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aomoth
May 20, 2007, 10:58 AM
I have an old storage trunk that I would like to keep all my blankets in.

Unfortunately, the previous owner used moth balls in it, and I CANNOT remove the smell. I have tried lemon juice, lots of febreeze and have been "airing it out" for weeks.

When I shut the lid to see if it worked, it still smells like moth balls.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions!!

Clough
May 21, 2007, 01:54 AM
When dealing with certain smells on things like furniture, I have had success by using clear lacquer to get rid of the smell.

You also might want to consider the following found on Care2 Greenliving :: Removing Moth Ball Odor (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/116.html) as it would probably work for your old trunk also.

Removing Moth Ball Odor

By Annie Berthold-Bond
I've received a number of questions from readers who need help to remove moth ball odor from baby clothes, sweaters, and other clothes stored in the pesticide. People have tried baking soda, white vinegar, as well as many days of fresh air, and nothing seems to work.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: I posed the question of how to remove moth ball odor to an indoor air quality listserve I frequent, and one professional carpet cleaner observed that for reasons nobody quite understands, although possibly because of natural ozone, placing carpets (and presumably other items) outdoors in the sun for as many days as is necessary, will remove the smell of moth balls. Note that she claims that using commercial ozone machines inside will NOT do the trick. You might try placing the clothes outside in the sun every day (bring them in at night) until the smell is gone. Note that even if the odor is removed it doesn't mean there isn't still residual moth ball chemical on the cloth.

Here are a couple other sites where the question is addressed.

Eliminating Mothball Odors (http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/010924b.cfm)

Removing Mothball Smell (http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf001264.tip.html)

ThomasCKeat
May 22, 2007, 04:43 PM
Try baby powder, sprinkle it all over and leave it for a couple days then vacum the smell away

Dare13
Sep 12, 2009, 09:25 PM
Is the moth ball chemical gone if the moth ball smell is gone?