The Ultimate Mothball Odor Remover Guide for Your Home

Do you have mothball odor consuming your home? The pungent aroma of mothballs is an odor that is quickly identified in most environments, with an unmistakable scent that will invade an entire location. Often times we associate this smell with storage or stored away items, and why is this? For years, people have used mothballs in an effort to keep critters like insects and rodents out of their home or storage. But the main source of fear is that of moths that have been known to eat through fabrics in clothing and destroying these materials.

However, in recent years it has been discovered that the use of mothballs can be more hazardous to your home and your health than it is beneficial. Therefore, what can you do if you have mothball smell lingering inside your home and on your clothes, and how can you remove this pungent odor completely?

How do mothballs workHow Do Mothballs Work

Mothballs are small pellets of pungent substances that are stored among clothing and other fabrics to kill moths and prohibit them from breeding in your home. All mothballs will sublimate, and upon undergoing this sublimation, the mothballs will go from a solid to a gas and release fumes. The fumes that are released from the mothballs are highly toxic to moths and moth larvae and will thus deter them from the area.

When using mothballs, the difficult task is for these repellents to come into contact with the insects, rodents, or moths that they are trying to refrain from the area. Mothballs must be stored in an enclosed environment where the moths are trapped with the fumes, but it can be very difficult to trap these moths in a sealed container where the mothballs are present.

What Are Mothballs Made of

Did you know that mothballs are composed of pesticides that contain either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene as an active ingredient? Both of these chemicals, naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene, are toxic fumigants that volatize into the air and are required to be present in high doses to be fully effective against critters, insects, and most importantly moths. These chemicals are solids at room temperature that are made into round balls, flakes, or cakes that slowly change to a gas and becomes fumes in the air overtime – this helps to spread the chemical and effectively work to fight off moths and insects.

How Long Do Mothballs Last

The length of time that a mothball lasts can vary significantly due to several different factors. However, the rate at which a mothball evaporates really all depends on the temperature and the overall environmental conditions. The more humid and elevated the temperature is in the environment, the quicker it will evaporate. Typically, though, mothballs can last anywhere from 2 months to up to a year.

Are Mothballs Toxic to BreatheAre Mothballs Toxic to Breathe

Did you know that when you smell mothballs you are actually inhaling the pesticides? Pesticides that are found in mothballs can be potentially hazardous to human health upon exposure. Individuals are most likely to be exposed to naphthalene, the chemical found in mothballs, by breathing in the vapors that flood your home’s air.

Most people will experience symptoms upon exposure such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and/or vomiting from the pesticide vapors. And even worse, when you are exposed to high volumes of this pesticide and are breathing in these pesticides it can lead to the potential development of hemolytic anemia. Hemolytic anemia is when the red blood cells break apart and no longer carry oxygen the way they are designed too.

How Do You Get Rid of Mothball Smell

What can you do when mothball odor is taking over your home? Many folks will wonder whether they should give the odor time to dissipate or take immediate action to remove the mothball smell from the environment. It is best, however, to take swift action to remedy the odor situation before you increase exposure to these hazardous pesticides in your air. Following the guide below will help you to quickly and effectively remove mothball odors from several items in your home including furniture, clothes, and your home’s air.

How to Get Rid of Mothball Smell in FurnitureFurniture Smell? Steps on How to Get Rid of Mothball Smell in Furniture

If you have acquired an old piece of furniture or even have furniture in your home that you have treated with mothballs you may be relentlessly trying to get this pesky smell out of these items. Mothballs can be used on upholstered furniture to help protect it against damage from pesky, fiber-loving moths. The best way to remove this odor from the surface of your furniture is to follow these steps below:

  1. Air it Out: Provide the furniture with an environment that has increased airflow and ventilation. When your indoor space has airflow and ventilation it will help to safely and naturally eliminate odors from the confined airspace. If possible, try placing furniture outdoors to allow it to get sunlight and fresh air that will help it to dissipate the mothball odor quicker.
  2. Use Fabric Odor Remover: The best way to remove mothball odor from your furniture is to use an effective odor-eliminating technology like EnviroKlenz. EnviroKlenz uses a patented earth mineral technology that is highly reactive to chemical odors, noxious odors, or even chemicals present on the source. The technology actually breaks down and eliminates these compounds completely from the treated area like furniture.

How to Get Mothballs Smell Out of Clothes

The smell of mothballs can linger on your clothing/stored clothing for quite some time, leaving you with stinky clothes that you can’t even wear. The smell of mothballs isn’t just unpleasant but can actually be quite dangerous. This odor develops on your clothes from microscopic mothball particles that form on your clothing – and therefore the key is to remove these particles from your fabric to get the result of mothball odor free clothes. Below are the best steps to implement to free your clothing of mothball odors.

  1. Shake the Odor Out: The easiest, but perhaps least effective method would be to shake the clothes of this odor. Take the fabric outside and shake it vigorously into the air to try to expel the odor.
  2. Heat the Clothes: Put the mothball smelling fabrics into the dryer on a safe heat setting for an hour. Heat will increase the sublimation rate and the air circulating within the dryer will help to dissipate that odor. You can also, alternatively, hang these items outside for the sun to heat too.
  3. Wash with Laundry Odor Additive: When it comes to removing the mothball odor from fabrics, the most helpful process is to wash the clothes with an effective laundry odor enhancer – but be sure not to use a masking agent for odor elimination. The EnviroKlenz Laundry Enhancer is a highly effective laundry odor remover that uses a technology that actually breaks down odors and chemicals rather than mask them with a chemical agent. Simply place the enhancer in your regular washing cycle with detergent and it will start working immediately to remove the harsh smell of mothballs.

How to Get Rid of Mothball Smell in House

One of the hardest areas to remove mothball odor is from your home’s air. Mothballs, like we said earlier, will release into the air as a vapor and leave a lasting pungent odor throughout the space overtime. Some people will try all kinds of methods to expel the odor, like spraying air freshener, lighting a candle, boiling cinnamon sticks, or even creating your own essential oil mixture to remove the lingering odor. However, these methods will not work to completely relieve the environment of this odor in its entirety. Having in place an effective odor neutralizing HVAC air cartridge inside of your home can significantly help to reduce and/or completely remove mothball odors from your indoor living area.

The EnviroKlenz HVAC Filter destroys noxious chemicals and odors rather than just trapping particulates like other HVAC filters. A typical HVAC filter removes bacteria and particles like dust and dander to keep you air cleaner, but they do not contain odor-neutralizing capabilities like the EnviroKlenz HVAC Filter. Also, typical HVAC filters need to be replaced every month or so, whereas the EnviroKlenz HVAC lasts for up to 6 months.

How to Get Rid of Mothball Smell in House

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