Can you sleep in a room with mothballs?

Can you sleep in a room with mothballs?

‘ and the answer to this question is yes, potentially. According to the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), the chemicals use in mothballs can be toxic to humans and pets and as people are exposed to these chemicals that are released as toxic fumes in the air space of the home.

Is it bad if I can smell mothballs?

If you can smell mothballs, you are inhaling them and exposing yourself to their harmful effects. Mothball exposure can result in dizziness, headaches, nausea, disorientation, and difficulty breathing. Repeated and prolonged exposure could result in cataracts as wells a liver and kidney damage.

How do you get rid of mothball fumes?

How to Get Rid of Mothball Smell from the House

  1. Use charcoal.
  2. Leave out bowls of vinegar or coffee grounds.
  3. Set out a box of baking soda.
  4. Get some ventilation in the room.
  5. Use cedar chips or cedar balls.
  6. Spread zeolite – or household cat litter – on wood and furniture.
  7. Mop the floors in the room.
  8. Use air fresheners.

How long are mothballs toxic?

a box of para-dichlorobenzene mothballs left together in the box with the lid cut open and placed in a closet or under clothing may last for more than a year. a single naphthalene mothball in open air may dissipate in a 3-6 months.

Where should I put mothballs in my house?

Mothballs must be used in an airtight space, such as a garment bag or well-sealed container, never in an open closet or plastic garbage bag, according to the authors. “Once vapors enter the home, their odor can be detected at a few parts per billion in the air,” Stone said.

How long before moth balls lose scent?

How Long Does it Take for Mothballs to Dissipate? One mothball in open air takes 3-6 months to dissipate entirely. If you place the mothball underneath clothing or otherwise not in open air, it will take up to 12 months to completely dissipate.

What happens if you touch a mothball?

Naphthalene can also enter your body if you smoke, eat mothballs, or drink water containing it. If you touch mothballs, naphthalene can enter your body. The body dissolves naphthalene in your blood, which carries it to the liver and other organs. It then passes through your body and exits in the urine and waste matter.

Why are moth balls banned?

Exposure to naphthalene mothballs can cause acute hemolysis (anemia) in people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. IARC classifies naphthalene as possibly carcinogenic to humans and other animals (see also Group 2B). Mothballs containing naphthalene have been banned within the EU since 2008.

How do you get mothball smell out of your chest?

Make a mixture of equal parts rubbing alcohol and vinegar OR lemon juice. Dampen a cloth and rub the inside of the chest. Lemon or vinegar might help counteract the mothball odor. It’s very important to keep the lid open until the chest dries and even leave it open for several days.

Can I put mothballs in my closet?

Mothballs must be used in an airtight space, such as a garment bag or well- sealed container. Never place mothballs in an open closet or plastic garbage bag. Once vapors enter the home, their odor can persist for a long time.

What kind of animals do mothballs keep away?

“Often, mothballs are used in these locations to control pests other than clothes moths,” Stone said. They include squirrels, skunks, deer, mice, rats, dogs, cats, raccoons, moles, snakes, pigeons and a variety of other animals.