Diesel smell

Wear rubber gloves when filling car. thought everyone knew that.. ;)

Diesel is much less refined product and is closer to OIL.

Petrol smells a lot but is more volatile and evaporates quick. Diesel is much more oily and hangs around.

That's my theory anyway

Muddy

Na Truckster, not rubber ones.
Sahara owners use nice leather ones. (at 95c a pair from Bunnings)
RR owners chuck them away after each fill :-)

The filling is not so much of a problem, but I've just put in an aux fuel tank, and now have to remove it to get the clutch replaced -so I've been laying in the stuff. And it doesn't take much to stink out even a set of normal workshop clothes.

I found the following tips on a US site when I went searching for answers to my own post.
Still doesn't tell me why the stuff stinks so much in the first place. Previous post might be right about the volatility being the key factor.

Coke Classic
When washing these clothes pour a can of Coca-Cola Classic in the machine with your detergent. This will remove the petroleum products completely, which I suspect is the problem. You must use Coke!
-- W.

Baking Soda
I have found that adding 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda when I add detergent helps remove the odours and stains from his work clothes. If the baking soda doesn't help try pre-washing in Pine-Sol or Mr.Clean, either one removes the stains and oily residue from the clothes.
-- Denise G.

Ammonia
To get odours out of you clothes, add some plain ammonia to the water while washing them. Gets rid of musty smells. Put it in the water with your soap and other things, not on top of the clothes. Use 1/2 cup. I used it in washing old "down" quilts that had been in an attic for a long time. Washed them and set them outside in the air. Were good as new.
-- Nancy

Special Pre-Wash
Try rubbing mechanic's hand soap (GoJo Creme is a common brand name) on the oily spots, then wash as normal. The best type is the kind that doesn't need water, contains lanolin and is commonly found in a plastic tub (for about $.99). I got this trick from a woman who always wore white and worked with me in a machine shop(!), at the end of the day she would put some hand soap on any (the many) spots and they always came out. I've since found out it will remove almost any stain.
-- Eric W

Vinegar
My late husband used to drive a fuel truck, and the diesel fuel was the worst smell to get out, what I put in the laundry to help clean better and get rid of the odours was 1 to 2 cups of white vinegar, it also helped get the grease and oil out of his clothes. The vinegar is good to use just to get better smelling clothes.
-- Vivian O.

Good Quality Detergent
My husband is a diesel mechanic and I have had to wash his uniform for over ten years. I find that washing them in hot water with Tide with Bleach and drying them with a fabric softener sheet works fine. (I learned long ago that using a "bargain brand" detergent in not worth it, I only use Tide with Bleach alternative. You may also try adding 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse water. I just put it in my fabric softener dispenser. If you don't have this feature on your machine try one of those "Downy Balls"
-- Patricia R

Oil to Remove Oil
Try adding a drop or two of eucalyptus oil to the wash after filled with water.
-- Andy P.

Pinesol
I found after years of greasy clothes leaving gunk in my washer that, heavy duty (industrial) pinesol (approx. 3/4 cup in full load) along with the soap does a GREAT job.
-- M.

Dishwashing Pre-Treat
My fiancée drives a semi-truck and always seems to be getting either diesel fuel or axle grease on his clothing. The best thing I've found to remove the stains and smell is to pre-treat the clothing with Dawn dishwashing detergent, and then wash them as usual. I have even added some to the whole load to get rid of the fuel smell.
--Sherry W.

As for washing your hands, none of the normal soaps seem to get rid of the smell, however my mates "work sponsered" hand cleaner I have in a large nescafae cup on my outside basin is fantastic. Who knows what the hell it is, but it's very corse and when you wet it it dilutes to a soft soapy stuff. It's magic sht hey! Get's EVERYTHING off, even that nasty toxic model car fuel I use.

A double dose of washing detergent and hang them in the sun to let the smell evaporate out of the clothes. I often get soaked with kero (AVTUR) and this is the easiest way to get the smell out.

Or maybe the sensory nerves in my nose are burnt out so I don't smell it anymore.

youse all a mob of girls blouses smell what smell? if anything it makes me think of the start of a big trip filling both tanks and 2 jerries or of adventure stuck under the work vehicle with a leatherman and a bit of adapter hose trying to fix a ripped fuel line while taking a diesal bath. Excellent cotraceptive as well as chix wont go near you after you have siphoned all the diesal out of the back tank an into the main via jerry cans coz you knocked off the return pipe off the top of your tank -- yea Diesal - love it!!

Im not concerned about the smell at the moment,, just the price!!!! I keep a pack of wet baby wipes in the patrol, gets rid of the smell off your hands after fillup...