File folding hack transformed my messy shirt drawer | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #hacker

I thought I had a good system in place for storing my shirts until I ended up with a mess of worn-but-not dirty shirts on top of the organised piles.

The final straw was when I couldn’t remember where I had put an expensive and meaningful shirt. So I decided to try the file folding method after seeing it online, and I have been blown away by how it has transformed my drawer and shirt collection.

File folding is a method from decluttering guru Marie Kondo.

Basically, it involves folding clothes so they can be stacked vertically rather than horizontally, allowing you to more easily see what you have and make better use of space.

I started the process by taking shirts out of the drawer and file folding them one at a time. The folding method was easy to pick up, even if my shirts didn’t look as neat as Kondo’s.

I found folding the shirt in thirds the trickiest to get right; sometimes I was left with a big gap and other times a gap that was too small, but this is easy to tweak.

How to file fold a shirt

1. Lay the shirt front side up on a flat surface.

2. Fold in the side closest to you lining the edge of the shirt up with end of the collar and fold the sleeve back towards you. Repeat with the other side of the shirt

3. Your shirt is now in one long thin shape. Fold up the bottom of the shirt, leaving a couple of inches gap between the bottom of the shirt and the top of the collar.

4. Fold the shirt in thirds while still leaving a gap at the top. Now you should be able to stand the shirt up by placing it collar and bottom side down.

As I folded each shirt I started returning them to the drawer in rows separated by category. My categories from left to right are; thermal tops, old/around the house tops, white tops and nice tops.

I could quickly see lovely neat rows forming and realised how easy it will be to know what shirts I have, and to make more use of everything instead of wearing the same three or four tops.

At the same time as folding and organising the shirts, I took the opportunity to declutter. I set aside a few that are still good enough for charity and a couple of faded, thin ones I can cut up to use as cleaning rags or plant ties.

By the time I was done, I was so stunned by how neat and tidy it looked. I was also amazed by the space left in my drawer – if I had decluttered and folded shirts the regular way and organised them in piles I still wouldn’t have this amount of space left.

But the true test of any organising method is keeping it up and my first test came the following day when I took a load of washing off the line.

You see, I prefer to fold straight into the basket because it means I don’t have a basket full of clean clothes waiting hours, or even days to be folded.

The problem with the folding method is it’s difficult to do outside with just my washing basket, so I committed myself to file folding them when I put them away in the drawer.

I still folded them the old-fashioned way as I took them off the line because it helps prevent creases, then I diligently file folded them when I was inside. Thankfully, it was a quick and surprisingly relaxing task.

Finding shirts I want each day has so far been easier, except when the shirt is a similar colour and material. 

I ended up taking out and unfolding a short-sleeved purple shirt after thinking it was the long-sleeve version. So I quickly and messily file folded it again but by holding the collar under my chin while standing up. It’s back in the drawer now, kind of folded but not neatly and I still haven’t adjusted it.

Other than that the drawer looks good and makes me feel calm and organised just thinking about it.

It’s motivated me to look at what I can do for other drawers, particularly my sock drawer, to save time when finding things and deciding what to wear.