Mothball Smell Duration

[HeavyFuel]

A car that I'm interested in buying has had mothballs in it for about the last six years.   The smell is strong.

Do any of you have direct experience regarding how long the smell lasts, and if it ever completely goes away?   I've researched all of the snake oil and home brewed remedies.......I'm not interested in adding more odors to the existing one.

I believe the chemical impregnates the materials of the interior.  The interior of this car is cherry, so its not coming out, hence the question on how long the smell lasts.

Thanks.

[keith88]

If you take it out of the environment i will go away in time but i might take a while,make sure you get all the remnants out have it outside in open air.

[Dino]

It needs heat to clear the gas left by the mothballs.  Parking it in the hot sun with the doors open does the trick, but I'm not sure you're anywhere near a hot sun these days.  Don't crawl in the car with a heat gun though, the fumes are toxic.

[Lord Warlock]

If you can rid the smell of rat urine and feces from a car, you will be able to get the smell of moth balls out.  Air it out often, after making sure source of smell is gone.  A few rat hairs in the car is enough to make me search out and clean.  Can't stand that odor.  (you'd be amazed how much rat turds can fit in a headliner. )

[polywideblock]

try the old painters trick , buy half a dozen large  potato's.  cut in quarters and place through car, seal and  leave for a day then remove .potato's should have sucked up the smell   

[Mytur Binsdirti]

[Chad L. Magee]

Ahh, the wonderful smell of either naphthalene or 1,4-dichlorobenzene.  As mentioned previously, open the car up on a sunny day (or a warm garage with a window) to allow for the vapors to escape.  Both substances sublime at room temperatures, so a hot day will push them towards the vapor phase....

I have heard of the cut potato being used before but never tried it out to see if it would work....

[HeavyFuel]

Thanks for the tips.   I'll probably pass on this car for other reasons, but the info might come in handy some other time. 

Sounds like sunshine, fresh air, and time are the keys.