How To Properly Use Mothballs

Factual Questions
1

I was looking for some other products (glue traps) and I noticed moth balls in the same section.

I came home and looked up moth balls, but none of the sites seem to tell you exactly how to use them.

For instance, the sites say to wrap clothes in a bag or put in box or container and put moth balls in with the clothes. That’s fine, but how many moth balls would one use?

You buy a whole box how many per piece of clothes. Do you put the moth balls in with the clothes or put the moth balls in a bag or plastic wrap first?

I have no real use for moth balls, I was just wondering how to use them properly.

I saw a box of them that said these particular kinds smell like various “nice” things. So I take it the smell doesn’t repell the moths at all right?

I do realize they look like gumballs and are harmful to children who might eat them. How harmful are they to adults if any? For instance do you just air out your clothes after storing them with moth balls or do you need to wash them.

Finally are there any type of materials that shouldn’t be used with moth balls, because they may harm the fabric?

2

I have never used them myself but I have known people (older ladies) that do. You can put them almost anywhere in a closet because the smell will permeate the fabric quite strongly for anything within reach. They do work in the same way that gas chambers work but even dry cleaning won’t always take the smell out right away.

Here is an article on it. They consist of pretty powerful chemicals although I can’t see many children deciding to munch on one:

3

Anything contaminating the air you breathe is bad practice.
The reason they are legal is not that they are safe, but they are not a food, drug, or agricultural chemical, and thus are basically unregulated.

4

they act by having vapors in a closed area, popular was a garment bag (hanger bar inside a large plastic bag) or tight enclosure. you would use as many and renew to keep the place stinky. they are harmful to adults and children to eat or inhale. safe use is to not keep breathing the vapors and air out clothes before wearing.

the larvae of the moths feed on natural fibers mostly wool.