How To Get Mothball Smell Out Of Clothes: 15 Inventive Ways!
The question of how to get mothball smell out of clothes has become a common concern as the usage of mothballs has significantly plunged to contain moths from fabrics.
While safeguarding these fabrics, they also emit a strong odor that permeates the home creating a strong unpleasant smell.
The surroundings that gained the mothball smell must be removed to ensure health and refreshment.
For this, here is a detailed guide to how to get mothball smell out of clothes and various facts and means to know to deal with this problem.
What Is Mothball Made Of?
Mothballs are commonly used in our homes to protect clothing and other fabrics from damage caused by larvae, moths, and also small termites.
The added chemical compounds in the mothballs like Paradichlorobenzene or Naphthalene can turn from a solid state to a gaseous state.
The formed strong gas has the flavour of the coal tar or the petroleum which is strong and pungent and can repel the moths and the insects.
However, there are also potential hazards of overusing mothballs.
They can be carcinogenic when inhaled heavily and also turn dangerous for pets and children.
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mothballs what are they used for?
Though mothballs are mostly used for fabric protection, here are the other uses you can effectively try on:
1. Pest Control
Mothballs can also have the potential to deter pests and also rodents, and small snakes.
For this, you need to place mothballs in attics, garages, and basements and replace them when needed.
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2. To Protect Storage Areas
Whenever you store items in closed spaces like storage boxes, closets, or iron trunks you need to place mothballs inside them.
This can protect these storage places and keep the things inside like papers, fabrics, or any other things from insect damage for longer.
3. Mildew Prevention
The hard chemicals in the mothballs can help you avoid mildew and mold in dampened and dark areas.
In these places, there is a requirement for replacing the mothballs periodically for efficient results.
4. Garden Usage
Though it is not recommended to place near the trees, these mothballs can help you repel the squirrels, rabbits, and other small animals from damaging your plants.
Place them at a reasonable distance from the plants and make sure to replace and maintain timely.
5. Furniture Protection
Furniture like sofas and beds are highly prone to insect attacks, so here you can use mothballs to handle this problem.
This cannot only help to prevent insects and termites but can also deal with bad odors.
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Insights On Mothball Smell
Mothballs emit a strong, distinctive odor that has a pungent flavor that can be unpleasant for most humans.
This pungent texture is due to the presence of chemicals like naphthalene and camphor that are effective in deterring pests and moths.
To protect our clothes we usually tend to keep mothballs in the closet and the problem here is that the smell will be retained for a long.
This further attaches to our fabric which can further turn adverse on prolonged exposure.
The effects can be headaches, dizziness, nasal congestion, and breathing issues.
So, let’s deal with the ways how to get the mothball smell out of clothes and maintain our fabrics flawless.
how to get rid of mothball smell From Clothes: 15 Easy Tricks To try!
Though the mothball smell has effective uses, retaining the smell on the fabric for a long can turn unpleasant, here are the top working hacks to deal with:
1. Airing Out The Strong Smell
Technique: Here you need to hand the mothball-smelling clothes in the fresh air and the sunlight for approximately 6-8 hours.
Sunlight coupled with fresh air is the best and most viable solution to deal with the mothball smell without using chemicals.
I use this method for all my stinky clothes and it works effectively and saves me from spending a lot on fabric perfumes.
2. Use Baking Soda To Remove Mothball Smell
Technique: Baking soda is an effective ingredient to eliminate the mothball smell from clothes.
In this technique, all you have to do is place clothes in an enclosed box with baking soda exposed inside.
Leave this for a couple of hours, baking soda will absorb all the odors and neutralize the fabric.
You can follow this up with regular machine washing ending with a fabric softener to an enhanced smell.
3. White Vinegar Technique
Technique: In this technique, you need to take a cup of white vinegar and add it to the wash cycle of your fabric.
This is a natural deodorizer and can be used by those who don’t like artificial perfume smells.
Though white vinegar won’t damage your fabric, a patch test is recommended for effective results.
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4. Activated Charcoal Technique
Activated charcoal is the best ingredient used in the cosmetic industry, you can use the same sealed bag and place it along with the mothball-smelling clothes.
You can keep this for days long, which can help to absorb all the hard smells and neutralize bad odors.
Note: Make sure charcoal is kept in a breathable container to avoid hard stains!
5. Freeze Method To Get Rid Of Mothball Smell
Technique: Here all you need to do is pack your clothes with a mothball smell into a plastic bag and leave them in the freezer overnight.
