How to fold shirts correctly?

How do you fold your shirts properly after washing? First of all, of course, make sure your shirt doesn't come out of the wash wrinkled. Don't tumble dry it, hang it on a hanger to dry (and wash it as wet as possible!). If there are creases, you can usually iron them out easily. Then lay the shirt on a table that is big enough for the shirt to fit completely on it with the sleeves. You don't have any more space on your table. Then you can also do it on a clean (!) floor.

Folding shirts correctly step by step

• Close the buttons on your shirt. Don't forget the buttons on the sleeves and neck. This way you can avoid creases and folds.
• Shake the shirt out well and lay it face down on the table. You can use your hands to further smooth out any wrinkles.
• Fold the right sleeve straight behind the back of the shirt, making sure that the cuff ends at the shoulder seam. Take the left sleeve and repeat the process. Any unevenness can always be smoothed out by hand.
• Hold the sleeve and shirt together and fold the right side of the shirt over the middle and then to the left. If the shirt has a back crease, you can try aiming for that area. If you do it right, a sort of pronounced "V" will form with the back of the shirt. Pull everything tight and remove any wrinkles again by hand.

Why do your shirts crease even after proper folding?

Shirts crease due to the mixture of heat and water. The fabrics used in menswear, such as cotton or wool, are made up of what are called "polymer chains" of molecules. When these are exposed to heat, the chains weaken. When they cool down, they "freeze", so to speak, into this wrinkled shape.
When heat and moisture interact, this process is accelerated even more. Washing shirts therefore inevitably leads to wrinkles. However, with proper drying (see above), many wrinkles can be smoothed out.

How do you store your shirts after folding?

To keep your shirts clean and fresh, you should hang them on hangers in your wardrobe. Is that not possible because you don't have enough space, for example? Then sort them into small piles. This way, the bottom shirt will not be weighed down too much by the shirts above it and will not crease as much. Leave enough space between the individual stacks so that the air can circulate and your shirts don't smell musty.

If you want to pack your shirts in a suitcase for the trip, make sure they are on top of the suitcase so that the weight does not weigh too much on the shirts and cause them to crease. Try to pack your shirts so that the cuffs are on top of each other. This way, the weight of the rest of the shirt will not press on the delicate cuffs.