About 2 to 2 1/2 years. I have three sets for each bed. I rotate them.
They would probably last longer but I use bleach and hot water to wash linens.

I buy 100% cotton white sheets only. I like the Castle brand. 400 thread count I think. Not as nice as the old time crunchy sheets but they have better "body" than any others I've found. All around elastic on the bottoms too. Found them at Ross for Less. Around 40.00 d for Queen and 50.00 for King.

I found the most fabulous sheets, one from Linen Source (link below) and from Bed, Bath and Beyond, their signature Beech sheets (but not the flannel ones unless you like them). bedbathandbeyond.com. for these fj

Here is a link that might be useful: sheet sets

Some of my sheets are over 15 years old, I can age them because we had them when we bought this house 16 years ago. They were high thread count but I don't remember what it is. They are ready to be retired!

Last year I bought very high end sheets when I was replacing them in my boss's South Beach home. They are truly magnificent sheets but not the price tag I could ever afford. The brand is D Porthault, oh gosh they were (four figure) expensive.

We bought our first king size bed over 25 years ago and I bought 2 sets of Wamsutta Supercale (50 poly/50 cotton) sheets. These were rotated weekly for several years until I splurged and bought a few more sets of sheets. None of the 100% cotton, high thread count have lasted as long. The bottom sheet just wears thin and then tears.

Nothing has ever lasted as long as the Wamsutta Supercale. I did buy 2 more sets that were 60 poly/40 cotton before Wamsutta discontinued them. I'm still using those original sheets although I have replaced the elastic.

We must be easy on sheets because I always get tired of them before they wear out. We got some flannel sheets at Fred's about 8 years ago, a king size set for about $20, if you can believe that, and they are still in near perfect shape. We use them about half the year and then regular ones the rest of the year. We've also used good high-count Ralph Lauren sheets and been very pleased with them, too.

In 1983, I bought two sets of outrageously expensive, high thread count, Diane Von Furstenberg sheets (on sale). They were the only sheets I used for almost 20 years, and I still use them on a regular basis. They still look new and are the softest, most luxurious sheets I have ever had! They will probably outlast me!

I bought 2 sets of Laura Ashley sheets and pillow cases in 1984. Rotated them for over 20 years, until I moved and changed the bedroom color scheme.
They are now used in the spare room, and are as good as new.

They cost a fair amount of money back then, and certainly were well worth it.

Seriously? A couple years? Rotating sets? Wow. Not us. I've had one set of soft white sheets (two flats on a king size bed, not fitted) for at least five years! No signs of wear, and soft, just the way we like 'em.

I have only one set of sheets for each bed. Ninety minutes in the washer and dryer and they go back on the beds, all fresh and nice.. No folding, no wrinkles, no storage issues.

I find it is easier to have a queen size bottom sheet held on with garters on my king bed, rather than a fitted bottom. It never comes undone. I do have fitted bottoms on all the other beds, though, but only one set per bed. And they were selected to look good in a particular room.

Why so many sets? How can you get bored with sheets? They are either covered with a spread or you are in them.

I, too, use bleach and hot water to launder.

I use 2 sets of flannel in the winter, 2 sets of 100% cotton in the summer. The flannels I replaced last year, the summer cottons this year, after 7 years of use. I purchased ALL the new ones @ JCP. The one new set is by Cindy Crawford, 400TC,100% cotton, $37.99 queen. The other was 250TC, 60/40, after the double clearance discount & $10 coupon...... .85cents!

I read a LOT of reviews before shopping....this thread is very helpful.....

I've switched over to these Pure Beech sheets. They are by far my favorite kind. So cool and soft.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://reviews.bedbathandbeyond.com/2009/BBB113688/reviews.htm

I'm like flamingo. I get tired of them before they wear out. I buy my sheets either at T.J. Maxx or Marshalls. I do miss the old plain cotton percale.

I having been buying flannel sheets and I have had mine about 4 yrs now an no problem at all. I love them, soft, warm & comfy.

I dread the day my Wamsutta Supercales will die on me, and that day is coming soon! I can see why they discontinued making these; they never need replacing. Why can't I find anything similar -- a cotton percale? I've tried and discarded many high thread count sheets; too limp.

I wash 'hot' and with a dash of bleach.

I don't buy expensive sheets, but they last for years. I think I had the last set of sheets for maybe 7-8 years. And I only got rid of them because the elastic was starting to go and they didn't stay on very well.

My mother once gave me a very nice set of Ralph Lauren sheets. Within a year, I had poked a hole in the top sheet, maybe by moving around in my sleep. I wrote the company, and they sent a new sheet, and I poked a hole in that one, too. Went back to the cheaper sheets, and no problems since.

I'm another one who likes to have only one set of sheets at a time, too. Don't want to have to store the spares.

It isn't the thread count that matters, it is the quality of the thread. If the threads are short and cheap, yes, you can get 1400 TC but they won't last. But quality cotton (Pima cotton, grown on the Pima Indian reservation where I work! Egyptian cotton is high quality too) at 400 TC is far superior to a cheap 1400 TC. There is also high quality long thread 1400 TC, but they will cost you upwards of $1000 for a quality set.

Sherrmann, I have sheets for all my guest rooms, some queen some king, so we probably have 10 sets in different sizes. For our room we only have 3 that we rotate every few days, then put a fresh set on. The old ones go to the laundry room where they are done on laundry day, so we never run out of clean sheets. However, I am with you, I love the smell and feel of sheets fresh out of the dryer! I have a great linen chest that keeps the fresh smell in.

For those of you looking for Percale sheets, the Linen Source link I posted above has them fairly often. Check it out.

Bought a set of inexpensive cotton several years ago, apart from that haven't bought a sheet in years, mine seem to wear forever. Inherited some in Uncle's house.

Have some flannelette ones that it's about time to put on.

I asked the lawyer the other day at the investment meeting, looking at P O As, Wills, etc. ... whether there's a rule against wrapping me in a sheet, after my body's through at the organ harvester/medical school and burying what's left of me after the students get through with me (I'll be a person of parts, then, I guess) ...

... and he didn't know.

Maybe take some of my underwear along?

o j

I bought two different colored sets, high thread count pima cotton bedsheets from Brylane home about 12 years ago. I rotate, depending on the quilt I am using at the time.

Sadly one set, the least used set, began to pill on the 'right side', but I still use them, just put the wrong side to the body.

The other color, the most used set, is still going strong! I don't anticipate buying new ones for at least another 10 years... maybe more.

I've had most of my sheets for at least 30 years. I say most because I did have to buy some new fitted when we got a new thicker mattress several years go. I have bought a set or two of the newer, high count, but give me my OLD percale any day. They don't wrinkle, are soft and wear like iron. I don't even want to think about the day they wear out.

I discovered those T-shirt type microfiber sheets several years ago and just love them! They are cool in summer and cozy warm in winter. I like them much better than regular cotton or flannel sheets. However, they don't last very long as they they stretch out over time or the cats' claws start to make little holes. I replace them every two years or so with the inexpensive Target brand--about $10.00-$14.00 for a complete Full set.