How to get rid of moth ball smell

Meg
by Meg
Inherited 3 nice leather and suede jackets but smell like moth balls, need to get rid of smell ?!?

  8 answers
  • Joye R. Foster Joye R. Foster on Mar 31, 2018

    Put outside in fresh air. Then dry clean.

  • Banjojane66 Banjojane66 on Mar 31, 2018

    If the weather is bad, put a medium sized bag of cedar chips in the closet and hang the jackets around the cedar, so the moth balls scent will go away. This will be better than moth balls!!

  • Charcoal, coffee grounds, baking soda, lavender, bay leaves, rosemary. Place in an oversized garment bag, (or make one with a 45 gallon trash bag from the dollar store), carefully place a paper bag (left open), with the charcoal in the bottom for a few weeks.

  • Helen Helen on Mar 31, 2018

    Simply find a way to hang them outside for a day to "air" out.

  • AmAtHome AmAtHome on Mar 31, 2018

    Airing them outside should help, and then I would try putting in an open plastic bag with some baking soda or charcoal for several days.

  • Jcraw Jcraw on Mar 31, 2018

    Worse comes to worse, you might try washing one of them. My husbands old winter-lined suede jacket came out fabulous. I put it in a mesh laundry bag. Used woolite and some Oxy spray on the groady cuffs. It was all suede but the leather collar. In washer and dryer I threw in some old tan towels to help scrub and not abuse. Dryer on delicate for about 20 minutes (heavy jacket). Put it on a hangar and brushed the suede every know and then and gently tugged the seams to straighten them out.

    There are a number of sites and suggestions. Look up washing suede and leather.

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Mar 31, 2018

    airing them outside will not be enough for odor removal of mothballs.It gets into the grain of the leather. https://www.hunker.com/12250839/how-to-remove-the-smell-of-mothballs-from-leather-clothing

  • Michelle Leslie Michelle Leslie on Sep 17, 2021

    Hi Meg, fresh kitty litter should neutralize the smell. You can put the kitty litter in a pillow case with the jackets and leave them for a few days.