How do you get rid of the moth ball smell from a cedar chest?
You can sand the inside of your cedar chest to bring back the cedar smell or you can buy oil of cedar and paint it. Either way should cancel the moth ball smell. You could also buy cedar chips (from the pet dept at Wal Mart) and try sprinkling them in there for a few days, this worked with my husbands hunting clothes to remove the smell of wood burning from a bonfire.
Ooh. Moth ball smells tend to persist. I would try to let it air out, or try to scrub the inside with a damp cloth and a gentle, unscented soap. Whoever told you to do that ought to be fined or punished (I’m joking, really). Cedar keeps bugs out naturally, and mothballs are so nasty! It may be too late; the smell from the chemicals in the mothballs might be deep into the wood. Good luck!
Naphtha. Actually naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. At least you know better now. It took me 40 years to learn that mothballs don’t kill moths, they repel them; so if they’ve already laid their eggs your woolens are toast. Unless drycleaned first. Some people still don’t know: http://possumblog.mu.nu/archives/161333…. Here’s a Web site on how to get rid of mothball smell: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf001264.tip.h… Baking soda is one of the recommended ways, just as it is used (an open package of) for keeping a refrigerator free of odor.
