How to Dispose of Mothballs

You can easily get the moth ball smell out of your closet.

Mothballs can be a useful garment tool, placed in a closet or chest to keep out-of-season clothes from getting moldy or stale smelling. However, the mothballs themselves can leave behind a pungant, unpleasant smell, and you may want to remove them from your home altogether. You need a good method for getting rid of the mothballs, so no leftover trace of the strong smell remains on your clothing.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber gloves
• Plastic grocery bag
• Trash can
• Baby powder
• Hair dryer
• Dryer

Instructions

1. Remove all the moth balls from your closet, wearing rubber gloves to keep the smell off your hands. Place the removed moth balls in a plastic grocery bag, tying the handles of the bag into a knot to keep them inside.

2. Throw the bag into an outside trash can, like one at the curb waiting to be picked up, to get the smell out of the house.

3. Sprinkle baby powder over any clothes that still smell of the moth balls. Blast the clothes with a hair dryer for a few minutes to spread the baby powder scent.

4. Shake the clothes out over a sink, to remove any excess baby powder.

5. Tumble dry the clothes on a low setting in the dryer, to remove any leftover traces of moth balls.

References

• Apartment Therapy: How to Get Rid of Moth Ball Smell