Mothball Smell on Books

How do you get mothball odors out of toys and books that were stored for years in a trunk containing mothballs. I've tried airing out the items, but the odor seems to have permeated into the items.

By Margie D. from Lafayette, CA

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Mothball Odor Removal from Clothes and Books

How might mothball odor or fumes be removed from old stored clothes and paper books? I have some of my family historical clothes and papers which have been stored with mothballs.

Ole from Springfield

RE: Mothball Odor Removal from Clothes and Books

Charcoal works well. You can get activated charcoal at pet stores (I add some to my cat's litter). Either sprinkle in the container in which the items are stored, or put the items in plastic bags with the activated charcoal. Don't use the charcoal used for grills - then your clothes will smell weird. Trust me, use the activated charcoal. It's maybe $5 for a small bag, but it goes a long way. Works for books too. (06/21/2004)

RE: Mothball Odor Removal from Clothes and Books

try t-2, a new odor removal spray from japan. 1 spray supposedly works fro up to 3 months (03/19/2005)

mothball in wedding dress

Help! I got a vintage wedding dress which I cannot wash, obviously, and it smells like mothballs. how can I get that smell out? What about vodka, that's what I've used to get body odor out of dry clean items. thanks (06/08/2005)

By lisa golda