You knew percale sheets were supposed to be crisp, yet the feel of the fabric between your fingers was far removed from what you expected. Was it the percale itself, or simply that you weren’t used to the texture? If you’ve bought luxury percale sheets from a brand such as Doze, the answer is most likely the latter. We believe you shouldn’t have to give up comfort for coolness, so we'll show you how to soften percale sheets.
What to Remember
- Percale feels crisp at first because the cotton fibers haven't softened or hydrated yet.
- Washing percale bedding with cool water, mild detergent, and a gentle cycle helps the fibers relax without damaging the weave.
- Air-drying percale or tumble-drying it on low heat helps soften it.
- Vinegar or baking soda can help remove residue or mineral buildup that makes percale feel rough.
- The more you use and wash percale, the softer and smoother the cotton becomes.
Why Does Percale Feel Crisp at First?
Right out of the packaging, percale may remind you of a freshly ironed shirt laid out flat. Below, we cover three reasons why.
- The Weave Is Naturally Tight: Percale is crafted with a one-over-one, plain weave. That structure creates a flat, matte, structured surface. Since new percale hasn’t relaxed yet, it feels firm to the touch. We explain more about the plain weave in our guide on what percale is.
- The Cotton Fibers Are Still “New”: Before washing and use, the fibers haven’t fully flexed, opened, or softened. Cotton becomes more pliable as the fibers are agitated and hydrated during the washing process. Until that happens, the fabric feels clean, crisp, and slightly rigid.
- Finishing Processes: Most premium percale is produced with simple finishing (not heavy chemical softeners). That means you’re feeling the true fabric, not a coating. The tradeoff for breathability and durability is that percale starts a little stiffer on day one.
How to Soften Percale Sheets: 5 Reliable Practices
With these hacks, you can soften bed sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases made of percale.
[Image by pixelshot on Canva.]
1. Wash Them Before the First Use
High-quality percale sheets arrive clean. If you have our percale sheet set, you can attest to that. However, being clean doesn't equate to being hydrated. When dry, cellulose (the polymer that cotton fibers are made of) is rigid. Once exposed to water, cellulose swells slightly. Therefore, when you dip a new percale sheet in water, the water penetrates the fibers, loosening the microscopic bonds that were formed during the manufacturing process.
As the fibers become more pliable, the crisp, paper-like feel of new sheets transitions to a smoother, more flexible feel. If you skip this wash and sleep directly on new sheets, you’ll feel the rigid surface of unhydrated fibers scraping very lightly against your skin.
We recommend washing sheets separately the first time with cool water and mild detergent on a gentle cycle. Washing them separately gives the fibers ample freedom to open up and begin softening.
2. Follow a Gentle Washing Schedule
To soften percale sheets safely, wash them under controlled, moderate conditions over multiple cycles.
Water Temperature
You can use cold or warm water, but the former is better at preserving the integrity of superior cotton. It causes the fibers to swell without weakening them, allowing gradual softening. It also prevents detergent components from “locking” into the cotton, which can happen when surfactants are exposed to hot water and adhere more strongly to fibers. The presence of these residues can make softening stiff sheets slightly harder.
Detergent Type
The best type of detergent for softening percale sheets is a mild, liquid product without any softening ingredients.
- Mildness: Mild detergents are designed for natural fabrics or sensitive skin and contain gentler surfactants that clean without causing the fibers to fray. Detergents with strong optical brighteners and heavy surfactants can strip too much of the cotton’s natural flexibility, leaving fibers dry and brittle.
- Liquidity: Liquid detergent dissolves better in cold water, which helps remove residue that can cause sheets to become scratchy. Powders can work, but only if you allow them to dissolve fully in the water before adding the sheets.
- Zero Softeners: Look for formulations without fabric softener additives. Adding fabric softener to percale coats each fiber with a thin wax-like layer, preventing water from fully hydrating the cotton and slowing down the softening process.
Cycle Pace
During a gentle wash cycle, cotton flexes without having its structure worn down. These micro-movements of fibers rubbing lightly against one another inside the weave help soften sheets. Too much agitation creates lint and damage. By contrast, too little agitation doesn’t allow the fibers to move at all.
Machine Load
Avoid overloading the machine because cotton needs room to tumble and circulate in water. If the sheets are packed tightly, water can’t reach all parts of the fabric. Rinsing out detergent may be a struggle, and residue becomes trapped in the tiny air spaces between fibers, contributing to the sheet's stiffness.
3. Low-heat Tumble Dry (or Air-dry Where Possible)
When cotton dries, hydrogen bonds form between the cellulose molecules. The speed at which the fibers lose water determines how those bonds form. High heat causes rapid drying, which pulls moisture out too quickly and can tighten the fibers instead of relaxing them. This can lead to over-drying, brittleness, and reduced softness.
