I need help! A friend gave me some fabric. It had been stored with moth balls. I can not get the smell out!! I have washed it several times. I have used oxyclean, vinegar (both white and cider), and baking soda. Does anyone have remedy to remove the smell? I will have to throw it away oherwise since I can't use the fabric the way it is with the smell! Thanks in advance!

I've never been able to totally get moth ball smells out of fabric. My mom gave me some, that she had also stored with mothballs.

You could air it out, outside, for several months (in the shade) and see if that would help. No guarantees though!

Air it in the sun with the wrong side out.

Growing up we used mothballs and never had a problem. Just aired the clothes out.

I've been able to remove the smell by laying the fabric on the lawn in the sun.

I had some and could not get the smell out either. Someone told me to soak it for 24 hours in baking soda and water, the smell was gone by the time I washed it. It also helped by soaking my new mat, that smelled like skunk, in baking soda and water in the tub for the same length of time.

The soaking technique would be easy to do in a top-loading washing machine!

Anyone out there using mothballs or flakes should rush to get rid of them. Not only are they very poisonous, so are the fumes they emit. They can make you sick, give you allergys and headaches They will discolor fabric and introduce the odor to the fabric which is impossible to remove.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5763936_mo...-made-of_.html
I have no info on ridding fabric of this odor but can caution others to be very careful how they use this very poisonous substance.


I would suggest contacting one of the big companies that make detergents, like proctor & Gambles. They may have help lines. Good luck and if you find a solution, please share.
peace
Yonnikka good find! thanks

from ehow.com
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.


Read more: How to Remove Mothball Odor from Clothing | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4527277_remo...#ixzz1Saki91WT

The only thing we use mothballs for is to keep snakes away from the pool I have a lot of daylilies where they can hide. It works. :P I can not stand the smell.