Just got home from dermatologist. Excema on hands really bad. She gave me refill on one med, a new one to try and said if you have issues on your hands...breaking out, itching, etc. to wash your fabric 5 times to get all the...can't spell it correctly...formeldahyde out. So now I know, washing fab once won't do it with laundry detergent. I use liquid w/no perfumes or other chemicals.

Just thought I'd pass this along. I know there is a huge populatioin of quilters who don't believe in prewashing fab, but know you know why LOTS of us have to do it.

I've also learned that from the cheap shift type dresses that I order through a catalog. I have to wash them several time before they stop making me itch.

Did Doc recommend with or without soap? When I prewash, I don't use soap. Guess I never thought about it before.

It's downright amazing the junk we're exposed to these days. Nanny government.

It's funny you brought this up! I always prewash, (with the exception of precuts), because of the chemicals. Today I was working with a bali pop and wondering why my skin was so itchy. I forgot how bad it can be when my skin gets irritated. I love the precuts, but I probably will cut back on buying them now.

I always use hypoallergenic soaps. Just noticed that Arm & Hammer added a "fresh scent fragrance" to their soap for sensitive skin...what's up with that??? Hello, what do they think people are sensitive to???

I have washed precuts but I have never bought a precut square before today...I got them when I signed up for Keepssake quilting. I also have been wearing white gloves for my last quilt I just made...I was amazed to see how dirty they got. And that was washed fabric....

Yup - clothes and fabrics have that "poison" in them...I got contact dermatitis from trying on new clothing.

I'm sorry, I don't understand your comment. Are you saying that you think that the government is responsible for the use of formaldehyde in the manufacturing process? The government has regulations to try to minimize the impact of its use.

I don't think our government has much to do with the chemicals as most fabric comes from Asia now. Thank the overseas manufacturers for it. :<

five times? Wow!

I know when I handle fabric a lot at work my hands get really dry and such. Cracked and hurting. Burlap really is bad on my hands. I wash my hands asap after dealing with it.