Mothball or naphthalene odor removal suggestions.

The US EPA estimates that about 7.5 million pounds of naphthalene are marketed in the U.S. each year as a pesticide, of which the major use is in moth repellant products. (US EPA 2008).

Here we describe how to get rid of mothball odors in buildings, building furnishings, clothing, or vehicles.

Page top photo, shows a cluster mothballs, or a solid form of naphthalene.

Mothball Smell & Chemical Odor Removal

Mothballs, like those shown at the top of this page, are fumigants containing naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene and act as a pest repellent and possibly act also as a pesticide used to protect clothing and other soft goods from attack by clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella or the casemaking clothes moth Tinea pellionela)

Mothballs, moth flakes, crystals, and bars are insecticides that are formulated as solids. As such, mothballs are registered as pesticides because they contain high concentrations of one of two active ingredients—naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene (sometimes referred to as 1,4-dichlorobenzene).

Through sublimation, they exude gas, acting as a fumigant. -  (Fishel 2017)

[Click to enlarge any image]

 

6 Tips on Getting Rid of or Remove Mothball Odors

Reader Question: How can we get rid of an annoying mothball odor in our Condo?

We moved into a condo, which is a concrete block structure 3 months ago. Shortly after the move we began to smell moth balls.

After following the smell we were able to find out that the unit above us displaced several moth balls throughout there unit, tightly sealed the unit up without air conditioning on(we live in Florida) and left for the summer.

As the smell increased in our unit we begged parties involved to rid the unit of the moth balls and air it out.

Finally this was done, however even though the smell appears to be gone sometimes, other times we can still smell a bad odor, sometimes now the odor is less mothball smell and just simply a bad odor.

We have tried everything and are desperate to solve the problem. Is it possible to get rid of this toxic odor?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. - B.P. 9/22/2012

Reply: How to get rid of mothball odors in buildings, contents, clothing, furnishings

Indeed the odor from mothballs is a VOC-like substance (paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene) that quite penetrates many materials including even drywall, furnishings, carpeting, and it can take quite a while for it to diminish.

And most people can smell mothballs - the characteristic odor of those chemicals can generally be detected in air at a concentration of just a few parts per billion, so getting rid of mothball odors is going to take some thorough airing out and cleaning.

1. Airing out the original building area helps, this means opening windows and perhaps even using fans to move a good volume of fresh air through the building area - weather permitting.
   
   This is the best and principal means of reducing indoor mothball odors in building spaces themselves, and it will help reduce odors from furnishings and carpets and draperies too.
   
   Watch out: depending on the duration and concentration of mothball fume dosage, mothball odors can penetrate and endure in many building materials and in some clothing.
   
   Even lots of sunlight and fresh air may not be enough to remove mothball odors. See more
   
   at LIFE EXPECTANCY of MOTHBALLS
2. Find & address the principal odor source: in general, odor removal of any sort in buildings is most effective if we can identify the exact odor source and remove or clean or seal that source. - what materials absorbed the gases, airborne compounds or VOCs from the mothballs - perhaps using
   
   our SMELL PATCH TEST to FIND ODOR SOURCE - and then try sealing those surfaces if the smelly materials are not something that can be disposed of.
3. Turning up the heat in the space where mothball odors persist can help drive volatiles back into building air where in combination with fresh air venting you will reduce mothball odors.
   
   For soft goods such as upholstered couches you may speed up the mothball odor removal by using a hair dryer (on low or medium temperature) to heat the upholstered surfaces.
4. For soft goods such as clothing that has absorbed mothball odors, having the clothes dry-cleaned or laundered, or sometimes simply running washable clothing through the clothes dryer on medium heat will suffice to get rid of the mothball odors.
   
   If that doesn't solve the problem and you need to go further, you'd need to track down the principal sources of the odor.
5. For harder surfaces cleaning may help reduce mothball odors, but for painted surfaces and drywall, use of a sealant paint or coating may be needed.
6. Watch out: for mothball odor solutions that are ineffective, or are products sold by someone with a conflict of interest, or may in fact make matters worse, as we note in the following items:
   
   Ozone generators for mothball odors? Do not try using ozone or an indoor ozone generator to get rid of mothball odors. Improperly used, you will find you've made a worse problem than before.
   
   Watch out: See OZONE MOLD / ODOR TREATMENT WARNINGS for details and for links to articles that describe how over-treatment by ozone can generate new horrible, costly-to-remove odors in buildings.
   
   Activated charcoal to "remove" mothball odors?
   
   Really? In our OPINION, the recommendation by some sources to place activated charcoal in the space where the mothball odors are strong is not likely to be useful; air circulation and fresh air are more effective than relying on a passive absorption system that never addresses the source of odors.
   
   Air purifiers to remove mothball smells?
   
   Really? In our OPINION, a portable indoor "air purifier", even one using an activated charcoal filter is unlikely to move enough air through a charcoal filter to be effective except in the case perhaps of a very small enclosed space.
   
   Unfortunately some key studies we have reviewed tested a portable air "purifier" by placing it into an enclosed chamber with a limited amount of a specific pollutant - not a realistic nor real-world situation.
   
   See AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES.
7. See additional suggestions for removing mothball smells found
   
   at MOTHBALL ODOR IMPACT on REAL ESTATE SALES where we give explicit step by step instructions for identifying the mothball-imbued odor source surfaces, then cleaning, removing, or sealing those emitters of mothball smell.

 

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2021-11-15 by (mod) - getting rid of mothball odors in a car

@Kelly Robertson Notar,

Probably the best bet is to follow the diagnostic suggestions I made in to see if replacing certain car materials solve the problem.