The freezing temperatures can neutralize odors and help your clothes to get rid of the odd smells. This is a simple and cost-effective technique.
6. Sunflower Petals
Technique: Here you need to attach sunflower petals to each layer of the mothball-smelling clothes.
Due to their natural fragrance, sunflower petals can neutralize or subdue the intensity of the odors.
All you need is to spread the layers evenly and help them dry till they show effects.
7. Steam Cleaning On Odors
Technique: Steaming can help you not only deal with shrunken clothes but also help to open fabric fibers and loosen the trapped odors.
But make sure not to use heavy steam to keep fabric from damaging.
You can also use iron techniques to deal with the mothball smell.
8. Potato Slices To Get Off Mothball Smell
Technique: Potato is the most used vegetable in our homes, you can use slices of this vegetable in an open container.
Place this container in a closed closet with the clothes having a mothball smell and they can absorb the bad odors over time.
9. Newspaper and Charcoal
Technique: Do you have any idea that a simple newspaper can absorb bad odors? Yes! it can.
All you need to do here is to place the container with a crumpled newspaper along with the charcoal, where charcoal helps in purifying the air.
10. Rice With Cloves
Technique: If you have any gloves, keep the uncooked rice and the cloves together and expose them to wait in the bag filled with clothes that have a mothball smell.
Rice helps in absorbing the additional moisture and the cloves add a pleasant scent to the fabric.
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11. White Bread Technique
Technique: You can simply put a white bread slice in a sealed bag along with the clothes of odor.
This white bread will absorb the moisture and the odors to make the fabric feel refreshed.
12. Sandalwood Chips
Technique: Sandalwood tends to spread fast and rest on the things it got connected with.
So simply place a sachet of sandalwood chips, which can help to enhance the smell and make the bad odors away in a natural form.
13. Vinegar And Baking Soda
Technique: If the smell persists even after trying a few techniques mentioned above, you can try this vinegar and the baking soda technique.
Here you can apply the paste onto the clothes, let it settle for an hour, and mild wash the fabric to regain the texture of a decent smell.
14. Fresh Orange Peels
Technique: You can use fresh orange peels, place them in a container, and expose them to the fabrics.
This can not only help you avoid the odors but also fill your closet with the citrus scent.
15. Vanilla Extract
Technique: You need to grab a cotton ball spill a few drops of vanilla essence onto it and leave the cotton ball for a few hours.
This technique not only neutralizes the orders but keeps the closet smell sweet.
how to get rid of mothball smell in furniture: 6 Working Hacks!
Furniture is the place where there is a high chance of insect infestation, mothballs are often used here which in return lets the smell stay longer.
So, here are the easy working hacks to know on how to get rid of mothball smell in furniture:
1. Use a White Vinegar Wipe
This simple technique includes the white vinegar mixed with the water in equal quantities.
Microfiber cloth is dipped in this solution and is used to wipe the couch to neutralize the odors and also help you maintain your couch more elegantly.
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2. Scented Sachets
You can use natural herbs like lavender, rosemary, or eucalyptus in a sachet and place them inside the drawers.
This way you can keep a special odor in the furniture by eliminating the bad odor and the little insects.
3. Black Tea Bags To Remove Mothball Smell
Black Tea bags are effective and economical additions that are to be placed inside the furniture corners.
These things can simply absorb the odors and also help to keep some types of insects. Replace them when needed!
4. Alfalfa Sprouts
You can simply place Alfalfa sprouts in a bowl sprinkle some water and place it near the furniture.
Leave this for overnight which has the tendency to absorb the odors and also helps in killing bacteria.
5. Rice And Essential Oil To Get Rid Of Mothball Smell
You can simply fill the uncooked rice bowl with water to 70% and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
Keep this bowl near the furniture to make this aroma transfer and eliminate the mothball smell.
6. Talcum Powder For Mothball Smell Elimination
This is the most economical yet efficient technique where you can simply sprinkle the talcum powder and leave for a few minutes.
The scent of the talcum powder gets transferred to the furniture eliminating the strong odor of the mothball.
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How To Remove mothball smell from closets: 3 Quick Tips!
Closets are the common places where we store our clothes.
So here is the most profound area to get an accumulation of the mothball smell.
So, check these simple quick tips to know how to remove mothball smell from closets:
1. Ventilation and Air Circulation
You can simply try to keep your closet air-circulation-friendly.
If this element is missing in your home, you need to get an air mesh attached which can help the free air circulation.
You can also charcoal filter for this space to get a quicker response of odor absorption.
