Why Mothballs Are Damaging Your Health – and Non-Toxic Alternatives

Image credit: University of Georgia archive

If you’re shopping for non-toxic and sustainable products, your closet is likely filled with natural fibers like silk, wool, and leather. These natural fibers contain the protein keratin that moth larvae feed on. Anecdotal evidence suggests that clothing moth infestations are rising, making finding solutions more important.

But before you whip out the mothballs, heed our warning. They might save your clothes, but as a pesticide, they can severely damage your health. From short-term effects like headaches, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting to severe allergic reactions and even links to cancer — mothballs are not worth the risk.

So, if you have a clothing moth problem, what’s the alternative? Read on to find out why these pest repellants damage your health and explore non-toxic moth management strategies you should use instead.

Image credit: Olaf Leillinger, Wiki Commons

What are mothballs?

Mothballs were popular until the 20th century, when central heating, air conditioning, window screens, the rise of synthetic fabrics, and better pest control helped minimize the prevalence of indoor pests. But some people still use them.

Mothballs come in solid formulations, “flakes, cakes, crystals, blocks, scented packets, and cases”. The premise is simple: save your cashmere sweater from becoming moth food by popping a mothball in an airtight or closed container with your clothes. The mothball will transform from solid to gas, releasing vapors that poison adult moths and destroy larvae.

Even though you’re supposed to put them in a tight container — you might have come across that signature mothball smell in your grandma’s closet, an old attic, or on that vintage shawl you thrifted. The alarming smell is naphthalene, a registered pesticide.

Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency consider naphthalene a possible human carcinogen. It’s flammable and has been banned in the European Union since 2008. New Zealand also banned it in 2014, citing concerns of child poisoning. Other countries like Canada have put restrictions on the toxic substance, due to its potential to cause cancer and affect the respiratory system. But naphthalene mothballs are widely available in many parts of the world, including the US.

In its place, many mothballs are now made with para-dichlorobenzene. While considered less toxic, it still poses risks when inhaled. Prolonged exposures can lead to health issues that impact the liver, kidney, lungs, and central nervous system.

Commonly, people misuse mothballs by placing them in air ducts or crawlspaces to deter pests, allowing vapors to enter the indoor environment. Unfortunately, children and pets are at high risk. One reason is that they are more likely to handle or ingest them accidentally. Another is because mothballs’ vapors are heavier than air, meaning they “accumulate along floors”. Studies have found that accidental exposure or misuse of mothballs has been “associated with incidents of serious morbidity in children and adults“.

Mothballs are considered a hazardous waste. Chemicals like paradichlorobenzene have been found in rainwater and snow. All-too-common instances of people using mothballs improperly, like putting them outside to deter rats, snakes, and other unwanted pests mean they too easily contaminate our waterways and soil, harming the ecology.

But what about if you’re using mothballs as they were intended?

One study found that even low levels of exposure to chemicals found in mothballs can trigger severe health issues, including headaches, nausea, and severe allergic reactions, through a mechanism known as toxicant-induced loss of tolerance (TILT). Long-term exposure might potentially contribute to serious conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and cancer.

Another study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio involved professionals assessing homes for sources of chemical exposure, including mothballs. It found that vapors from mothballs were present inside homes. People experiencing symptoms like fatigue and respiratory issues can help alleviate their symptoms by eliminating mothballs, among other other products like scented candles, from their environment.

Image credit: Wiki Farazi, Wiki Commons

If you find yourself surrounded by a mothball smell, whether on your AirBnB sheets or an item you’ve bought through secondhand shopping, we recommend trying these laundry stripping techniques.

How do you naturally protect your clothes from moths?

First, let’s talk about prevention. That cute natural wool sweater you thrifted or snagged from the clothing swap? Before you chuck it in your closet, heat it or freeze it, depending on the material. Then, wash and store it properly. Abrupt changes in temperature can kill moths, as does heat. But delicate fabrics like silk will require extra care and attention.

Cedar and lavender are age-old moth-prevention tools. Plus, they smell good. Grab some cedar blocks or essential lavender oil and sprinkle around your closet for a bit of prevention.

But if you’re reading this, chances are you might be past the prevention stage. If you’re noticing moths in your closet or holes in your sweater, then you have some non-toxic options to get rid of them.

• Step one: Freeze, heat, and store: Using the freezing or heating method above, go through each item in your closet and meticulously clean them. This can be a painful, onerous process but try to think of it as a fun, decluttering exercise. Once your cleaned clothes are dried, store anything you aren’t wearing regularly in vacuum-sealed bags. Moths cannot eat through plastic, so your precious clothes will be safe in there. Before vacuum-sealing, we recommend tossing in some cedar chips or lavender for good measure.
• Step two: Clean your closet: Vacuum, sweep, and wash the floor and walls with a natural vinegar wash to get rid of any eggs or larvae. Think of it as a clean, blank canvas.
• Step three: Lay pheromone traps: These non-toxic traps work by attracting male moths with pheromones. Adult moths get stuck to the trap, interrupting the breeding cycle. Read the pheromone trap’s label, but it’ll need to be swapped out every 2-3 months.
• Step four: Declutter: Moths love undisturbed clothes pushed at the bottom of your drawer, like that Christmas sweater you forgot about. By owning fewer clothes and rotating your wardrobe regularly, you can disturb breeding cycles and prevent damage.