How do we get the smell of mothballs out of baby clothes?
February 4, 2012 3:13 PM Subscribe
How do I get the smell of mothballs out of baby clothes? Will the clothes be in any way dangerous for a newborn once I've treated them?
I am not sure what type of mothballs were involved and would not want to ask for fear of hurting the feelings of the person who gave us the baby items. They all smell very strongly of what we think are mothballs. I have washed the first batch of them in very hot water and Tide, but they still smell very strongly, even over the smell of the Tide. [My plan is to wash them for storage and then wash them in detergent appropriate for a newborn before we use them later in the year, hence the fragrance.]
I have tried googling, but there seem to be many theories, some contradictory. I am sure hanging in the sun would help, but I am unsure when we will have any and the smell of the clothes in our house is giving us headaches.
Finally, will these clothes be safe for a newborn when I am finished? I read somewhere that the smell means they are permeated with mothball gases.
I am not sure what type of mothballs were involved and would not want to ask for fear of hurting the feelings of the person who gave us the baby items. They all smell very strongly of what we think are mothballs. I have washed the first batch of them in very hot water and Tide, but they still smell very strongly, even over the smell of the Tide. [My plan is to wash them for storage and then wash them in detergent appropriate for a newborn before we use them later in the year, hence the fragrance.]
I have tried googling, but there seem to be many theories, some contradictory. I am sure hanging in the sun would help, but I am unsure when we will have any and the smell of the clothes in our house is giving us headaches.
Finally, will these clothes be safe for a newborn when I am finished? I read somewhere that the smell means they are permeated with mothball gases.
Can you leave them somewhere outside to air out for a month or two? That's the only thing I can think of that might help.
posted by looli at 3:37 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by looli at 3:37 PM on February 4, 2012
Stop putting mothballs in the drawer where you keep your baby?
But seriously, naphthalene (the main ingredient in mothballs) is a volatile, toxic irritant. You could try airing your baby clothes out by hanging them up outside somewhere for a few days, but the odor of naphthalene is very persistent and never quite goes away. At some point it becomes less of a "health and safety" issue and more of a "these baby clothes have a strong chemical odor" issue. I vote for getting rid of them discreetly.
posted by Nomyte at 3:37 PM on February 4, 2012 [6 favorites]
But seriously, naphthalene (the main ingredient in mothballs) is a volatile, toxic irritant. You could try airing your baby clothes out by hanging them up outside somewhere for a few days, but the odor of naphthalene is very persistent and never quite goes away. At some point it becomes less of a "health and safety" issue and more of a "these baby clothes have a strong chemical odor" issue. I vote for getting rid of them discreetly.
posted by Nomyte at 3:37 PM on February 4, 2012 [6 favorites]
Long term exposure to low levels of naphthalene has been associated with carcinogenic activity in rats. Unless you feel certain you can get it out, I'd just not use them, but pretend I did if not using them would produce hurt feelings. When young Mr. McTootsalot was born, we got far more clothes than we knew what to do with. No one really would have noticed if we never used a particular set of clothes.
posted by Tooty McTootsalot at 4:46 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by Tooty McTootsalot at 4:46 PM on February 4, 2012
Mothballs are an insecticide. They are made to kill moths and larvae when used in closed containers. Are you really going to have a baby wear clothes that have been saturated with a pesticide?
Here's the MSDS on naphthalene, the most toxic mothball ingredient. Not knowing what kind of mothballs were used, I suppose that I would personally err on the safe side and not use them to clothe a baby.
I don't know of a safe way to air out the clothes. I'm sorry.
posted by Ostara at 4:49 PM on February 4, 2012
Here's the MSDS on naphthalene, the most toxic mothball ingredient. Not knowing what kind of mothballs were used, I suppose that I would personally err on the safe side and not use them to clothe a baby.
I don't know of a safe way to air out the clothes. I'm sorry.
posted by Ostara at 4:49 PM on February 4, 2012
My mother stored the shawl she knitted for my oldest son with moth balls, and when I wanted it for my youngest, it smelled strongly of them. I washed it out carefully, with wool wash, and hung it to air and dry in an airy place. It took a little while, maybe a week, for the smell to dissipate entirely, and I used it with no worries.
posted by thylacinthine at 5:19 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by thylacinthine at 5:19 PM on February 4, 2012
Best answer: There are two chemicals currently called mothballs. The first, which has already been covered, is naphthalene, which are "classic" mothballs, and is extremely pungent. The second is para-dichlorobenzene (MSDS), which is marketed as a low-odor alternative, though it still smells--like urinal mints, in fact, which is the other place you're likely to run in to it.
