How to Roll Underwear

Co-authored by Julie Naylon

Last Updated: August 4, 2021 References

If you're tight on space, rolling underwear can help you organize the chaos. It's great for traveling or hiking, where you have limited room for your necessities. For larger pairs of underwear such as boxers or larger panties, try the folding then rolling method. For smaller pairs, use the roll and tuck method. If you're packing for a trip or even basic training, you can roll socks, underwear, and a shirt together in what's known as the skivvy roll, making it easy to get what you need for the day.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Folding then Rolling for Bigger Underwear

1
Lay the underwear on a flat surface. It's much easier to fold or roll when you're using a flat surface. You can use a table, the bed, or even the floor or a lap desk. Place the underwear flat on the surface with the front facing up. Quickly smooth out any wrinkles.
- For underwear, the surface doesn't have to be very big.
2
Turn the band of the underwear down. Fold the band over the underwear so that the top is inside out. You will use the band at the end to fold the underwear into itself so you just need 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) at the top.^{[1]
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- Think of this step like turning up the cuff on a sleeve.
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3
Fold the underwear in thirds by bringing in the 2 sides. Fold the right third over the middle section of the underwear. Do the same with the left side by bringing it over the right side. You should have an elongated rectangle that's 1/3 the size of what you started with.^{[2]
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- Before folding the right and left sides in, you can fold the bottom half of the crotch up to the band. However, it's not a necessary step.
4
Roll the underwear up from the bottom of the crotch to the band. Start with the bottom edge and fold a little bit over itself to start the roll. Continue the roll upward until you meet the band.^{[3]
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- If you want, you can do small folds instead of rolling. That will create underwear that will stand upright in the drawer.
5
Flip the band over the underwear. Roll the underwear all the way to the very edge of the fold. Grab the roll with 1 hand. With your other hand, pull the band and extra underwear over the roll you just made, essentially flipping the band back the other way. You should have a tight roll that won't come undone.^{[4]
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EXPERT TIP

Julie Naylon
Professional Organizer
Julie Naylon is the Founder of No Wire Hangers, a professional organizing service based out of Los Angeles, California. No Wire Hangers provides residential and office organizing and consulting services. Julie's work has been featured in Daily Candy, Marie Claire, and Architectural Digest, and she has appeared on The Conan O’Brien Show. In 2009 at The Los Angeles Organizing Awards she was honored with “The Most Eco-Friendly Organizer”.

Julie Naylon
Professional Organizer

Store all of your underwear in one location to keep them neat once they're folded. Keep your underwear in a spot where it's easy to access them, since that's obviously something you're going to need to reach every day. If you want to keep them in a closet, use bins or baskets to keep them neatly organized.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Rolling then Tucking the Underwear in Itself for Smaller Pairs

1
Place the underwear on a flat surface. Pick whatever is easiest for you, such as the dining room table, a coffee table, or even the floor or bed. Place the underwear in front of you, flattening it out. Use your hand to get rid of wrinkles.
- Put the underwear with the front side up. The edge closest to you should be the band of the underwear.
2
Begin rolling the underwear up from the band. Grab the edge of the band and fold a tiny bit over itself. That will begin the roll. Keep rolling the underwear until you reach the crotch. Leave about 2 inches (5.1 cm) of space unrolled when you hit the crotch.^{[5]
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- You will use the extra space to fold the underwear into itself.
3
Flip the underwear over. Grab the roll from both ends so it doesn't unroll, then flip the underwear so the part you just rolled is facing the flat surface. You should have a long roll with a tiny flap of the crotch unrolled in the middle.^{[6]
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- Put the crotch so it's facing you.
4
Fold both sides to the middle. Pull in the right side of the roll and move it over the middle of the crotch. Do the same with the left side, folding it over the right side. You should now have a roll folded in thirds with the flap of crotch sticking out in between the folds.^{[7]
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5
Push the crotch over the flap. Lift the 2 inches (5.1 cm) of crotch you left unrolled over the folds you just made. You will now have a mostly compact underwear roll, but if you leave it just like this, it will come unrolled.^{[8]
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- The crotch should cover the folds you made, reaching over the top.
6
Flip the underwear into itself. Tip the side of the underwear facing you upwards, and you'll notice a little opening, like an envelope. Flip that over the rest of the folds, basically moving it inside out. Repeat this motion a second time to complete the fold.^{[9]
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- Once you've made the final fold, it shouldn't come unrolled.
- It's somewhat like rolling socks on themselves.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using the Skivvy Roll to Gather Essential Clothing

1
Lay out a shirt, a pair of socks, and underwear on a flat surface. Place the shirt down first and smooth out the wrinkles. Lay the underwear out flat and fold it in half from left to right. Put the underwear in the middle of the shirt. Leave the socks off for right now.^{[10]
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- This method allows you to roll socks, underwear, and a shirt in 1 tight bundle, making it easy to grab what you need.
- If you want, you can place a pair of shorts or pants between the shirt and the underwear. Fold the pants in half lengthwise. Lay them out flat and center them on the shirt with the waistband just under the collar of the shirt. However, don't use anything too bulky, as it won't roll well.^{[11]
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2
Fold the sides of the shirt over the middle. Bring in the right third of the t-shirt over the underwear. Do the same with the left, folding it over the underwear, as well. Be sure to smooth out wrinkles as you go and make the fold as neat as you can to prevent future wrinkles.^{[12]
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- If you used pants, fold the shirt over where the edge of the pants begins.
3
Add the socks by laying them across the top of the shirt. Place one sock so the toe reaches the center of the shirt and the top goes out to the right. Place the other sock slightly over the first one so the top of the sock goes out to the left.^{[13]
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- You should have a "T" shape now with the socks forming the top of the "T" and the shirt making the column.
4
Roll the bundle up from the top. Start at the edge of the shirt and begin a tight roll, rolling the socks, shirt, and underwear as you go. Keep the roll tight as you move down to the bottom band of the shirt.^{[14]
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- If you used pants, keep rolling until you hit the bottom of the pants.
5
Bundle the roll into the top of the socks. Grab the roll with 1 hand. Use your other hand to bring the opening of the sock around the whole bundle, much as you'd tuck 1 sock into another. Do the same with the other sock, bringing the top over the whole bundle. You now have a tight, neat bundle that won't come undone.^{[15]
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