My car smells like moth balls

[quixotique]

My new car smells to death like moth balls. I'm actually allergic to mothballs so I didn't know it smelled like moth balls. I thought it smelled like engine, so I guess I lucked out. But I want to get rid of the mothball smell

Comments

[themonkeymafia]

you got another car?

[quixotique]

Yeah, another Caddie. She'll be my winter beater. =o) Any ideas on the mothballs?

[themonkeymafia]

what did you get this time?

for the smell .. maybe vinegar OR baking soda ?

[quixotique]

1988 Brougham. She's black while my 92 brougham is white. She needs some work but I'm happy with her, aside from the stink which I didn't notice to begin with.

[islander82]

Nasty.

I don't have any fool-proof remedies. If I were you, I'd try febreeze first, unless you don't like that stuff. I guess it totally depends what your interior is made of, though. Can you get a good air freshner that absorbs the smell? Here in Japan I bought my car from a smoker and I bought a little tennis-ball shaped freshner that took away the smell entirely. I was impressed.

[quixotique]

From what I've learned, mothballs are a volatile so heat and water work well. It's so potent I doubt febreeze or any other chemical cleaner would work. Seems like circulation, perhaps a steamclean (not on the headliner though, it's in good condition and a steamclean would loosen the glue) and letting it sit in the sun for heat will help.

Luckily it has a moonroof so maybe a long trip to Montreal with all the windows down and the top open would get rid of the smell. Cross your fingers for me.

[dawnjuan]

Perhaps lots of leaving the windows cracked so it can evaporate out? Aside from trying to mask the smell. . . I can't really think of anything.

[quixotique]

I plan on trying that for sure. I imagine it will go away eventually. I trip to and from Montreal ought to do it. =o)

[carbonatedsass]

Beats new car smell!! I pick mothballs anyday!

I read a while back that if you leave a bowl of water with lemon out for 24h, it'll absorb smells around the house. The same might be true for mothball smells?

[quixotique]

I guess because of my allergy I'm not used to the smell and can't say I care for it. Also, *I* end up smelling like mothballs which isn't fun on a night out.

[carbonatedsass]

Yeah, girls wouldn't like a guy who smells like he's 90 trying to pick them up!

[quixotique]

Old people smell like moth balls?

[photo_guy]

Febreze the shit out of it and leave the windows open for the next few days since it'll be nice out.

[quixotique]

I'm afraid of a febreeze/mothball mixture that will be even worse than mothballs. ;o) I'll proogress to that solution. =oD

[photo_guy]

Fresh air is about the best option upfront. So leave your windows open if you can.

Give the car a really good vacuum as well, maybe that'll help lift some of the odor.

[quixotique]

If I didn't have an allergy to the stuff, I'd just find a girl to have sex with in the back seat every day for a few weeks till it wreaked of sex.... guess that's not really a solution... doh!!!

Thanks for your suggestions. I thik a vacuum is a good idea.