How do you get a mothball smell out of an old cedar chest?

[southerngale]

I bought an old cedar chest from an antique mall, but it smells like mothballs. My plan was to use it to store blankets and I can't do that if I can't get rid of the smell. I've searched online and found a few solutions to try, but none seem foolproof, so I was wondering if any of you have ever had this problem and were you able to get rid of the smell? If so, how?

[Pburgh]

Well coffee grounds, crushed newspaper, fabric softener sheets, baking soda or potting soil might all work. I'd try dissolving baking soda in hot water and wiping down the sides, lid and bottom of the chest.

[CajunMama]

Bring it to my house. The smell won't bother you there!

[southerngale]

LOL Frick!

Thanks Karan...I think I'll try the baking soda first.

[Janice]

Set it outside for a week or in the garage and spray the heck out of it.....leave the lid open, tho

[southerngale]

Set it outside for a week or in the garage and spray the heck out of it.....leave the lid open, tho

I was told to leave it out in the sun with the lid open and it's been out there since Tuesday. But with all the rain coming, I have to go ahead and bring it in now, but the smell isn't gone. I'm not sure what you're suggesting I spray it with, but I've been warned against just trying to mask the smell, saying it can actually make it worse. I dunno...

[bvigal]

Is the inside raw cedar, uncovered or painted or anything? If that's the case, you might be able to sand it and get the smell out, refresh that cedar smell, too.

[Audrey2Katrina]

Put it in Noah's Ark!


Sorry... I just couldn't pass that up.

A2K

[southerngale]

It's not painted or anything, just cedar inside....guess that would be raw cedar.

Thanks.

[bvigal]

Put it in Noah's Ark!


Sorry... I just couldn't pass that up.

A2K

[Janice]

No joking allowed on the forums

[southerngale]

LOL A2K - if I can't get rid of the smell, I might as well.

[Janice]

Find a big tom cat and let him spray on it. I guarantee you will never smell moth balls again.....

[Pburgh]

You know what? Sanding might do the trick if it is raw cedar.

[Miss Mary]

Okay, I'm trying this post again, after er uh, posting it in the wrong topic! LOL

_______________

Good luck CM. My mom has used moth balls for decades. She gave my daughters a small suitcase once to share, and it wreaked of moth balls. It was small and cute, (purple I think) and we had to donate it. I almost left it out in the rain it smelled so bad but it did sit outside on our back deck, full sun for days. It didn't help one bit! That's our moth ball story....

Here's a question - do you think generations to come will even bother storing their clothes in moth balls? I equate the smell to my parents generation! Not for me.

Mary

[Janice]

I use cedar chips and cedar hangers in my bedrooms and closets...

[coriolis]

Make a fire in it.

[chadtm80]

Dont use them

[JenBayles]

Yep - sanding is the correct answer. My grandma always told me to do that with our cedar chest once a year to release the aromatic oils, since that's what keeps the critters away in the first place.

[alicia-w]

http://www.howtocleananything.com/tipde ... sp?tid=831

""How can I get rid of a mothball smell from a cedar chest ? "

Cedar chests are often times lined with Tennessee cedar. Which may explain how they came by the name. The Tennessee cedar emits an odor naturally, and the odor has proven helpful in keeping the moths and other bugs away. It’s the same material used in animal bedding and is often sold in chips to line cages etc. As the interior of the chests are often unfinished and the wood is very porous, it is not uncommon to have other odors such as mothballs, perfume etc. permeate the wood. The difficulty often times is that the odors penetrate so deeply they are very difficult if not impossible to remove.
Try these techniques :

First I would recommend you keep the chest open with the lid up. This will enable the air to circulate and some of the smell will diminish. This may take some considerable time depending on how strong or intense the smell is and how frequently the air circulates inside the chest.

You might also try to wipe down the interior with a solution of detergent and water. Be careful not to get the wood too wet as this will warp the wood and could do some serious damage. This might take several applications to achieve the desired results.

If these methods fail, then I can only suggest that you consider sanding the interior wood with fine sand paper, thus removing the surface in the hope that it will remove the mothball odor. This really may be the best resolve to your problem.

You can also try to apply another scent to the wood, such as a perfume or other fragrance. unfortunately, this will only result in "masking" the mothball odor and may in fact make the problem worse by adding another odor to the one you already have. "