Have you ladies with the allergies thought of wearing thin gloves... maybe a pair similar to the gardening ones so many of us wear????? If you want to feel the fabric (and don't most of us) then you can "expose" your hands for that brief moment.
As to washing before putting away... It avoids problems with shrinking and with bleeding colors.... BUT DON'T LET IT DRY ALL THE WAY. Every time I lose track of what I'm doing and let fabric over dry I spray it with water and put it back in on the lowest setting. Then I drap it over a rack (folded if necessary) and put it away. NEVER need to iron it.
Try it, you'll like it!