By Wendy Herman for Realtor.com

Learning how to fold a fitted sheet is a must for anyone who wants an organized linen closet. There’s just one problem: That elastic band around the sheet’s bottom seems to defy folding, which is why most of our efforts end in blatant failure, with the sheet crumpled in a ball and jammed in the corner of a shelf or drawer.

Yet there actually is a way to properly fold a fitted sheet—and it’s not even that hard.

“Once I knew the trick, it became a fun, little puzzle with an easy solution,” says organization and home economics expert Lisa Eaton. And this lost art is well worth learning: “I love getting into a well-made bed, and having had the sheet folded well before being stored and then put onto the bed makes for an even more relaxing sleeping experience.”

Intrigued? Here’s how to fold a fitted sheet in six simple steps.

How to fold a fitted sheet

Step 1:  Pick up your sheet, tucking your right hand in the right corner and your left hand in the left corner, with the elastic edge facing you. Bring your hands together and flip the right corner over the left so the left corner (and your left hand) are tucked inside the right corner of the sheet.

Step 2: With your left hand still tucked into the top two corners of the sheet, slide your right hand down and tuck it into the nearest bottom corner. Then bring this corner up and tuck it into the top two corners. There should now be three corners pocketed together over your left hand.

Step 3: Slide your right hand down to the final bottom corner, bring it up and tuck that one into the top three corners that are on your left hand, too. With your hand still tucked in the corner, gently shake out the sheet to make sure everything is neatly in place.

Step 4: Lay your sheet on your bed or other flat surface with the sheet’s elastic edge facing up. If you’ve done everything right, it should resemble the shape of a square at this point. Run your hand over the sheet to work out any lumps to ensure that it is nice and smooth.

Step 5: Fold your sheet in thirds horizontally, hiding the elastic from view. Then, do a final fold vertically until your sheet is folded compactly into a small, rectangular shape.

Step 6: Place your perfectly folded fitted sheet in your linen closet, and give yourself a pat on the back. See? That wasn’t so bad. Bonus: This simple trick will impress all your friends!