I have chronic eczema on my hands that is constantly irritated by many different things. The latest outbreak started in Feb. and shows no signs of letting up so I know how you feel. My problems started more than 40 years ago and each outbreak appeared to be caused by something different. After many different specialists and tests, I was told I was allergic to my own body chemistry. With each outbreak, my hands became more sensitive to everything I touched, formaldehyde being one of the worst offenders. Household cleansers, fabric, most hand lotions, pet hair, metals of any kind, latex or vinyl gloves, and incredibly my own sweat will cause it to worsen. Unless I end up with both hands bandaged like mitts, I continue to quilt. Washing fabrics first is a good idea for anyone. You can develop a sensitivity or allergy at any time. I don't buy a lot of yardage, but am addicted to fat quarters. I've found the best way to wash them is place them inside a mesh laundry bag like you would delicate lingerie. I toss several of these bags in the washer at a time. This prevents tangling and fraying. I take them out of the bags before drying. Don't over crowd your dryer. The less you put in, the faster they dry and the fewer wrinkles you'll have. I've dried as many as 4 bags of fabric, one at a time, in one timed dryer cycle. I also use Mary Ellen's Best Press when ironing them. It works great and doesn't attract bugs. I use simple cotton gloves when handling unwashed fabric. I've also found that a hand cream designed for "wet work" can protect your hands from allergens almost as well as rubber gloves. Hope this helps.