Crocheters... I have a question about Redheart yarns.?

I've been crocheting blankets for over 40 years (egads!). And when I first started, Redheart was the only yarn available to me. Yes, the feel of that brand is rough and always has been. But! I still have (and use) the afghans I made way back then. The yarn is tough and lasts forever. I've always machine washed them, added softener and dried them in the dryer (only for 5-10 minutes tho). It will soften somewhat over time. The only thing I can recommend is that once the machine is in the rinse cycle with the softener, stop the machine and let it sit in the water for about 20 extra minutes before you restart and let it agitate. Redheart yarn (as long as your shawl is well made) can take machine washing easily. If you're still not sure, put it on the gentle cycle. But if it's softness you want for future projects, try Caron's yarns. That's all I use for afghans now and they can also be machine washed, no problem. And they cost just as much as Redheart, if not less when they go on sale.