Camphor can leave an unpleasant odor in the room, as well as on fabrics or your hands. Odor-absorbing materials, such as vinegar, can remove the smell of mothballs from clothes. Washing your hands with toothpaste or lemon-scented soap can remove the smell of mothballs from your hands. Luckily, you can now get rid of the smell of mothballs with these tried-and-tested steps so that it doesn't happen again in the future.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Removing the Smell of Camphor from Fabrics and Rooms
Step 1. Use charcoal
If clothes or objects made of cloth are stored in a closed room, the aroma of camphor can stick to the room and objects made of cloth. If so, activated charcoal tablets can be used to remove the aroma. Place a bowl of activated charcoal tablets in an enclosed space with your cloth or clothing item. This charcoal tablet will absorb odors in the clothes as well as the room.
Activated charcoal is usually sold in pet stores or supermarkets in tablet form
Step 2. Wash clothes with vinegar
If the fabric is washable, wash it with vinegar to remove the mothball smell. You can wash them by hand in a solution of vinegar mixed with equal amounts of water. You can also wash clothes in the washing machine and replace the usual detergent with vinegar.
Both hand washing and machine washing should remove the mothball odor from the fabric. However, delicate clothes should be washed by hand. Read clothing care labels to determine how clothes should be washed, by hand or by machine
Step 3. Place a bowl of vinegar in the cupboard and room
If the smell of mothballs persists in a room, or if your cloth items can't be washed, place a bowl of vinegar in the room. Place this bowl of vinegar near the area where the smell of mothballs is strongest. This bowl of vinegar will absorb odors from the room as well as the fabric.
You can use ground coffee if you don't have vinegar
Step 4. Let the air flow into the room
Fresh air from outdoors can naturally remove the smell of mothballs from the fabric. For fabric items stored in rooms such as attics, open windows on windy nights. Remove all items stored in closed containers, such as boxes or suitcases, then hang or lay the clothes. Leave clothes/cloths exposed to natural airflow to get rid of the mothball smell.
- This method is also useful for removing the smell of mothballs from a room.
- If you are going to implement this step, be sure to check the weather forecast first. Do not open windows if there is a possibility of rain or drizzle.
Step 5. Try using cedar chips, or pieces of cedar wood commonly used to remove odors naturally
Place cedar chips in a drawer, dresser, or cupboard that contains mothball-smelling clothes. In addition to removing the smell of mothballs from clothes, this method also removes other odors from the storage area because cedar chips are able to absorb unpleasant odors easily.
You can buy cedar chips online
Method 2 of 3: Removing the Smell of Camphor from Hands
Step 1. Wash your hands with lemon-scented dish soap
The strong lemon scent is able to cover and eliminate odors. In addition, the content of anti-oil ingredients can also eliminate other unpleasant odors. If you want to get the mothball smell out of your hands, use a lemon-scented dish soap to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the mothballs.
If the smell of mothballs persists, sprinkle some baby powder on your hands after washing them, then rub them in. This method helps to get rid of the stubborn smell of mothballs
Step 2. Use toothpaste
Rub non-gel toothpaste on your hands, then wash your hands with toothpaste as you would with regular hand soap. You only need to use toothpaste the size of a corn kernel to get rid of the mothball smell.
Step 3. Try using baking soda
Baking soda effectively absorbs and removes bad odors. To use this method, mix baking soda and water in a bowl until it forms a smooth paste. Then, rub the baking soda paste on your hands. Leave it for three minutes before rinsing it off.
Step 4. Try using tomato juice
Tomato juice is also effective in removing odors and unpleasant odors. To apply this method, fill a bowl with tomato juice. Soak your hands in tomato juice for five minutes before rinsing them. If successful, this method will significantly remove the smell of mothballs from your hands.
Step 5. Use oranges
The smell of oranges can also eliminate bad odors on hands. Peel the orange, then rub the peel on your hands. This will help get rid of the mothball smell on your hands.
Method 3 of 3: Storing Clothes Without Camphor
Step 1. Wash and dry clothes before storing them
To avoid the smell of mothballs sticking to clothes, store clothes without mothballs altogether. To do this, wash and dry clothes well before storing them. This will keep the moths at bay by eliminating the odors that have been inviting them in the first place.
Step 2. Store clothes in an airtight plastic bag, which is a special plastic bag with a hole to let the air out using a vacuum cleaner
Instead of using mothballs, store clothes in special airtight plastic bags. You can avoid moths without needing to use mothballs. Airtight plastic bags are very effective at keeping moths at bay.
Airtight plastic bags like these can be purchased online
Step 3. Use natural ingredients instead of camphor
Store clothes with a bowl of natural insect repellent. Spices like rosemary, cinnamon sticks, and eucalyptus leaves are natural insect repellents that don't leave a bad smell. You can also use plants like wormwood and pepper.
