Why Do Some People Smell Like Mothballs?

When a person smells like mothballs, the most common explanation is literal: mothball chemicals have soaked into their clothes, closet or home. The same musty, chemical note can also come from breath, from bacteria on skin, or from a nose that has started misreading smells. A mothball smell is rarely the signature of a serious disease, because illnesses that change body odor tend to smell fishy, like ammonia or like nail-polish remover instead.

Mothball Chemicals That Cling to Clothes and Homes

Older mothballs were made mostly of naphthalene, a chemical with a sharp, musty smell.1Wikipedia. Mothball Because naphthalene catches fire easily, many newer mothballs use para-dichlorobenzene, a different chemical that also has a strong odor.2Wikipedia. Mothball In the US, the newer chemical has partly replaced the older one, but naphthalene mothballs are still widely sold.3PubMed Central. A Critical Review of Naphthalene Sources and Exposures Relevant to Indoor and Outdoor Air Some products use camphor instead, which has its own medicinal smell.4Wikipedia. Mothball The smell people call “mothball” can come from any of these, and you can’t always tell which by nose.

Clothing and other fabrics absorb large amounts of mothball chemicals.5Beyond Pesticides. Changing Cultural Practices – A Beyond Pesticides Factsheet: Moth Repellents (Naphthalene and p-Dichlorobenzene) The chemicals stay in the fibers for long periods, even after a long airing.6Beyond Pesticides. Changing Cultural Practices – A Beyond Pesticides Factsheet: Moth Repellents (Naphthalene and p-Dichlorobenzene) Mothballs are behind some of the highest levels of naphthalene measured in indoor air,7PubMed Central. A Critical Review of Naphthalene Sources and Exposures Relevant to Indoor and Outdoor Air so everything stored in a closet with them carries the scent.

The chemical gets into fabric because mothballs slowly turn straight from a solid into a gas, which is why they shrink over time without melting. In a closed closet, drawer or trunk, that gas fills the air and settles into every fabric inside, including items that never touched a mothball. The more tightly a space is sealed and the longer items stay in it, the more the fabric takes up, so a season in a sealed trunk can leave a stronger smell than a loose closet.

This is why the smell gets linked to older people. Older relatives are more likely to use mothballs or to store clothes in old trunks and wardrobes. The smell is about storage habits, not age, hygiene or health. Secondhand and vintage clothing often arrives already scented from a previous owner’s closet.

To tell whether it’s the clothes and not the person, notice where the smell is strongest. If it’s concentrated on certain garments or near a closet rather than on breath or skin, that points to storage. It disappears when the person changes into freshly washed clothes that haven’t been stored. Sniffing a garment off the body usually settles the question.

The chemicals differ in how risky they are, so if you find mothballs in a relative’s closet, read the ingredient line on the box. Mothballs that have sat in a drawer for years often have no box left, and an unlabeled one is best treated as the older, more hazardous type.

Breath That Smells Like Mothballs

Tonsil stones are small, hard, whitish lumps of trapped debris that form in the pits of the tonsils. Bacteria living in them release sulfur compounds, giving a strong smell some describe as mothball-like.83V Dental. What is Mothball Breath? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment The smell comes from the mouth and throat and stays the same no matter what the person wears.9ORAVIX. What Are Tonsil Stones? Causes, Signs and Prevention

You may see white or yellow specks in the tonsils, especially with a phone light. Some people cough up small foul-smelling lumps, and a lingering bad taste or a feeling of something stuck in the throat is common. Brushing and mouthwash help only briefly because the source sits in the tonsils.

Tonsil stones are one cause of bad breath among several. Gum disease, cavities and a coated tongue can also produce strong odors.

Gargling salt water and brushing the back of the tongue reduce the bacteria, and drinking enough water keeps the mouth less dry. Saliva washes away food particles and bacteria, so odor-producing bacteria multiply more easily in a dry mouth. A dentist or ear, nose and throat doctor can remove stubborn stones, and frequent large ones sometimes lead doctors to discuss removing the tonsils.

Some medicines break down into compounds the body breathes out through the lungs, giving breath a distinct odor.10Katranji & Nemeth Periodontics. Bad Breath Caused By Medications A new odor that starts soon after a new prescription is worth mentioning to the prescriber.

When the Smell Comes From Skin or Gut

Fresh sweat has little smell. Underarm odor comes mostly from bacteria breaking it down into fatty acids. Certain skin bacteria produce many of these odor compounds.11ASM. Microbial Origins of Body Odor Odor therefore varies between people partly because their skin bacteria differ. Hormones, which change at puberty and again later in life, alter the oils and sweat the bacteria feed on, so a person’s odor can shift across life stages without any illness.

Gut bacteria turn a small share of the protein building block tryptophan, about 4 to 6%, into strong-smelling compounds.12PubMed Central. Impact of the Gut Microbiota on Intestinal Immunity Mediated by Tryptophan Metabolism These chemicals mostly affect gas and stool odor rather than making skin smell like mothballs.13Metware Bio. Indole: The Microbial Metabolite Connecting Gut Health, Brain, and Immunity14Metware Bio. Indole: The Microbial Metabolite Connecting Gut Health, Brain, and Immunity15PubMed. Dung mimicry: the function of volatile emissions and corolla patterning in fly-pollinated Wurmbea flowers16Elsevier / Food Research International. High-fat and high-protein diets from different sources induce different intestinal malodorous gases and inflammation

If the smell is body odor, daily washing with soap targets the bacteria, not the sweat itself, and antiperspirants reduce the sweat the bacteria feed on. A sudden, lasting change in body odor without a change in habits is worth asking a doctor about.

