Nasty chemical smell on new clothing? Help!

[rainyday]

We recently bought a new fleece blanket and a cotton sweater. Both of these items have a kind of chemical odor. They have both been washed three times (not together), but the odor persists. I've tried washing with detergent, borax, oxyclean, and vinegar, but I can't get this odor out. I really don't want to use the blanket or sweater when they have this kind of chemical smell. I figure if they smell like that, they've got to be gassing off chemicals that I don't want near us.

What can I do to get the chemical smell and any chemical residue out?

Thanks!

[allnaturalmom]

I would like some info on this, too. I have some things that I cannot get the smell out of, also. I really thought vinegar would work, but it didn't.

[TwinMom]

Are they by any chance blue? I've noticed that some of the blue items I purchase, even 100% cotton, has a weird smell. I haven't figured out how to get the smell out, so now I make sure I smell blue fabric before I buy it.

[Toolip]

I would just keep throwing it in with every load of laundry and hanging it on a clothes line. I would have expected vinegar to help, bummer.

[rainyday]

Well, good news! After three more washes, the smell seems to be gone. I finally dumped half a gallon (really) of vinegar in the last load, and that seems to have done the trick.

Twin Mom, they weren't blue, but I've noticed that before too, come to think of it!