A friend of mine works for a big dept store, and she told me that since a lot of the clothing (and some fabrics too) come from other countries we need to wash everything before using, wearing and even handling. What we have banished as harmful chemicals, other countries may still be using, as well as in some cases pesticides if they are being shipped from other countries...
I am going to buy a pinking rotary blade and give my fabric edges a quick trim and see if the fraying is stopped or minimized.