Mothball smell is not like normal laundry odor. It is sharp, chemical, and stubborn because it comes from vapors that can settle deep into fabric during storage. That is why a shirt, coat, sweater, or thrifted garment can still smell like mothballs even after a normal wash.
Learning how to get mothball smell out of clothes starts with the fabric. A cotton shirt may handle airing, soaking, and washing, while wool, silk, vintage clothing, and dry-clean-only pieces need a gentler approach. This guide explains how to remove the smell safely, what to do when the odor stays after washing, and which mistakes can make it worse.
Key takeaway
Mothball smell is a storage odor from chemical vapors, so the safest fix is to remove the source, air the garment, wash only if the fabric allows it, and avoid dryer heat until the odor is gone.
Why Mothball Smell Clings to Clothes
Mothball odor can last because mothballs do not work like a normal scent. They slowly release chemical vapors into the air. Those vapors are meant to protect stored items from clothes moths, but they can also settle into fabric fibers.
The smell often gets stronger when clothes are packed in a closed box, drawer, storage bin, or garment bag for a long time. Thick fabrics hold the odor more than thin fabrics. Wool coats, cashmere sweaters, suits, blankets, and vintage clothing can be especially stubborn.
Mothballs are pesticides. In the U.S., mothballs usually contain high concentrations of naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, and they are meant to be used in closed, airtight containers so the fumes stay trapped.
That is why mothball smell should not be treated like a light perfume smell. You need to remove the source, release the trapped odor, and clean the fabric in a way that matches the garment.
Check the Clothes and Storage Area Before Washing
Before you wash anything, check where the smell is coming from. Many people wash the clothes first, but the odor comes back because a mothball is still hidden in a pocket, fold, box, or closet corner.
Look inside pockets, cuffs, seams, coat linings, storage bags, drawers, and bins. Also check under folded clothes and inside old garment covers. If you find mothballs, broken pieces, or powdery residue, remove them carefully and follow the product label for disposal.
Next, separate the affected clothes from clean laundry. Do not place mothball-smelling clothes in a closed hamper with other garments. The odor can transfer.
Also air out the storage space. If the closet, drawer, storage bin, or garment bag still smells, clean clothes can absorb the odor again. Open the area, increase airflow, and remove any remaining mothball source before storing clothes there again.
If the smell is very strong, do not wear the garment yet. Handle it in a ventilated area and keep it away from children and pets until it has been aired and treated.
How to Get Mothball Smell Out of Washable Clothes
Washable clothes are the easiest to treat, but you still need to go step by step. Do not throw them straight into a hot wash or dryer. Heat can make lingering odors harder to remove.
For most washable clothes, the best way to remove mothball smell is to air the garment first, soak it in diluted white vinegar, wash it separately with detergent, and air dry it before using heat.
Air the Clothes Outside First
Start with fresh air. Hang the clothes outside where there is good airflow. Use shade if the clothing is dark, bright, vintage, wool, or delicate. Direct sun may fade some fabrics.
Let the clothes air for several hours. If the smell is strong, leave them outside longer during the day and bring them in at night. Fresh airflow helps release trapped mothball odor before washing.
Avoid airing strong-smelling clothes in a small indoor room. The chemical smell can spread through the space. If outdoor airing is not possible, use a well-ventilated room with open windows.
Soak With White Vinegar Before Washing
For washable clothes, a diluted white vinegar soak may help reduce the odor. Fill a bucket or sink with cool water and add about 1 cup of white vinegar. Soak the garment for 30 to 60 minutes, then wash it with detergent.
A bucket soak gives you more control than pouring vinegar into every washer cycle. It is also easier to stop the process if you notice color bleeding or fabric changes.
Always check the care label first. If the garment is delicate, vintage, wool, silk, or dry-clean-only, skip the vinegar soak unless the label says the fabric can be washed.
Never mix vinegar with bleach. This can create harmful fumes.
Wash With Detergent Separately
After airing and soaking, wash the clothes by themselves. Use regular laundry detergent or a gentle detergent if the fabric needs it. Do not overload the washer, because clothes need space for water and detergent to move through the fibers.
Use the water temperature allowed on the care label. Hot water is not always better. It can shrink, fade, or damage some fabrics.
If the care label allows it, use an extra rinse. This helps remove leftover vinegar, detergent, and loosened odor from the fabric.
Air Dry and Smell-Check Before Using Heat
After washing, air dry the garment. Do not put it in the dryer while the mothball smell remains.
This step matters because heat can make stubborn odor harder to release. It can also set other residues into fabric. Once the clothing is fully dry, smell-check it.
If the smell is gone, the garment can return to normal use. If the odor is still there, repeat the airing and washing process. Strong mothball smell may not disappear after one wash.
How to Remove Mothball Odor From Vintage or Thrifted Clothes
Vintage and thrifted clothes need more care. These garments may already have weak seams, old dyes, delicate trims, or unknown fabric blends. A strong cleaning method can damage them.
If you are trying to remove smell of mothballs from clothing that is old, secondhand, or delicate, start with slow airing. Hang the garment in shade with good airflow. Give it time before using water or cleaning products.
Before soaking vintage clothing, test a hidden area. Dab a small spot with water and check for color bleeding. If dye transfers to a cloth or the fabric changes texture, avoid soaking.
For washable vintage clothes, use a gentle soak and mild detergent. Do not scrub hard. Do not twist the fabric. Rinse carefully and lay flat or hang to dry based on the garment type.
For fragile pieces, use odor absorbers instead of direct cleaning. Place the garment in a clean bin with activated charcoal or an open box of baking soda nearby. Do not rub baking soda into delicate fabric, because powder can get trapped in seams or textured fibers.
