Hi Charlotte. . . Sorry to hear that we share this challenging aspect of sceleroderma! To answer your questions: I use hand sanitizer to wash my hands, which evaporates quickly and doesn’t soak my bandages. I use disposable gloves, the kind you get for first aid use (current brand is Curad), for all cooking–cannot cook with my bare hands, and this has saved me from many infections. I prefer Aquafor ointment on my ulcers, and I use a calcium alginate surgical dressing (special order from health care supply company–expensive, but fortunately covered by my insurance) on top of that, then my bandages, to protect the ulcer and keep the skin from breaking down. I strongly favor cloth bandages (Coverlet are the best I’ve found, have to mail order), because they allow my skin to breathe. I hope this is helpful. Good luck this winter!