What are the common misunderstandings about folding clothes and choosing hangers?
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
"Folding clothes to stand upright" is the best-known of the tidying methods that spread from Japan to the rest of the world. Together with how to choose a hanger, here is the know-how for keeping clothes undamaged in a small Japanese flat.
Hang or fold
| Hang | Fold |
|---|---|
| Shirts and blouses, jackets, coats, trousers, dresses that crease easily | Knitwear and jumpers, T-shirts and jersey tops, denim, sportswear, underwear and socks |
| Keeps the shape, avoids creases | No stretching from weight, and more fits in |
Choosing a hanger
| Garment | Hanger | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jackets and coats | Wooden or thick plastic with broad shoulders, the same width as the garment's shoulders | Keeps the shoulder line |
| Shirts | Slim, with rounded shoulders | No marks on the shoulders |
| Trousers | Clip type, or with a bar (clamp the hem) | Keeps the crease |
| Avoid | Thin metal wire hangers (long term) | Shoulder marks, rust, deformation |
- Upright folding has two advantages: everything in the drawer is visible, and no weight rests on the clothes underneath.
- Fill drawers to 80% or less. Overstuffing causes creases and damp.
[Verify] The hanger-width guides are general figures based on guidance from apparel and storage-goods makers.
Misunderstanding 1｜Knitwear creases less if it is hung
Hanging stretches the shoulders and neck. Fold knitwear. If you really must hang it, fold it in half over the hanger's bar.
Misunderstanding 2｜The dry cleaner's wire hangers are good enough
Fine for a short time, but long term they mark the shoulders, and in damp the rust can transfer to the clothes. The basic rule is when clothes come back, remove the plastic and change the hanger (the plastic traps damp).
Misunderstanding 3｜The bigger the hanger, the better it supports the garment
Wider than the shoulders, the sleeve heads poke out and get marked. Match the garment's shoulder width.
Misunderstanding 4｜Folded clothes collapse when you pull one out
Stored upright, the neighbours hold each other up when one is removed. The trick is to make the folded heights uniform to match the depth of the drawer.
Misunderstanding 5｜Vacuum bags tidy everything away
Long compression damages the springiness of down, wool and knitwear. Keep vacuum bags for short-term storage of off-season cotton items and bedding, and air the contents after opening before use.
---
Sources
- Consumer Affairs Agency, "Care labelling (from 20 August 2024)" [洗濯表示（令和6年8月20日以降）] (the thinking behind the drying and storage symbols)
https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/representation/household_goods/guide/wash_02.html
- Japan Textile Products Quality and Technology Center (QTEC)
https://www.qtec.or.jp/
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Public Health, "Preventing mould" [カビの発生を防ぐには] (damp in storage)
https://www.hokeniryo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kankyo/kankyo_eisei/jyuukankyo/indoor/kabi.html
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
About this article
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Follow the care label and the maker's instructions for any garment, shoe or bag. For expensive or sentimental items, ask a specialist cleaner or repairer.
Sources
Tell us if this has changed
Approved contributions keep the contributor's name, shown in five languages.
Related questions
Other languages：日本語 ／ 简体中文 ／ 繁體中文 ／ 한국어
Value Village is not a government body. Always confirm procedures on the official site.
Written by Value Village from public sources. Nothing here is reproduced from another site.