How do I get rid of moth ball odor in clothes and furniture? The smell just permeates anything it comes in contact with.
Joe from Reading, PA
I have acquired a down comforter that reeks of mothballs. I have tried every remedy imaginable, and have been unable to get the smell out. the weather has been rainy for many days so I have not had a chance to hang it outside. That will be my last resort. Right now I can't have the comforter anywhere in the house because it makes us all ill. I have to store it in the shed.
The reason older people aren't bothered by mothballs and other chemicals is that they have become acclimatized to the odors over many years. This does NOT mean that the health risks do not apply to them. Mothballs contain a known carcinogen in large doses. Anyone who still uses them is crazy, and they are banned in many places in the world. (01/03/2007)
By rumbledoll
Since most moth balls are made from napthalene which is a volatile...heat and water do wonders if the fabric can take it. Napthalene is one of the heavier volatiles so it takes more heat to evaporate than say acetone that will evaporate at room temperature. I purchased a new maternity jean jumper that smelled horrible of moth balls. I could not even stand to be in the same room with it. For good reason napthalene is no good for you. Anyway, a hot iron on full steam took care of the smell after several washings and hangings inside did nothing.
By Preggo
That's why you dont put that many, read the directions, something like 1 mothball per 50 cubic feet. Try to get the uncscented mothballs or the ones that actually smell good. (04/02/2007)
By Brian
Instead of using mothballs to keep mice away, I've read that you could place a few drops of peppermint essential oil on some cotton balls & put around. The scent is supposed to confuse them & keep them away. Just a few drops as it can be very powerful. I put this in my car after having mice get in. And the smell will go away with airing, unlike I've found mothballs to do. Plus I'd rather small peppermint than mothballs. I'm still trying to get mothball odor out of our camper. (06/26/2007)
By Rose
Charcoal briquettes in a pan overnight - this works in fridges/cars etc. They absorb all odors. (08/01/2007)
By A. Toy
Ditto on the horrid experiences with moth flakes. I was told by the roofer that spreading moth flakes in the attic would deter the rodents that I had heard, as opposed to spreading moth balls that they would be able to remove. Within minutes of me spreading this awful product, my house wreaked from the attic all the way to the basement. Neighbors even smelled the odor, several houses down. I called the NPIC and they strongly recommended getting rid of the flakes, even if it meant removing the insulation.
Turns out the product in the moth flakes is toxic, and because this product produces a vapor, it releases into the whole house. What a nightmare! Turns out, getting emergency removal of insulation is close to impossible! My neighbor and friend climbed up in the attic and helped me remove 40+ bags of blown insulation, as we wore respiration masks, goggles, and were covered head to toe in 120 degees for hours.
In the meantime, I continue to be sick to my stomach, have a loss of appetite and the flakes have cost me at the very least $1500. I'd hate to think how much it would have been if I had found a professional to remove them. If anyone knows of a miracle product to rid my home of this foul stench before my domestic pets and myself are permanantly ill from inhaling this junk-please post ASAP! As for now, I'll try the vanilla extract and the charcoal. (08/09/2007)
By yokingirl
My back bedroom smelled awful when my friend moved out, so I sprinkled moth balls all over the room to kill the smell. It killed the awful smell but then I had to get rid of the moth ball smell. I sprayed febreeze on all carpets and fabrics, then I put a small bowl of ammonia & set it in there and closed the door. After one night the room smelled better, after a couple hours with a window open it smells fine! (09/24/2007)
By Brigitte Carpenter
Eureka!
I bought this beautiful dresser and I didn't realize how much of a oder it had from moth balls. I've had it for a few years, using it for odds and ends but not clothing.
This summer I decided to bake it outside in the sun - didn't work. Then I washed the drawers and the inside of the cabinet with Murphy's Soap - didn't work. Then I spray everything with Febreze on top of the Murphys Soap - WAS THAT A WRONG MOVE!
The smell got worse. So I put a 4" x 4" x 2" container in each drawer and filled them 3/4 of the way with baking soda. So every once in a while I would stick my nose in there to no avail - the smell was still there, worse than when I started.
However! Two weeks ago I stuck my nose in to smell a drawer just for the hell of it, because I had given up and lo' and behold the smell had diminished, so I shut the drawer quickly because I didn't want the workings to stop. I went in today and the smell is just about gone, it is very faint.
So I think that maybe people are just giving up to soon.
Today I put in fresh baking soda, I am so impressed. Looks like I will be able to use this dresser after all. I believe the solution is baking soda and time. (10/24/2007)
By Ean
TO remove the smell of moth balls from anything you must remove a solid hydrocarbon called Naphthalene. This is a highly toxic solid that sublimes into a gas at room temperature. Airing clothes in a warm ventalated enviroment (outside preferably) will do the best job. It is a function of temperature, ambiant saturation of Naphthalene gas, and time. Good Luck kittens. (11/24/2007)
By Tiffany
My son moved into an apartment which had mothballs scattered around it. We removed them, aired the place out, vacuumed with "Pet Fresh". Then it rained and rained, and the place flooded. We got him out of the lease--he lived there for 6 days--but his clothes smell of mothballs even from that short time. I tried TSP, then 1/2 vinegar and water solution, then washing them in Sunlight to no avail.
I have discovered that soaking washable clothing in a solution of orange scented 4 in 1 Lysol (the kind that removes 99.9% of bacteria/germs) did the trick, thank goodness! I let the clothes soak for an hour, turning them now and then, then washing them as usual with Sunlight detergent. It was the Lysol that did it though. What a relief! I hope this helps. (12/30/2007)
By Sandy
Naphthalene is insoluble in water, somewhat soluble in methanol/ethanol, soluble in organic solvents and very soluble in ether, chloroform, or carbon disulfide.
You could therefore use alcohol or methylated spirits. (01/03/2008)
By Mark from Perth Australia
Hardware store told me to put mothballs in my crawlspace where I had squirells. Dropped them in through a very small opening at the door threshold and sealed the hole (two boxes worth). Checked into the local Marriott by that night from the intense fumes. Drilled pilot holes and pumped in 20 cans of triple expanding foam to try and encapsulate them as there is no access to remove them. Also left all the windows in the room open and sealed the romm for 2 months. The odor is 90% gone but the room is still not usable. There should be a warning label on a box of mothballs. (04/05/2008)
By John
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