I have a machine load (a FULL machine) of towels, which I have washed (now three times), and they absolutely REEK! The smell is not stale or musty or anything like that. Its more like a really strong (and not pleasant) motor oil kind of smell. The towels didn't smell before I washed them, but when I brought them inside from the line and dumped them on the bed, my God! Talk about overpowering! I could smell the smell out at the line, but thought maybe it was something from the shed. I have not changed laundry powder, the only thing that is different is I have recently started using vinegar as fabric softener.

I don't get it. I think the smell is slightly less after having washed these 'clean' towels twice more after the first wash. There was not a rag or anything like that in the load, and I can't remember what I washed before that load, but I didn't have anything smell like that! And if I did have something THAT 'stinky' to wash, I probably would have washed it by hand...

Desperate for suggestions. I have all these towels back in my laundry.