Both of these are slightly volatile solids. What happens when you put clothing in a closed container with them is that they sublimate, slowly, into the air of the container, and re-deposit themselves on the clothing fibers, so you're not just dealing with "gases" in the fabric--there's actually a small amount of the compound intimately associated with the fibers which sublimates over time.
The upshot of this is that you don't get rid of them, at least in the short term--airing, for months, is really the only thing that works. Doing it outside (circulating air, possibly ultraviolet light to help break them down?) might speed it up, but you're still looking at months before it's totally gone They are not particularly soluble in water (hence, urinal mints, in the case of p-dichloronenzene), and I find that washing them paradoxically refreshes the scent even after I think it's long gone.
Naphthalene's health effects have been covered above, so I'll mention that p-dichlorobenzene is anticipated to be carcinogenic (though there isn't any direct evidence), and it may act as an endocrine disruptor, and probably accumulates in fatty tissue. I would say that it's near the top of the list of household chemicals that I would not expose a child to.
Also, are these clothes made wool or silk? Because there's not really any reason to use mothballs if they're not, and I had the impression that wool wasn't commonly used in clothing for newborns.
posted by pullayup at 5:21 PM on February 4, 2012 [3 favorites]
Both of these are slightly volatile solids. What happens when you put clothing in a closed container with them is that they sublimate, slowly, into the air of the container, and re-deposit themselves on the clothing fibers, so you're not just dealing with "gases" in the fabric--there's actually a small amount of the compound intimately associated with the fibers which sublimates over time.
The upshot of this is that you don't get rid of them, at least in the short term--airing, for months, is really the only thing that works. Doing it outside (circulating air, possibly ultraviolet light to help break them down?) might speed it up, but you're still looking at months before it's totally gone They are not particularly soluble in water (hence, urinal mints, in the case of p-dichloronenzene), and I find that washing them paradoxically refreshes the scent even after I think it's long gone.
Naphthalene's health effects have been covered above, so I'll mention that p-dichlorobenzene is anticipated to be carcinogenic (though there isn't any direct evidence), and it may act as an endocrine disruptor, and probably accumulates in fatty tissue. I would say that it's near the top of the list of household chemicals that I would not expose a child to.
Also, are these clothes made wool or silk? Because there's not really any reason to use mothballs if they're not, and I had the impression that wool wasn't commonly used in clothing for newborns.
posted by pullayup at 5:21 PM on February 4, 2012 [3 favorites]
I meant to add - if they are clothes you don't really care about, and you can't be bothered with trying to recover them, then by all means, dispose of them however you like; but this shawl was important, and was worth it to me.
posted by thylacinthine at 5:21 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by thylacinthine at 5:21 PM on February 4, 2012
Also, are these clothes made wool or silk? Because there's not really any reason to use mothballs if they're not, and I had the impression that wool wasn't commonly used in clothing for newborns.
I mention this not because I thought that you were going to repack them in mothballs, but because it seems strange that someone would have done so in the first place, heirloom shawls excepted. Maybe sniff the packages at the hardware store and compare?
posted by pullayup at 5:27 PM on February 4, 2012
I mention this not because I thought that you were going to repack them in mothballs, but because it seems strange that someone would have done so in the first place, heirloom shawls excepted. Maybe sniff the packages at the hardware store and compare?
posted by pullayup at 5:27 PM on February 4, 2012
Could be camphor too, which isn't as nasty as naphthalene.
posted by superfish at 5:34 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by superfish at 5:34 PM on February 4, 2012
G6PD, a genetic condition that most babies in the developed world are screened for now, reacts very very badly to mothballs. Brain-damage bad. A baby without G6PD will have just the longterm exposure, which while clearly not great, is not as immediately dangerous. The rate of babies with G6PD here (Singapore) is about 2.5%, and it's higher in some communities.
If the clothes are a gift from someone and you must have a thank-you photograph, air them out like crazy, full sunshine and frequent washings, then dress the kid, photograph them and remove the clothes.
If they're super heirloom, like the tiny embroidered booties of my dad's, then consider getting them framed or memory boxed.
Don't pass them on or donate them. Once baby clothes have mothballs on them, you should throw them away. They might not harm your baby, but for a G6PD baby, they're toxic.
http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=6332
posted by viggorlijah at 5:51 PM on February 4, 2012
If the clothes are a gift from someone and you must have a thank-you photograph, air them out like crazy, full sunshine and frequent washings, then dress the kid, photograph them and remove the clothes.
If they're super heirloom, like the tiny embroidered booties of my dad's, then consider getting them framed or memory boxed.
