How to Make Mothballs

Dried herbs will deter mature moths from laying eggs in your clothing.

The main ingredient in traditional mothballs is naphthalene. Unfortunately, naphthalene is considered extremely toxic, and if inhaled in large amounts has been shown to damage or destroy red blood cells and to cause cancer in animals. This doesn't mean that you can't keep moths away from your prized sweaters and scarves. With the right herbs, drying methods and storage, you can make non-toxic, environmentally friendly, fragrant mothballs, which will deter moths from laying eggs in your stored clothes.

Things You'll Need

• Unbleached muslin fabric
• Scissors
• Whole cloves
• Dried rosemary
• Dried mint
• Dried thyme
• Dried ginseng or ginseng tea
• String

Instructions

1. Cut six 8- by 8-inch squares of unbleached muslin fabric. You can purchase muslin at most craft or fabric stores.

2. Mix together 1 cup of whole cloves, 1/8 cup of dried rosemary and 1 tsp. each of dried mint, thyme and ginseng. If you can't find dried ginseng, you can use a ginseng tea instead, as long as it is not mixed with other herbs.

3. Lay out the squares of muslin on a table and divide the mixture evenly on top of each square.

4. Gather the corners of the square of muslin together and tie them with a string to form an herb sachet.

5. Tie the sachets inside doors or on hangers where you store your clothes, or where you would normally place traditional mothballs.

6. Replace these herb mothballs sachets with new mothballs each season.

References

• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: ToxFAQs for Naphthalene, 1-Methylnapthalene, 2-Methylnapthalene
• Homelife; Make Homemade Mothballs; Sarah Allen