How to Remove Mothball Odor from Clothing
- 1). The old fashioned, and least expensive way to remove mothball odor is to expose the item to as much fresh outdoor air as possible for several days (bring it in at night). It is best to hang the clothes in the sun on and off for at least a week. This seems to work especially well if the clothes are hung dry, before attempting to wash them even once. You may supplement this technique by using a fabric freshener spray on the clothing such as Febreze, while it hangs in the sun. Direct sunlight helps break down the mothball smell, but be careful not to allow too much sunlight on the garment as you don't want the color or fabric to fade.
- 2). White vinegar works as an odor remover. It works well on mothball odor, mildew smelling towels, body odor, and other offensive odors. Put about 1 cup in the wash cycle at the beginning of the cycle. You may need to run the load more than once. (This method only recommended for machine washable items.)
- 3). Steam ironing and using high dryer heat is not recommended for removing mothball odor. The smell can often be set in even further making it more difficult (or even impossible) to remove.
- 4). Try using Dryel clothing freshener. Be sure not to leave in the dryer too long or to use a high heat setting as this can cause odors to worsen.
- 5). Smelleze Mothball Deodorizer is a product that actually removes the smell by attracting it and capturing the molecule from the air. (Most every other odor removal technique is smothering, masking, or covering the odor.) This product is non-toxic, odorless, and all natural. Smelleze is a small pouch that you can hang in a closet or place in a drawer. Just place the mothball affected clothing on hangers, hang the bag right near the clothing, and smells with be absorbed. The pouch can be regenerated by placing in the sun for a few hours. This product costs about $12 per pouch and you can find it on the internet.
- 6). Atmosklear is odor-free odor eliminator that is biodegradable, non-toxic, and comes in a spray bottle. The cost is about $13 for a 16 ounce bottle. Just search Google for this product to order it online.
- 7). Use ozone from an ionizer. It is a free radical. It is like using gaseous bleach. (Use your ionizer in a small room that you can close off.) Hang the clothes on hangers and space them apart. Turn on the ionizer until you smell ozone and it run for another 5 minutes. Ionizers can be purchased at www.odorfreemachines.com or on eBay. The cost for this machine starts at about $200, but if you plan to use it for your eBay business, it may be a wise investment. (You can also deduct it from your taxes as a business expense.)
- 8). See the resources section for printable coupons for laundry cleaning items.
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