Has a thrift store score left you searching for tips on how to remove mothball odor from furniture? Whether you had your sofa in storage or purchased a used loveseat, the smell of mothballs is pervasive and challenging to remove with fresh air alone. Mothballs or naphthalene balls are a cheap and effective pest control measure to prevent clothes moths and other damaging insects or rodents from destroying your furniture, yet they come with a cost.
Mothballs have a potent chemical smell, leaving many people struggling to find a solution for how to get mothball smell out of furniture. The smell might be so awful you wonder if removing mothball odor from furniture is possible.
Rest assured, there are several straightforward techniques to completely erase the smell of naphthalene from your furniture using products you already have around the house. Don’t throw out your latest find because of the stench of mothballs. Use a little knowledge of the proper tools to eliminate the chemical smell from your furniture for good.
How to Get Mothball Smell Out of Furniture Quickly
Explore hacks for how to remove mothball odor from furniture and make the process easy. Mothballs kill and deter pests and rodents due to the overpowering chemical fumes they emit. When these fumes contact your furniture, it creates a lasting chemical and musty stink.
Make removing mothball odor from furniture a breeze with vinegar, DIY odor eaters, a steam cleaner or vacuum, a homemade air freshener, or coffee grounds.
What Are Mothballs?
Mothballs, also known as naphthalene balls, are made from a potent chemical insecticide called naphthalene. When exposed to the air, mothballs release highly toxic fumes, which kill and deter pests, such as clothes moths or rodents, from your furniture or clothing.
It’s common to store clothes or furniture with mothballs to prevent them from sustaining damage while not in use. Though this is often very effective, it leaves the items with a bad smell. Mothballs carry a chemical odor or a musty smell that doesn’t dissipate even with fresh air.
The odor of mothballs makes furniture unpleasant to interact with and quickly spreads to the rest of the room. Mothballs are an ideal way to keep your furniture safe in storage, yet they’re highly toxic to people and pets. Always read the manufacturer’s directions and safety precautions, and use mothballs with care.
How to Remove Mothball Odor From Furniture
Distilled white vinegar is ideal if you prefer to use natural methods to clean old mothball smell from furniture. Distilled white vinegar is sold with canning and pickling supplies and is a versatile household cleaner known for its deodorizing capabilities.
White vinegar contains acetic acid, a milder acid that breaks down the chemicals responsible for moth ball odor to leave your furniture smelling clean. Mix white vinegar with water to craft a simple mothball odor-removal spray.
Shake the white vinegar and water in the sprayer and mist it over the furniture to deodorize couch cushions and fabric from a musty or mildew smell.
If you find the scent of distilled white vinegar overpowering, consider adding some of your favorite essential oils, such as lemongrass or lavender oil, to leave a more pleasant aroma after deodorizing. If you don’t have white vinegar, denatured alcohol is a good substitute.
Removing Mothball Odor From Furniture
An odor eater is an excellent way to eliminate a bad odor at the source. A DIY odor absorber for fabric furniture can completely eliminate the mothball smell. Although there’s a wide range of commercial odor eaters, creating your own is simple.
Baking soda is one example of an affordable and widely accessible odor eater. This powder takes in the smell of mold and mothballs to leave your furniture smelling fresh.
Sprinkle baking soda over all furniture surfaces and allow it to sit overnight. Sweep or vacuum off the baking soda powder and discard it. Repeat the process if the smell of mothballs lingers.
Activated charcoal is another well-known odor eliminator and is a great labor-free option. This fine black powder has a vast surface area for soaking up the smell of naphthalene. Add activated charcoal to a few small bowls or muslin baggies and place them on and around the furniture piece.
The activated charcoal draws in the chemical smell, removing it from your sofa. Replace the activated charcoal with a fresh batch if you notice a foul odor returning.
Steam Clean or Vacuum to Beat Mothball Odor
You can also vacuum mothball smell from upholstered furniture. It’s arduous, time-consuming, and not consistently effective to scrub mothball smells from fabric furniture. Your vacuum or steam cleaner expedites the process.
Start by thoroughly vacuuming the smelly upholstery using a brush attachment on the hose for large regions and a narrow attachment to get into the cracks. If there’s still a lingering odor, try a steam cleaner.
The steam penetrates deep into the upholstery material to remove odorous naphthalene particles. Be sure to leave the couch in a well-ventilated area to dry entirely and prevent mold. Avoid steam cleaning leather furniture.
DIY Air Freshener for Odor Removal
If you don’t have time to deep clean to remove smoke smell or the musty odor of mothball chemicals from furniture, this homemade air freshener is a lifesaver. Unlike chemical air fresheners, essential oil spray does not use harmful aerosols or toxic substances. Choose an essential oil or blend a few to craft a unique aroma to mask the unpleasant smell of mothballs.
Pour the essential oils and water into the sprayer, swirl to combine, and spray a light covering over the odorous furniture. Repeat as often as necessary to keep the upholstery pleasantly fragranced.
Choose a bright and clean scent like eucalyptus for bathroom furniture, a clean aroma like lemongrass for kitchen furniture, or sweet and floral oil such as lavender for pieces in the living room.
Coffee Grounds Remove Mothball Smell
Coffee grounds are typically used to make a delicious hot drink, yet they’re also a brilliant way to get musty smells out of bedroom furniture. Coffee is a pleasant and potent smell that quickly masks your couch’s musky, chemical mothball scent. Better still, coffee grounds not only work for covering but for removing mothball odor as they soak up bad smells.
Fill some small breathable bags or bowls with a few spoons of coffee grounds and set them in your musty cedar chest or under your smelly ottoman. The grounds take in the odor from the naphthalene while releasing the rich and warm smell of coffee.
Replace the coffee grounds with fresh ones each week or when you notice undesirable odors returning or the coffee scent fading.
Did this article help you understand how to get mothball smell out of furniture? The smell of mothballs is off-putting and makes using your furniture unpleasant. Although these chemical balls are excellent pest control, there’s no need to suffer their stink once your furniture comes out of storage. Use straightforward hacks to eradicate the smell of mothballs and ensure your furniture smells as good as it looks.
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