For example if you suspect that it's floor carpeting remove the floor Carpeting and padding see what that does to the level of odor in the car. If it doesn't change it, you haven't thrown that material away, and you can put it back.

On 2021-11-15 by Kelly Robertson Notar

@Inspectapedia Com Moderator,

Thank you for the advice. It’s a 2019 GMC Yukon.

It’s winter here in Michigan so sunlight and heat are limited. I’m going to run the heater a lot!

We won’t be using moth balls ever ever again.

On 2021-11-12 by (mod) - over-dosed car with mothballs

@Kelly Robertson Notar,

My condolences. You can figure the reason that this article exists is because as the author I've made the same mistake.

There are a couple of approaches that might get you somewhere

including sunlight and heat which helps off-gassing speed up,

fresh air which you already tried,

and if those never can reduce the odor level sufficiently you may need to do some sniffing to see if the odor is concentrated in something that's easy to replace such as floor mats and carpets.

If a car is really worth the number that you gave, then it's probably worth replacing carpets and if necessary even seats and in an extreme case possibly the headliner, although I would leave that one to last.

Remember that the odour can be in not just the carpet but the carpet padding or sound insulation under Carpeting and along the firewall.

Try someone with a good sense of smell who's been in fresh air and let them be your sniffer.

In any event do not try the ozone route or you'll destroy the car.

On 2021-11-12 by Kelly Robertson Notar - left mothballs open in my car for two days: now I can't drive or ride in the car

Help! I was misguided and out moth balls in my car for two days. I’ve tried everything to get it out.

I can’t drive/ride in the car it is so bad. I’ve only had it for a couple of months.

We tried washing everything, odor neutralizer, chlorine bomb, leaving all the doors and windows open off and on for 2 week, professional cleaning…

I’m desperate and feel like I’ve made a $50k error.

On 2021-09-03 by (mod) - get the smell of "naphthalene" flakes out of rubber backed curtains

@sue,

I don't know. That rubber backing may be a bit porous and might even be slightly changed chemically by prolonged exposure to naphthalene So it might be reluctant to let go of the mothball odor.

Try airing out the curtains in sunlight, outdoors, in warm dry weather;

You might also discuss with your dry cleaner whether the curtains can be dry cleaned.

On 2021-09-03 by sue

is it possible to get the smell of naptholene flakes out of rubber backed curtains that have been in storage - if so - what do i do to take the smell away please

On 2021-05-26 by (mod)

@Anthony Sipperley,

This article talks about exposure to naphthalene or mothball Vapors both hazards and how to attempt to get rid of the odor. However it's quite surprising that a five-minute exposure would be enough to leave lasting odors. Have you tried simply ventilating the area?

On 2021-05-25 by Anthony Sipperley

I have a kind of specific situation I am worried about. This was my first time using moth balls and I made a mistake by opening the bag of moth balls and putting them in my closet that I store a bunch of my stuff in that I never use.

After I opened the bag and the smell hit me I quickly rushed the bags outside and threw them away into my trash can immediately so in total I had about maybe 5 minutes at most of the moth ball bags laying on the ground in my closet.

My closet is hardwood and I have tried scrubbing it with water and baking soda, and using vinegar and I cannot seem to get the smell to go away. I am most worried about the toxicity portion of this.

If the smell will not hurt anything than I am at ease but if the smell means there is still toxins in the air I would like to know how to get rid of it/ neutralize the moth ball not just get rid of the smell.

I am already airing out my room and I have coffee grounds and vinegar trying to kill the smell. I would also like to know if my bed spread and clothes are at risk for the rest of my room.

I have already taken my dirty clothes that were by where I dropped the moth balls out and have changed my own set of clothes but I am afraid the smell/toxins will absorb into my bed sheet etc and would like more information on this.

Do I have to redo all of my clothes and all of my bed and what about the mattress how do you detox a mattress?

and there was a trace of the smell lingering faintly where I ran out the door with the moth balls so should I be worried of it clinging onto anything while I was running out the door?

On 2020-07-03 - by (mod) - dining chairs with upholstered seats that have been exposed to moth balls. I

Carla

If upholstery cleaning and sunlight and airing-out don't work, then you might need to re-upholster.

My best suggestions are in the article above. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

On 2020-07-03 by Carla De Vries

I have dining chairs with upholstered seats that have been exposed to moth balls. Is their a way to clean the naphthalene off the upholstery?
My daughter is concerned the nepheline on the seat's upholstery will be dangerous to her small children.

On 2019-10-13 - by (mod) - get rid of mothball odor in old clothes

Erin:

I'm doubtful that sun and fresh air alone will suffice. I'm still monitoring a more than 100-year-old wood chest that at one time stored items along with mothballs - it still has a mothball odor despite cleaning and airing.

THe chest is described separately at ANTIQUE CHEST Ricketts - Strause HISTORY https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Antique_Chest_Ricketts-Strause.php

Fabrics are less dense and might respond better to cleaning. Sometimes professional cleaning can remove mothball odors, though I suspect the cost of your donation is going to escalate as a result.

On 2019-10-13 1 by Erin

20 years ago I inherited 2 sheepskin coats which, since I knew I wouldn't use, were stored in a wardrobe in the garage along with mothballs.

I now plan to donate the coats to a neonatal wildlife rescue program that makes use of old fur garments. Sadly, mine reek of mothballs and they can't accept them. Is there any way to render these coats safe for that use?

...

Continue reading  at MOTHBALL ODOR IMPACT on REAL ESTATE SALES for more details on getting rid of mothball or moth cake or flake smell - or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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• GET RID of MOTHBALL ODORS
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• MOTHBALL ODOR IMPACT on REAL ESTATE SALES
• TERMITES & NAPHTHALENE HAZARDS
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