Submitted by frannybones t3_10y6dqy in BuyItForLife

After much research, I finally dove in and purchased a set of Red Land Cotton Sheets that will hopefully last me a long time. I just got them in the mail yesterday and they're far from soft. I opted for the striped ones since I like the look. I've been looking around and haven't found any real solid information on how to break them in.

Any advice? I had sateen sheets from Costco prior that were so soft that I loved but just don't last. Thanks!

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Junior_Ad2955 t1_j7wiq8j wrote

We are currently using the striped ones as well, after about 5 or so wash and dry cycles, like heaven!

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Junior_Ad2955 t1_j7wiobd wrote

They take a few wash and dry cycles to reach their great feel

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Muncie4 t1_j7xke2f wrote

One does not break in sheets. You buy them, you use them, you wash them....at some point in the cycle they get softer. If you wanted soft sheets out of the box, you bought the wrong ones.

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Junior_Ad2955 t1_j821fun wrote

I would say that you’re wrong about that. Given that we only use Red Land Cotton sheets, they get a little softer the first few washes and then after 5 get really soft

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Muncie4 t1_j82i3lq wrote

If you think you need to break in sheets like one breaks in an engine or horse, well great. You can have a differing view without saying the other party is wrong...especially when soft is not a metric.

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GRAWRGER t1_j7wqh00 wrote

ive had this problem. people swore up and down that vinegar would do it - nope.

fabric softener + a few wash cycles worked wonders.

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idc69idc t1_j7wdqgj wrote

Give them a tumble in a dryer.

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Evilevilcow t1_j86x3tw wrote

I don't know about "breaking in". New textiles often have sizing, which is a compound that aids in the spinning / weaving process. That should come off in the first wash though. I wash my white set in hot water and tumble dry with a cupe wool dryer balls. I don't use fabric softener on anything, because I feel like it makes clothes dirtier, but some people really like fabric softener. So it's a choice.

I have Red Land sheets that I've had for about 6 months. While I think they feel great, that are not going to ever feel like a 600 micro thread count sheet. They are substantial and weight-ier feeling. They drape differently. They breath differently. I've been very happy with them, no pilling or wear to be seen. I think they have a long way to go before they are flannel soft.

Fabric tends to get softer as it gets some wear and tear. Think jeans that have gotten softer after a year or two. But I think some of that is the fiber actually breaking down. You can artificially create that effect by brushing fabric. You sacrifice length of life though.

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