How to Roll Underwear

Folding laundry isn’t exactly the most enjoyable task. Given the fact that, compared to other garments, underwear is relatively small (depending on what you wear, it may be downright tiny), rather than folding your undies, you might just toss them in a drawer, or if you’re traveling, a bag or suitcase. While that may seem like an easy, time-saving solution, in reality, not folding your bloomers actually isn’t the best idea.

Why should you fold your knickers? Well, for one thing, it keeps them neat and tidy, and for another, it saves space; plus, it may help to protect them from being damaged (seriously!), and it also makes it a lot easier to find the pair you want to wear. Instead of traditional folding, however, there’s an even better solution for stowing away your skivvies: rolling!

Rolling is a space-saving technique that will keep your undies neat, organized, and easy to access; plus, it can protects the delicate material even better than traditional folding, it makes spotting the pair you want to wear even easier, and it just looks more appealing – hence why retailers’ displays of underwear are usually rolled and not folded.

Whether you’re storing them in your dresser drawers or you’re traveling (whether with a suitcase or a backpack), to learn how to properly roll your underwear, keep on reading. Below, you’ll find a variety of rolling techniques for different purposes and different types of undies.

The Basic Underwear Roll

This traditional technique is suitable for all types of underwear, such as boxers, briefs, bikinis, and boy shorts. The basic roll is the technique that is commonly on display at retailers, and it’s really easy to do.

Start by laying your bloomers out on a flat surface. Make sure that the front side is facing upward, with the crotch nearest to you.
Make sure that the underwear is flat, and using your hands, smooth out any wrinkles.
Fold one side of the waistband inward toward the center, just above the crotch.
Fold in the other side of the waistband toward the center so that it overlaps with the opposite side.
Roll the waistband downward, toward the crotch. As you’re rolling, try to keep things as tight as you possibly can.
Once the waistband is rolled down all the way to the crotch, you’re done!

When you’re finished, you should have a nice, neat, tight, and tidy undie roll that you can easily tuck away. Do note, however, that while this technique is easy and efficient, the roll may not remain secure and could potentially unroll. If you’re looking for a more secure option, check out the next rolling technique.

The Roll and Tuck

Like the basic roll, the roll and tuck technique can be used for bloomers of all types and sizes; it’s a little more challenging to do, however. However, as mentioned above, it yields a roll that’s more secure and less likely to come undone, and it’s more compact, making it even better for storing in tight spaces.

Lay a pair of knickers so that they’re flat, on a flat surface. Make sure that they’re upside-down (with the waistband pointing toward you), and face-down.
Use your hands to smooth out the fabric, removing any wrinkles.
Tightly roll the waistband forward, toward the crotch region. Don’t roll all the way to the crotch, but rather, stop rolling when you’re near the half-way point; three or four rolls should be enough.
Hold the roll so that it doesn’t come undone, and flip the underwear over, so that the unrolled portion of the crotch is facing up and nearest you.
Fold one side of the waistband toward the center of the underwear, just above a bit further than the mid-way point.
Fold the other side of the waistband toward the center of the underwear so that it overlaps the previously folded section.
Fold up the crotch portion of the underwear so that it lines up with the top folded portion, creating a tight little bundle.
There should be a little pocket on the backside of your rolled skivvies.
Tuck the index fingers of each hand underneath each side of the underwear waistband, while keeping a thumb on each side of the material.
Use your index fingers to push the waistband so that it folds toward you while your thumb the rest of the material down and away from you.
Continue to tuck the material into the waistband until there is no more to push.

When you’ve finished, you should have a neatly tucked pair of underwear that is securely closed and won’t come undone. Do note that this technique is a bit trickier; however, as with anything else in life, practice makes perfect, and in no time, you should be an underwear rolling champ!

Military-Style Fold

As you probably guessed, this underwear rolling technique is commonly used in the military, where space is limited and keeping things neat, tidy, and easy to access is an absolute must. Here’s how to do it:

Lay a pair of underwear on a flat surface.
Position the underwear so that one leg is facing you and the opposite leg is facing away from you.
Next, fold the waistband from the inside to the outside of the underwear.
Fold both sides of the underwear inward toward the center so that they slightly overlap, creating a rectangular shape.
Starting at the bottom, roll the underwear upwards to the top. Make sure that you keep the material as tight as possible while you’re rolling.
Tuck the fabric into the little pocket that has formed at the top of the underwear.

Summing It Up

While it’s true that folding your underwear might seem like a mundane, trivial task, and though just tossing it into a dresser drawer or into a bag or suitcase may seem like the easier way to go, believe it or not, taking the time to fold it will actually keep your undies neater, cleaner, more organized, better protected, and easier to access. To make the task even easier and more effective, rather than traditional folding, give one of the above-mentioned rolling techniques a try, instead.