The goal is to remove the mothball odor slowly without harming the garment. This is especially important for old dresses, wool coats, embroidered items, lined jackets, and delicate secondhand finds.
What to Do for Wool, Silk, and Dry-Clean-Only Clothes
Not every garment should be soaked or machine washed. Wool, silk, suits, coats, cashmere, and dry-clean-only items need a safer plan.
For wool and cashmere, start with shade and airflow. Avoid hot water, rough washing, and twisting. Wool can shrink or lose shape when handled the wrong way. If the odor is light, airing plus an odor absorber may be enough.
For silk and other delicate fabrics, avoid vinegar unless the care label clearly allows washing. Silk can stain, weaken, or change texture with the wrong treatment. Use fresh air first. If the smell stays, take the garment to a professional cleaner.
For dry-clean-only clothes, do not machine wash at home. Air them first, then contact a dry cleaner. Tell them the garment smells like mothballs so they know the problem is chemical odor from storage, not normal body odor.
For coats and suits, check the lining too. Sometimes the outer fabric smells fine, but the lining holds the odor. Hang the item open so air can reach the inside.
Stop home treatment if the fabric bleeds, shrinks, stiffens, loses shape, or still smells after repeated gentle treatment. Use a professional cleaner for suits, coats, silk, antique garments, and lined clothing.
What If Clothes Still Smell Like Mothballs After Washing?
If clothes still smell like mothballs after washing, the odor may be trapped deep in the fabric, or the storage area may still smell.
To get mothball odor out of clothes after the first wash fails, air the clothes again before rewashing. Fresh air often works better after the first wash because some of the odor has already loosened.
Next, use an odor absorber. Place the dry garment in a clean bin or container with activated charcoal or baking soda nearby. Keep the absorber separate from the fabric. Close the container for a day or two, then check the smell.
If the odor remains, wash the garment again without overloading the machine. Use detergent and an extra rinse if the care label allows. Avoid fabric softener, because it can coat fibers and trap odors instead of removing them.
Also check the closet, drawer, storage bin, or garment bag. If that area still smells like mothballs, the odor can return even after the clothes have been washed.
For wool, suits, coats, silk, and stubborn vintage pieces, professional cleaning may be the best next step. Some chemical storage odors need more than home laundry methods.
What Not to Do When Clothes Smell Like Mothballs
A few common mistakes can make mothball smell harder to remove. Avoid these before you start cleaning.
Do not use dryer heat while the smell remains. Heat can make stubborn odor harder to release. Air dry first and smell-check the garment when it is fully dry.
Do not iron mothball-smelling clothes. Ironing adds heat directly to the fabric and may push odor deeper into the fibers.
Do not mix vinegar with bleach. This is unsafe and can release harmful fumes.
Do not spray perfume, body spray, or fabric refresher as the main fix. These products may cover the smell for a short time, but they do not remove the trapped odor. They can also create a worse mixed smell.
Do not wash affected clothes with normal laundry. Mothball odor can transfer to other garments.
Do not store clothes again until they are fully dry and odor-free. Damp or smelly storage can create new odor problems.
Also avoid using mothballs loosely in closets, drawers, rooms, or outdoor areas. Using mothballs outside airtight containers can let strong chemical vapors spread into living spaces.
How Long Does Mothball Smell Last on Clothes?
Mothball smell can last from a short time to several weeks, depending on the fabric, odor strength, and how long the clothing was stored.
Light odor may improve after fresh air and one careful wash. Strong odor from long storage may need repeated airing, soaking, washing, and odor absorption.
Thick fabrics usually take longer. Wool coats, heavy sweaters, blankets, suits, and vintage garments can hold the smell more than thin cotton shirts.
The storage area also matters. If the box, drawer, closet, or garment bag still smells, the clothes can absorb the odor again. Clean the storage space before putting the clothing back.
The key is patience. Do not rush to heat, heavy fragrance, or harsh cleaning. Slow odor removal is safer for fabric and usually works better.
How to Store Clothes So Mothball Smell Does Not Come Back
Once the smell is gone, store clothes in a cleaner and safer way.
Start with clean, fully dry clothing. Dirt, body oil, sweat, and moisture can attract pests and create odor during storage.
Choose the right storage method for the fabric. Some items do well in clean storage bins. Others, like wool coats or delicate garments, may need breathable garment bags. Avoid trapping damp clothes in plastic.
Keep closets dry and ventilated. Moisture and poor airflow can make storage smells worse. Check stored clothing from time to time, especially wool, cashmere, coats, and seasonal items.
If you use cedar or lavender, treat them as light scent support, not a complete moth-control plan. They should not be used to cover bad odor. Clothes should smell clean before they go into storage.
Most importantly, do not rely on loose mothballs in open spaces. Follow product directions carefully, and keep mothballs away from children and pets. Mothball labels normally direct users to place them in tightly closed containers that keep pesticide fumes from building up in living spaces.
Conclusion
Mothball odor can be stubborn, but it does not mean your clothes are ruined. The best way to get rid of mothball smell in clothes is to remove the source, air the garment, wash it safely if the fabric allows, and avoid heat until the smell is gone.
Washable clothes can usually handle fresh air, a diluted vinegar soak, detergent, and air drying. Vintage clothing, wool, silk, suits, and dry-clean-only garments need a slower and gentler method.
If the smell stays after washing, use odor absorbers, check the storage area, and repeat the process carefully. With the right steps, most clothes can smell fresh again without damaging the fabric.
