How to Get Rid of Moth Ball Fumes in the Home

Remove all the moth balls from your house. Continued use of them will negate any effort you put forth in trying to get rid of the smell. Don't throw them in the garbage, take them to a household hazardous collection site. Moth balls are made of paradicholorobenzene, which is a known hazardous chemical. Prolonged inhalation of the fumes can cause irritation to your nose, lungs, throat and eyes. In severe cases, it could cause damage to your liver and kidneys.

Hang all your drapes, curtains and clothing outside in the sun for a few hours to dissipate the fumes. Open all the windows in the house to air it out. Mix a solution of half a cup of vinegar in one gallon of water and use a sponge to wipe and clean your closets and any other areas where you used mothballs.

Steam clean your carpets, rugs, furniture and bedding. Dry clean drapes and curtains that are not machine washable. Machine wash all your clothes and bedding, including pillows. In addition to your regular laundry soap, add half a cup of Borax to each wash load and use half a cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle. Do not put these items in the dryer; the heat might set the odors into certain kinds of fabric and make it impossible to ever remove the smell. Instead, hang them outside to dry.