If you have ever opened your dryer to discover your bed sheets have twisted themselves into a damp, wrinkled burrito that is somehow still wet in the middle, you are not alone – and you are not doing anything wrong. It is one of the most common and most frustrating laundry problems, and it happens for a very simple reason.
Sheets ball up in the dryer primarily due to not having enough space inside the dryer to move and tumble freely. Larger items like sheets, blankets and comforters can twist and tangle during the drum rotation, leaving damp areas behind. The lightweight, flexible fabric of a bed sheet – particularly a fitted sheet with elastic corners – is essentially designed to wrap around anything it encounters inside the drum.
The good news is that it is entirely preventable. Here are nine hacks, ranked from simplest to most effective, that will stop it happening for good.
This is the simplest step and the one most people skip. After washing your sheets, give them a good shake to uncouple any twists or folds that may have formed. This simple step helps promote better airflow in the dryer and reduces the likelihood of sheets tangling during the drying cycle.
Take each sheet out of the washing machine individually, shake it firmly two or three times and place it loosely into the dryer. Do not ball them up and toss them in – if you start a ball shape, the tumbling will finish the job for you.
This is probably the single biggest cause of tangled sheets and the hardest habit to break. We are all guilty of piling everything into one load to save time, but with sheets it almost always backfires.
Ensure that there is enough space for the sheets and blankets to move freely. You may want to dry each large item separately. At a minimum, keep your fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillowcases in separate loads or dry the fitted sheet on its own. Yes, it takes longer. But you will not spend twenty minutes untangling a damp knot afterwards.
Using lower heat settings can help keep sheets from balling up in the dryer. Drying at lower temperatures allows for more controlled drying, helping sheets maintain their shape and reducing the likelihood of them twisting and clumping together.
High heat causes fabric to contract and stiffen more quickly, which makes tangling worse. A medium or low heat setting takes a little longer but produces noticeably better results. You may need to extend the drying time to compensate.
This is the hack that went viral – and it genuinely works. Tossing two or three clean tennis balls or wool dryer balls into the drum with your sheets helps in two ways: they physically separate the fabric as it tumbles, and they improve airflow by preventing sheets from clumping together.
Wool dryer balls have the added benefit of absorbing moisture, which can slightly reduce drying time. They are reusable, last for years and are available at most supermarkets and homewares stores for around $15 for a set.
This one sounds counterintuitive but it works. Lightly fold or layer your sheets over themselves before placing them in the dryer. This technique reduces the surface area that can twist and tangle during the drying cycle.
You are not folding them neatly – just reducing the amount of loose, open fabric that can wrap around itself. A few loose folds is enough to make a meaningful difference.
If you dry duvet covers, this is essential. Help prevent duvet covers from balling up in the dryer by zipping or buttoning them closed. Securing them can help reduce tangling as well as help keep smaller items from becoming trapped inside any folds or crevices. An open duvet cover becomes a giant pocket that swallows everything else in the load. Close it before it goes in.
Tying bedding in a knot to prevent it from tangling might sound illogical. However, if the fitted sheet is knotted, there will be much less loose and open material circling around in the dryer, meaning fewer openings and little nooks and crannies to trap your pillowcases.
Loosely tie each corner of the fitted sheet into itself – not a tight knot, just enough to contain the elastic corners that cause most of the tangling. It works remarkably well and takes about ten seconds.
Stop your dryer cycle halfway through and remove your damp sheets. Shake them out again, place them loosely back in the dryer and resume the cycle.
This is the most effective single thing you can do if tangling is a persistent problem. Yes, it requires you to be nearby when the dryer is running. But one mid-cycle interruption almost always produces perfectly dried, untangled sheets by the end.
Drying sheets in an extra large mesh bag can help keep them contained so they don’t become tangled. This method may require a longer drying time as the bag may also reduce airflow. Large mesh laundry bags are available at most discount stores and supermarkets for a few dollars. They are particularly effective for fitted sheets, which are the worst offenders.
If you want to solve the problem permanently, the combination that consistently produces the best results is: shake sheets out individually before loading, dry the fitted sheet separately from everything else, add two or three dryer balls, use a medium heat setting and stop once mid-cycle to shake everything out.
It sounds like a lot of steps, but once it becomes habit — which takes about two laundry days — you will never pull a tangled sheet burrito out of the dryer again.
While you are improving your laundry routine, this hack for towels is worth knowing too. Instead of fabric softener – which can actually reduce towel absorbency over time – add half a cup of plain white vinegar to your wash cycle. The vinegar breaks down detergent residue, leaving towels softer and fresher. Wash at 40°C to 60°C, shake the towels out, air dry until nearly dry and then tumble dry for just a few minutes to finish. The difference is noticeable from the first wash.
This guide was originally published in 2023 and has been fully updated for 2026 with additional hacks and current advice.
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This makes sense, if I have to use my drier, I put each in separately. My questions is what about front load washing machines, mine tangles the sheets terribly, although I try and sprend them out very carefully as I put them in?
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