Some clothes seem to hold the smell. Bacteria live in the fabric as well as on skin, so a shirt can keep smelling after the person has washed. Synthetic fibers like polyester tend to hold onto odor-causing oils more than cotton does, so the same person may smell worse in some shirts. A garment that smells sour or musty right after washing may need a hotter wash or a longer dry to clear the bacteria.

Could Your Own Nose Be Misreading Smells

Parosmia is a distorted sense of smell where familiar things smell wrong, often after COVID-19 or another virus.17PubMed Central. Post-viral olfactory loss and parosmia People with it often find certain everyday smells, such as coffee, newly offensive.18PubMed Central. Post-viral olfactory loss and parosmia The damaged nose picks up a few strong, easily detected compounds without the other notes that normally balance them, so triggers tend to be predictable rather than random.19PubMed Central. Post-viral olfactory loss and parosmia

Several signs point to your nose rather than the people around you: the same odd smell shows up on different people and in different places, others nearby don’t notice it, and it began weeks or months after a cold, flu or COVID. Food or coffee that also smells or tastes wrong strengthens the case.

The cause is in the wiring. Smell nerves can be damaged by a virus, and as they regrow, the signals they send to the brain can be scrambled. The brain may then read a normal scent as burnt, rotten or chemical, and a chemical note can come across as mothballs.

Distorted smell often improves slowly over months as the nerves recover. Smell training, sniffing a few strong scents daily, is commonly recommended. An ear, nose and throat doctor can check if it lasts or appears without a virus. A smell that appears suddenly with headache or other new symptoms needs prompt medical attention.

Body Odors That Do Signal Illness

When kidneys fail, waste builds up and ammonia passes from blood into the breath.24PubMed. Recent analytical approaches to detect exhaled breath ammonia with special reference to renal patients25PubMed. Recent analytical approaches to detect exhaled breath ammonia with special reference to renal patients26PubMed Central. Effects of end-stage renal disease and dialysis modalities on blood ammonia level People with advanced kidney problems often notice a metallic or ammonia taste in the mouth along with the smell. Swollen ankles, fatigue, itching and changes in urination usually come along too.

When the body burns fat for fuel instead of sugar, it makes ketones, and acetone leaves through the breath.27PubMed Central. Breath Analysis for the In Vivo Detection of Diabetic Ketoacidosis Fasting and low-carb diets can cause mild acetone breath.28PubMed Central. Breath Analysis for the In Vivo Detection of Diabetic Ketoacidosis In diabetic ketoacidosis, though, acetone rises sharply and the condition is an emergency.29PubMed Central. Metabolic trajectories of diabetic ketoacidosis onset described by breath analysis Fruity breath with thirst, vomiting, confusion or heavy breathing needs emergency care.

Changes in the FMO3 gene reduce an enzyme that normally makes fishy-smelling trimethylamine odorless.30MedlinePlus Genetics. Trimethylaminuria Foods rich in choline and carnitine, like eggs and red meat, get broken down into trimethylamine that builds up,31National Organization for Rare Disorders. Trimethylaminuria – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment because the liver can’t convert it into its odorless form.32PubMed Central. Trimethylaminuria: causes and diagnosis of a socially distressing condition

Liver-related breath is often described as musty and sweet, and it tends to appear in people who are already clearly ill. Yellowing of the skin or eyes, a swollen belly and unusual tiredness usually come with it. A person with a mothball-like smell but none of these signs is unlikely to have a liver problem.

A smell alone cannot diagnose anything. Breath and body odor have many harmless causes, such as food, dry mouth, dieting and infections, and doctors use odor as one clue alongside symptoms, blood tests and urine tests. The conditions here are distinctive but uncommon, and most people with an odd smell have none of them.

Getting Rid of Mothball Smell Safely

Swallowing mothballs can cause both immediate and delayed poisoning, mainly affecting the blood and eyes.33ScienceDirect (Academic Press). Hazardous Chemicals: Chapter 11 – Naphthalene: Risk assessment and environmental health hazard People with G6PD deficiency, an inherited enzyme shortage, are especially prone to naphthalene destroying red blood cells.34ScienceDirect (Academic Press). Hazardous Chemicals: Chapter 11 – Naphthalene: Risk assessment and environmental health hazard Keep mothballs away from children and pets.

If a child or pet swallows a mothball, call poison control right away rather than waiting for symptoms, since poisoning can be delayed. Don’t try to make the child vomit unless a professional says to. Wash hands after handling mothballs, and keep the package for the label when asking for help.

Airing alone often isn’t enough.35Beyond Pesticides. Changing Cultural Practices – A Beyond Pesticides Factsheet: Moth Repellents (Naphthalene and p-Dichlorobenzene) Washing in hot water, repeated if needed, or dry-cleaning works better. Adding baking soda or white vinegar to the wash helps lift odors, and drying outdoors in sun and breeze speeds the fade. Non-washable items can be sealed in a bag with baking soda or activated charcoal for days to absorb the smell. Remove all mothballs from closets and drawers, or the clothes get re-scented.

Moths can be kept off wool without chemicals. Airtight bins and bags protect it, and cleaning clothes before storage helps because moths go for soiled fabric. Cedar blocks and lavender give a milder scent, though they repel less strongly. Freezing an item for several days kills moth eggs.

If you need to raise it with someone, frame it as their storage, not their hygiene. Offer to help wash stored clothes, and mention that the chemicals are worth avoiding for health.