How to Fold a Hand Towel

Last Updated: February 3, 2023 References

A folded hand towel is the perfect finishing touch to an organized bathroom, and folding a towel stylishly is easy to do. For a simple folded hand towel, fold the towel into thirds before folding it in half, creating a clean-cut look. To get that fancy hotel or spa look, fold your hand towel so that it has a pocket, allowing you to place things in the pocket like a washcloth or other light toiletry items. We'll cover 3 main styles for folding bathroom hand towels!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Creating a Simple Fold

1
Spread the hand towel out on a flat surface. Choose a surface that’s clean, like the lid of your washing machine or a clean table. Spread the towel out horizontally, smoothing it out with your hands.^{[1]
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- If you want the tag to be hidden in the fold, spread the hand towel out with the tag-side up.
2
Bring the top and bottom of the towel to the center to fold it into thirds. Fold one-third of the towel by bringing the top edge in towards the center. Pull the bottom edge into the center and layer it over the other thirds, creating a long, skinny shape.^{[2]
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- It’s okay if your measurement isn’t exact. Just make sure the edges line up nicely.
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3
Fold the towel in half crosswise to hang it on a rack. Pull the far right edge of the towel to the far left side of the towel. Align the edges so that they’re even, folding the hand towel in half.^{[3]
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- Smooth out any creases in the towel using your hands.
4
Fold the towel into thirds again if you need to store it in a small space. If you’re placing your towel in a small storage space, instead of folding it in half, fold it into thirds to make it smaller. Pull the far right end a third of the way across the towel, and align the far left end with the right edge of the towel.^{[4]
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- After you’ve folded the towel into thirds, you’ll end up with a square shape.
5
Place the hand towel in a closet with the folded edge facing you to store it. This makes it much easier to pull the towel out of the closet when you need it, grabbing it by the fold instead of the edges so it doesn’t come undone. Stack other hand towels on top with the folded edge facing out.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Folding a Hand Towel Like a Spa or Hotel

1
Lay a hand towel on a flat surface with the tag facing upwards. Spread the towel out so that it’s situated horizontally. Check to make sure the tag is on the side of the towel facing you so that it doesn’t show up in the fold.^{[6]
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2
Bring the far left edge of the towel one-fourth of the way to the right side. Take the left edge of the towel and fold it in towards the center one-fourth of the way. Smooth it out so the fold is straight.^{[7]
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3
Flip over the towel while holding the fold in place. Hold the fold you just created so it doesn’t come undone and flip the towel over. Now the fold will be on the back of the towel, still on the left side.^{[8]
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- Smooth the towel out so it’s laying flat.
4
Fold the towel into thirds horizontally. Bring the bottom section of the towel up one-third of the way to the top, and pull the top section down to layer it over the bottom section. Make the folds carefully to ensure the smaller fold doesn’t come undone.^{[9]
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- Align the edges so the towel is straight and flat.
5
Lift up the top pocket fold and tuck it into the fold directly beneath it. After the hand towel is folded into thirds, it’ll be long and horizontal with the original side fold on the left. Hold up the flap and stick this flap into the flap right under it. Smooth out the fold so that it’s flat and even.^{[10]
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6
Bring the far right side of the towel to the left side to fold it in half. This will create a vertical fold in the middle of the towel. Gently press down on the left side of the towel as you’re folding the right side over to make sure the pocket doesn’t come loose.^{[11]
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- Align the edges of the towel to make sure your fold is even.
7
Hang the towel with the pocket facing you. When you go to hang the towel on a rack, place the towel so that the center fold is right on top of the rack. The folded pocket flaps should be facing the wall with the finished pocket facing you.^{[12]
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- Place a washcloth or other light toiletries in the hand towel pocket, if desired.
- You can use a wall ladder to hang several towels folded this way.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Rolling Your Hand Towels

1
Spread the hand towel on a flat surface. Place the towel on a flat table or clean counter. Spread it out horizontally so that there aren't any wrinkles showing, making it easier to fold.
2
Fold the hand towel in half crosswise. Bring the far left edge of the towel to the far right edge, creating a fold. Make sure the edges align nicely and the towel is smoothed out so it's flat.
- After completing this fold, you'll have halved your hand towel's length.
3
Create another fold going lengthwise. This time, bring the bottom edge of the folded towel upwards to meet the top edge. Line up the edges so that they're even and flatten the towel using your hands to get the best crease.
- After finishing the folds, the towel should look long and relatively skinny.
4
Roll your hand towel starting at one end. Grip one end of the towel and begin tightly rolling it up towards the other end. Try to roll in a straight line to prevent the hand towel from expanding and taking up too much space.
- Turn the hand towel towards you so it's easier to roll, if desired.
5
Display the towels in a basket or other container. Hold onto the hand towel while it's rolled up to keep it from unraveling. Place the hand towel sitting up straight in a basket in the bathroom, or create a stack of rolled towels by rolling up several and placing them gently on top of one another.