By contrast, a low-heat tumble dry allows fibers to lose water more gradually. Add wool dryer balls to help create pockets of air that improve movement and reduce friction points. The tumbling motion helps create luxurious softness without relying on dryer sheets or chemical softeners.
Air-drying produces a different kind of softness. When hung on a clothes horse or outside in fresh air, the cotton dries slowly. This slow evaporation results in a crisp, cool finish. That extra crispness is one reason many people who sleep warm prefer line-dried percale. Sunlight also helps break down any trace residue that survived the wash cycle. If you want the crispness of line drying but also a bit of softness, let the sheets air-dry until almost dry, then finish in a low-heat drying cycle for a few minutes. This final tumble relaxes the material just enough without creating heat stress.
4. Rinse Occasionally With White Vinegar or Baking Soda
This extra step is only necessary if you’re in a hard-water area or notice that your sheets are still stiff after you've completed the previous steps.
A good hard-water opponent, vinegar contains a weak acid capable of dissolving the mineral film. This acid is called acetic acid. When added during the rinse cycle, the acid breaks the bond between mineral ions and the fibers, helping remove residue and restoring softness.
Baking soda works differently. Sodium bicarbonate raises the pH of washing water. When the pH increases, mineral-laden soap residue becomes more soluble, making it easier to remove residue during rinsing. Adding half a cup of baking soda directly to the laundry tub at the start of the wash cycle helps lift buildup from the cotton fibers. If you mix baking soda and vinegar at the same time, you get carbon dioxide bubbles, a harmless but ineffective reaction that neutralizes both ingredients.
To do the reset properly:
- Wash sheets with cool water and no detergent.
- Add vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser to release during the rinse, or add a cup of baking soda directly to the drum at the start of the wash.
- Finish with a full rinse cycle.
If your washing water is very hard, a reset every few weeks prevents buildup.
5. Regular Use and Washing
Cotton softens through repeated mechanical flexing. Every regular cycle makes the fibers bend and rotate within the weave. These micro-movements break the initial rigidity of new sheets, lending them a smoother, more fluid structure. High-quality sheets made from long-staple cotton soften evenly because the fibers are long enough to flex without fraying. Short cotton fibers, often found in cheaper percale, fray more easily, which is why old sheets of lesser quality can feel rough over time despite washing multiple times.
[Image by TrueCreatives on Canva.]
Does Percale Wrinkle?
Percale is naturally prone to wrinkling, and that lived-in character is part of its appeal. If you prefer a smoother look, you can use a steam iron on your Doze percale fitted sheets, flat sheets, and pillowcases. Cotton responds well to gentle heat and steam. Another approach is to wash the sheets separately and move them straight into the dryer after washing. Prompt drying reduces set-in creases. Air-drying works too, especially if you smooth the fabric with your hands while it’s still damp.
If you’re not putting the sheets on your bed right away, fold them neatly and place them somewhere flat so new creases don’t form. Avoid fabric softeners, Epsom salt mixtures, or wrinkle-releaser sprays. These often contain additives that build up on natural fabrics and can wear down percale over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Percale Sheets Get Softer?
Generally speaking, bed linens made of high-quality cotton will get softer. The tight, one-over-one weave feels structured at first, but cotton fibers relax as they absorb water, release tension, and move more freely through repeated washing. This doesn't happen within a few hours but over the sheet’s lifecycle.
Why Are Percale Sheets Scratchy?
Scratchy sheets are products of three factors: detergent buildup, mineral deposits from hard water, or very short cotton fibers. When detergent residue sits between the threads, the surface feels rough instead of smooth. Hard water amplifies this roughness by leaving mineral films on the fabric. Sheets made from lower-grade cotton can also feel scratchy because short cotton fibers stick out of the weave more easily. To avoid these issues from the outset, select sheets with a decent thread count per square inch (between 200 and 300 is perfect).
Does Vinegar Soften Cotton Sheets?
Vinegar doesn’t “soften sheets" in a chemical sense, but it helps remove detergent residue and mineral buildup during the rinse cycle. That residue is often what makes sheets feel stiff or rough. When the buildup dissolves, the cotton fibers regain flexibility, and the sheet feels softer as a result.
Conclusion
Percale is designed to be crisp. It doesn't make silky sheets like a sateen weave. What it has is a different brand of charm: durable firmness and exceptional comfort for hot sleepers. However, once you apply these tips, luxuriously soft sheets won't be out of reach, even when percale is in the picture.