2. Linen Spray With Special Oils
Use essential oils like lavender, tea tree, or peppermint and mix them well in the water.
Slightly take a diffuser or the spray bottle to evenly match the shelves, walls, and the clothes inside the closet.
This way can improve the antibacterial nature and also help you to remove mothball smell from closets.
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3. Coffee Grounds
You can simply place coffee grounds or the coffee powder in a bowl or an empty sachet and place this inside your closet.
The fresh smell of coffee beans will neutralize the mothball smell and help your closet to have this rich coffee smell.
Note: Make sure to keep these coffee beans away from the touch of fabric to avoid staining.
How To Get The Mothball Smell out of Wool Clothes: Step-By-Step Guide!
Woolen clothes are the most stored ones as they are only seasonally worn.
So they are more susceptible to mothball smell, for here is a step-by-step guide to know, how to get the mothball smell out of wool clothes.
Step 1: Air Out Of Clothes
For this, you need to hang your wool clothes outside the ventilated area preferably where the sunlight is more.
Fresh air will circulate well and help in removing the mothball odors easily. Drying time would rather range between 24-48 hours.
Step 2: Soak In vinegar
You need to fill a whole water container with the cold water and add 1 cup of white vinegar.
Mix this well submerge the wool clothes and let them soak for at least 30 minutes.
This can not only neutralize the bad odors but also help in avoiding germs.
Step 3: Gentle Wash Wool Clothes
If you still feel the smell after the vinegar dip, try to use gentle washing techniques using mild detergent and sun dry them for 48 hours.
This way the woolen clothes will lose the bad odor and also help the wool retain its texture. Avoid heavy wringing of the woolen clothes.
Step 4: Drying and Freshening Method
Here take a soft towel, wrap the woolen clothes tight, and squeeze them as much as possible.
After this, you need to dry them under sunlight followed by a 30 minutes of air soak under the fan.
This can prevent stretching and maintain the shape of the wool.
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Tips And Warnings To Remove Mothball Smell From Clothes
Here are a few warnings to follow to remove mothball smell from clothes:
1. Avoid hot water usage
Never use hot water either to soak or wash the clothes it can damage the fibers and can lead to shrinking or warping.
2. Test Cleaning Solution Hack
It is always recommended to test any cleaning solution like vinegar, baking soda, or essential oils. Sometimes they can cause discoloration and create irreversible damage if not settled well.
3. Handle Delicate Fabrics Gently
Never overhandle your fabric to remove the smell like stretching, matting, or over-squeezing.
Vigorous handling can damage delicate fabrics reducing their lifespan.
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Important Facts And Information About Mothballs
Here are a few important facts and information about mothballs to know:
1. Placement: Mothballs should be used in sealed containers or garment bags to increase their effectiveness
2. Environment Hazards: Mothballs can create adverse effects on the environment if they are not disposed of properly. The hard chemicals can contaminate water and the air creating an imbalance.
3. Other Alternatives: There are several natural alternatives for mothballs like cedar wood, lavender sachet, and also various other natural oils that serve your purpose.
Why does my house suddenly smell like mothballs?
A sudden mothball smell in your house can be for various reasons. One would be the overuse of them and also placing them openly.
Old furniture, heavy fabrics, and even carpet can easily absorb the smell and disburse all over the house.
Sometimes, rodents and insects mistake this for food and distribute it to different places, which can intensify the odor.
Chemical leaks from the freshener agents can also mimic the mothball smell all over the house.
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How To Remove Mothball Smell From Your Hands?
To remove mothball smell from your hands you need to wash them thoroughly with hard soap.
Even if you feel the smell still holds, try to use the dishwasher. If this does not work try dipping your hand in vinegar-filled water and soaking for 20 seconds followed by the soap wash.
Alternatively, you can also dip your hand in the baking soda mixed with the water and rub cleanly.
Lemon water also works fine in removing the mothball smell from your hands.
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FAQs On How To Get Mothball Smell Out Of Clothes
1. what causes mothball smell in house?
The mothball smell in a house is caused by the release of chemicals like naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene from mothballs, often used for pest control.
2. Why Storing old clothes and books with mothballs?
People store old clothes and books with mothballs to protect them from moths, mold, insects and mildew.
3. Is Mothball Smell Dangerous?
Yes, the mothball smell can be dangerous, as the chemicals can cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory issues with prolonged exposure.
4. Can I Reuse Mothball?
No, mothballs lose their potency over time and should not be reused.
5. does dry cleaning get rid of mothball smell?
Yes, dry cleaning can help remove mothball smell from clothes.