Don't pass them on or donate them. Once baby clothes have mothballs on them, you should throw them away. They might not harm your baby, but for a G6PD baby, they're toxic.
http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=6332
posted by viggorlijah at 5:51 PM on February 4, 2012
I just don't see the upside of exposing a child to anything that's been in contact with napthalene mothballs. Camphor mothballs might be a different story. Napthalene is a really toxic chemical, as everyone has said. Don't fuck with it.
Go to a store and smell the boxes of mothballs. Camphor smells really different from napthalene. My guess is that you're smelling napthalene. Especially if it's giving you headaches!
Ask your pediatrician if you want a final opinion, but in my opinion those clothes are now poisoned and you need to get them the fuck out of your house ASAP.
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:56 PM on February 4, 2012
Go to a store and smell the boxes of mothballs. Camphor smells really different from napthalene. My guess is that you're smelling napthalene. Especially if it's giving you headaches!
Ask your pediatrician if you want a final opinion, but in my opinion those clothes are now poisoned and you need to get them the fuck out of your house ASAP.
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:56 PM on February 4, 2012
Response by poster: I found an indirect way to ask my friend about mothballs (without mentioning the smell), and he said that he would never use mothballs in clothes. It must be some other scent. We might try white vinegar, baking soda, and airing outside and see if it works. I'd welcome any further thoughts if you have any. Many thanks to each of you for sharing what you know.
posted by Original 1928 Flavor at 10:00 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by Original 1928 Flavor at 10:00 PM on February 4, 2012
Since water doesn't rinse this stuff out, have you tried a nonpolar solvent instead? Ethyl alcohol is pretty baby-friendly; maybe try soaking one small item in a little 90% for an hour or so, squeezing out the (hopefully now funk-infused) alcohol, and washing as usual to see if it makes a dent?
Borax/vinegar soaks can be very effective, but be aware that it often takes time- I've had Goodwill items that needed to soak for days before the smell came out.
posted by Bardolph at 11:21 AM on February 5, 2012
Borax/vinegar soaks can be very effective, but be aware that it often takes time- I've had Goodwill items that needed to soak for days before the smell came out.
posted by Bardolph at 11:21 AM on February 5, 2012
Air them in fresh air and sunlight. The chemicals break down fast. Then wash in hot water and regular deterg, and dry in the sun. Then wash with baby-safe soap, dry in the sun.
posted by theora55 at 11:41 AM on February 5, 2012
posted by theora55 at 11:41 AM on February 5, 2012
Washing soda will be more effective than baking soda, if you can find washing soda (many smaller hardware stores have it). Seconding dawkins_7's suggestion of borax as well.
Adding a couple of drops of lavender oil to the rinse water isn't a bad idea either.
I know people who swear by this stuff, but I have never tried it personally so that's a second-hand recommendation.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:39 PM on February 5, 2012
Adding a couple of drops of lavender oil to the rinse water isn't a bad idea either.
I know people who swear by this stuff, but I have never tried it personally so that's a second-hand recommendation.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:39 PM on February 5, 2012
Response by poster: Thank you to everyone for your suggestions. If anyone checks back, here is what I figured out:
Tide Stain Release, Clorox 2, and long Borax soaks did not work for this smell. I ended up putting a few cups of white vinegar in the kitchen sink and dissolving them in hot water. I soaked each batch of clothes for at least 12 hours and then washed them on hot with Tide. I had to go easy on the Tide as the residual vinegar seemed like it was making the wash too sudsy and making the front-loader mad. After the wash, I hung them out on a clothesline for several hours. That seemed to do it.
Since I had confirmation that the clothes were not stored with mothballs, I decided there were no safety concerns and only worried about the smell.
posted by Original 1928 Flavor at 9:27 PM on March 6, 2012
Tide Stain Release, Clorox 2, and long Borax soaks did not work for this smell. I ended up putting a few cups of white vinegar in the kitchen sink and dissolving them in hot water. I soaked each batch of clothes for at least 12 hours and then washed them on hot with Tide. I had to go easy on the Tide as the residual vinegar seemed like it was making the wash too sudsy and making the front-loader mad. After the wash, I hung them out on a clothesline for several hours. That seemed to do it.
Since I had confirmation that the clothes were not stored with mothballs, I decided there were no safety concerns and only worried about the smell.
posted by Original 1928 Flavor at 9:27 PM on March 6, 2012
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When people give you baby clothes, you can use the following excuses (if they even ask):
- Oh, he wore it, but we didn't get any photos, sorry!
- He out grew it so fast! But I gave it to a co-worker who really is in need.
Are these heirloom clothes from a relative?
posted by k8t at 3:27 PM on February 4, 2012 [3 favorites]