That is another reason I prewash. In the beginning, all I had to do was to move the fabric around. I started prewashing and that made a big difference. But I often sneezed or coughed while just being around the fabric in the store. Also if the fabric is uncovered after prewashing and just happens to get a little dusty without realizing it, that could make a person cough. Maybe before cutting you could just toss it into the dryer for a few minutes with no dryer sheets.