Laundry is one of those chores that never really goes away. Washing the sheets should be easy enough, but anyone who has pulled a tangled ball of bedding from the washer or dryer knows how quickly things can get annoying.
According to a study by Whirlpool Corporation, the average American reports washing more than 2,000 pounds of laundry each year. With that much laundry passing through the machines, finding ways to make bedding easier to wash and dry can save plenty of frustration.
Tangled sheets are usually caused by a combination of too much laundry, loose fabric, fitted-sheet elastic, and plenty of tumbling. A few changes to the way you load, wash, and dry your bedding can help keep those giant knots from forming.
Here are 12 tricks worth trying the next time you wash your sheets.
Wash Sheets Separately
Throwing sheets in with a full load of clothes may seem like a good way to save time, but it can leave you with a tangled mess. Large pieces of bedding can wrap around smaller garments, towels, and other sheets as everything moves through the cycle.
Amerisleep recommends washing bed linens separately when possible. Giving the sheets their own load gives them more room to move and keeps them from getting wrapped around heavier clothing.
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Don’t Overload the Machine
Stuffing the washer as full as possible is tempting, especially when you’re trying to get through a pile of laundry. Unfortunately, an overloaded drum doesn’t give sheets enough room to move freely.
The American Cleaning Institute advises against overloading washing machines because crowded loads can interfere with cleaning and rinsing. Leave some open space in the drum so the bedding can tumble properly instead of twisting into a ball.
Use a Mesh Laundry Bag
Mesh laundry bags aren’t just for socks and delicate clothing. A large laundry bag can also help keep individual sheets from wrapping around everything else in the load.
Place a fitted or flat sheet inside a generously sized bag, leaving enough room for the fabric to move around. Avoid stuffing too much bedding into one bag, since the goal is to give the fabric room to wash and rinse.
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Fold the Sheets Before Washing
Folding your sheets before putting them into the washer may sound like extra work, but it can help limit twisting. Give each sheet a loose fold rather than tightly rolling it into a compact bundle.
This can be especially useful for flat sheets, which tend to wrap around other items as they move through the wash. Don’t make the folds too tight; the detergent and water still need to reach the fabric.
Choose the Right Wash Cycle
The wash cycle can affect how much your sheets twist. A cycle with aggressive agitation can leave large pieces of fabric more tangled than a gentler setting.
Check the care label on your bedding before choosing a cycle. Depending on the material, a gentle or bedding cycle may be a better choice than a standard high-agitation setting.
Loosely Ball Up Fitted Sheets
Fitted sheets are particularly good at creating laundry knots because of their elastic edges and unusual shape.
Before putting one in the washer, loosely gather the corners and fold the sheet inward. Don’t make a tight ball. The idea is to keep the elastic edges from grabbing other items while still leaving enough room for water and detergent to circulate.
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Shake and Fluff Before Drying
Don’t take wet sheets straight from the washer and dump them into the dryer in one heavy pile. Give each piece a good shake first.
Pull apart any sections that have twisted together and spread the fabric out before putting it in the dryer. This quick step can improve airflow and give the sheets a better chance of drying without forming a giant knot.
Dry Sheets on Low Heat
High heat can dry bedding quickly, but it can also contribute to shrinking and wear, especially with certain fabrics. Lower heat is often gentler on sheets and can help preserve the fabric over time.
Rest.com also recommends lower heat for protecting bedding fibers. Check the care label before selecting a dryer setting, since different materials have different heat limits.
Stop the Dryer Midway
If your sheets regularly come out of the dryer wrapped around themselves, try stopping the machine halfway through the cycle.
Pull the bedding out, shake each piece loose, and put it back into the dryer with the fabric spread apart. This takes an extra minute or two, but it can prevent one sheet from spending the entire cycle wrapped tightly around another.
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Skip Fabric Softener
Fabric softener can leave a coating on fabric, and repeated use may affect how some bedding feels and absorbs moisture. If your sheets are already prone to sticking together, adding more residue isn’t necessarily helpful.
The American Cleaning Institute explains how fabric softeners work and how they interact with fabrics. If you want softer bedding, check the care instructions first and consider whether you actually need a softener for your particular sheets.
Fold Sheets Right Away
Once the dryer finishes, don’t leave your sheets sitting in a pile until later. Warm bedding is easier to handle and less likely to develop deep wrinkles.
Give each sheet a quick shake, match up the pieces, and fold them while they’re still warm. Marie Kondo also recommends folding clothes soon after laundry is finished as part of an organized laundry routine.
Add Dryer Balls
Wool or rubber dryer balls can help separate fabrics as they tumble. They move between pieces of laundry, creating more space for air to circulate and helping large items stay separated.
Good Housekeeping recommends using several dryer balls in a load. If you’re washing a large set of sheets, adding three or four can give the bedding more movement during drying.
You don’t have to use every trick on this list at once. Start with the easiest changes—washing sheets separately, avoiding an overloaded drum, shaking them out before drying, and removing them as soon as the cycle ends. Those small changes can make sheet day much less of a wrestling match.
