I don't wash my fabric unless I think it'll bleed and I still won't even after reading this. Almost everything we buy has chemicals in it. I am allergic to so many things. As a child, I went into an alfalfa field and my eyes swelled shut and ran and my nose wouldn't quit running for two days. Now I can touch alfalfa plants and nothing happens.
My dad purchased an expensive machine to clean the air and put it in my bedroom when I was a child. I use 3 nose sprays a day because of allergies now, but with that help, I can be around cats or anything. I have the worst runny nose; it runs constantly and I own over 100 handkerchiefs because of it. Walmart is the worst for me, but I can go in there now. Before the nose sprays, my husband could find me in any store -- he'd just listen for sniffling and there I'd be. I have never had a problem with fabric -- with or without nose spray -- ever! I could live in a quilt shop and not be bothered without nose spray.