how to get rid of mothball smell?

Jenny

Jenny

Registered Guest
Does anyone know how to get rid of mothball smell? I have a coat smells like someone dropped a mothball bomb! lol I tried to wash it in hot water with vinegar or tide febreze and it still smells!
:wacko:
 
Hi Jenny,

That mothball smell is mighty hard to remove. The only way I have ever managed it, is weeks of line drying outside in the fresh air, and even then traces may remain.

I hope someone else will have a miracle solution for you :)
 
Our opera company bought some old european army coats that were like this - I second Gayle's recommendation of lots of outside fresh air - hung in the breeze if you can, and keep it in the garage or somewhere else open but covered overnight. I had success removing smells by placing items near a wisteria in bloom but that rather depends on the time of year.
 
if you are planning on reselling it, I would suggest that if you are able to air it out successfully, that you be sure to disclose in your listing's description that it did carry the scent of mothballs, but that it has been aired out to remove the odor. That way, your buyer is aware of it: some people are highly allergic to that chemical, and they may show signs of detection, even if the scent has died down.

Also, the scent can "come back": i bought a beautiful wool sweater from a highly reputable vintage seller..it was adorable! (and no mothball smell evident at all). I immediately froze it (which we do for every woolen that we buy) then put the sweater away. Months later, in the fall, we went out one day, a perfect day to wear my "new" sweater. The cool afternoon turned foggy/drizzly...and then the sweater stunk to high heaven of moth balls. so, it may "go away" but it also may "reappear". being truthful with your potential buyers is much better than them being disappointed because of non-disclosure of such an important issue.
 
I agree with the comments above and loathe mothball smell. Whenever people raise it as an option for preserving fabrics, I beg them not too: they're toxic and the smell is impossible to remove completely.

Generally I avoid buying anything affected, but as Mary says, the smell can come back - something about being shipped in a plastic bag but online purchases often reveal their smells when you open them, that they seem not to have to the sender. Either that or there are fortunate people out there who don't sense the obnoxious scent.

My usual remedy is as others have said: wash and air, air, air. It can take weeks to get rid of the odor. Good luck!
 
I recall the old fashioned method of airing a garment out in a garage or breezeway during a thunder and lightning storm. This actually works wonders. But of course, you have to have a storm handy and keep it covered from getting wet. Another method is airing it outside overnight when the air is cool and slightly damp, and then letting it dry in the morning sun, brushing the surface out after taking it down from the line. Repeat, repeat repeat.

I have tried putting the garment in a large box or closet, the bottom of which is layered with lots of ground coffee. You have to leave it in there for a long time, but this works for mildew and can also work for camphor odors.
 
A friend of mine had success by bagging up a moth ball stinky fur coat with lots of fullers earth, and leaving it for some time (days? weeks? I'm not sure. I think a week or two). Then brushing it to get all the fullers earth off. An internet thread on the subject says " put them on a natural fabric like an old cotton sheet or towel and sprinkle lightly with fullers earth. Leave in a warm dry place for a day or so and then shake/brush gently to remove the fullers earth. "

And where do you get fullers earth, easily and cheaply? Why, cat litter! Certain types of cat litter, the sort called usually 'clumping' cat litter, is pure fullers earth.
 
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I suggest, try to wash it again, and leave it in a warm dry place for a day. Though it may not completely remove the smell, but actually it can help to minimize the smell of the mothballs since, mothballs have a very strong smell and it is hard to remove.
 
Leonardo da Vintage said:
A friend of mine had success by bagging up a moth ball stinky fur coat with lots of fullers earth, and leaving it for some time (days? weeks? I'm not sure. I think a week or two). Then brushing it to get all the fullers earth off. An internet thread on the subject says " put them on a natural fabric like an old cotton sheet or towel and sprinkle lightly with fullers earth. Leave in a warm dry place for a day or so and then shake/brush gently to remove the fullers earth. "

And where do you get fullers earth, easily and cheaply? Why, cat litter! Certain types of cat litter, the sort called usually 'clumping' cat litter, is pure fullers earth.
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* I don't want to ambush Ruth's suggestions hello kitty emoti - but a little bit of advise- Do just be careful with Fullers Earth, as it can contain other chemical agents that are dangerous to inhale.
 
Good point, though I'm pretty sure it's not other chemicals, but tiny particles of the clay itself, that can can be hazardous to health if inhaled.

My understanding is that with fullers earth the danger is only significant if you work with it all day every day, and so inhale large quantities. After all, people who use fullers earth cat litter (as I do) will inhale small amounts, and I don't think there is a health issue with that? If you are concerned you can simply wear a dust mask to protect yourself, probably a good precaution. Thanks for bringing this up Gayle.

Unless you mean a product that contains fullers earth and some chemicals as well? If so I don't know anything about that!

ETA: Reading further, Gayle you are right that it can sometimes contain contaminants or dangerous minerals - being a natural product its composition can vary. But generally serious health cases have been from prolonged repeated exposure, such as by textile workers, or on film sets. Still, wearing a mask is a good idea if you are likely to be breathing it in. Other silicate dusts such as talcum powder have similar warnings.
 
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One thing I was cautioned about on the forums in the past was washing such damnables with any other clothing....I recently threw a vintage piece that had no really obvious smell on quick sniff in with some other washing I had and the Mothball smell reanimated as mentioned above and infused its nastiness on all the rest of the load.....it seems to have lightened up with a few more washings but it's still there on the rest of them. I also threw in some oxyclean which I think helps get rid of mildewy musty stuff too.
 
Umm...Zombie oder.

I guess I will try to take it outside to air it out before storm comes.
 
I have had luck with a 50s blue satin velvet trim dress that had the famed mothball odor. After it was hand washed twice and left to air for several weeks it still persisited. I took it to my local trusted dry cleaners and they recommended ozone. It sat in their ozone room for over 2 weeks. The charge was minimal I think 15.00 the odor was completely gone and never came back, which they even guarenteed! I got to wear it to an event and eventually sold it. I was super happy and quite amazed it worked.
 
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