock on the bottom of the roll.
5. Tuck
Push the rolled part of both socks into the opening of the bottom sock to keep them in place and smooth.
How to fold underwear military-style
Believe it or not, underwear is one of those deceiving items in a suitcase that can take up more room than you think if they’re not packed properly.
Learn how to fold underwear military-style with these quick steps.
1. Lay flat
Lay the underwear flat and front side up on a clean, level surface like a countertop, bed, or table.
2. Fold waistband
Fold the waistband of the underwear down about an inch to form a small cuff and smooth out the crease.
3. Create a trifold
Fold the left side of the underwear inward toward the center of the garment then fold that same side out in half again, creating a trifold.
4. Create another trifold
Fold the right side of the underwear inward toward the center of the underwear then fold that same side out in half again, creating a trifold.
5. Roll
Roll the underwear tightly from bottom to top starting near the thigh holes and moving up toward the waistband.
6. Wrap
Take the cuff you made in Step 2 and wrap it inside out around the rolled underwear to keep them in place then smooth.
Underwear folding tips
How to fold clothes military-style
Now you know how to fold clothes military-style! Have these hacks saved room in your suitcase or dresser? Tell us about it in the comments below!
How to fold pants
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I'll definitely try the Ranger Rolling. Hopefully, it'll work just as well for singlet tops. Living in a caravan, you need all the room you can get. I wonder how folding jumpers this way wil go.
Military folding is great. However, I got lost on the trifold part. Video needed!