I will admit, Im actually pleasantly surprised at how soft these are right out of the box.  I just mournfully threw away my favorite sheets that finally tore apart.  They were my favorites because Id laundered then so often that they were butter soft.  They were bitter soft because theyd been used and washed so much.  These new sheets however are as soft out of the box as my old ones were after 15 yrs of use!  Love them!  And for the price point theyre even better!  Im definitely buying more in other colors!