What does it mean when you smell like moth balls?
What does it mean when you smell like moth balls?
The scent of skatole resembles mothballs, so if your breath smells like mothballs, you may have a condition that causes excess mucus in the mouth. You might have a sinus infection, allergies or another condition that results in mucus running down the back of the throat, also known as postnasal drip.
What else can smell like moth balls?
Naphthalene is present in more than just mothballs, though that is where it is most commonly found, and what its smell is most easily identified with. Tobacco smoke can also contain naphthalene and leave behind an odor similar to mothballs, depending on the type of tobacco product that was smoked.
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 a moth ball smell?
One of the most successful methods for ridding the mothball smell from clothing is to soak the affected garments in a solution of equal parts water and vinegar. Alternatively, put the clothes in the washing machine and run a cycle using only vinegar; follow up with another wash cycle using detergent and softener.
Do mice like mothballs?
Mothballs may be regarded as mice repellents, but it has not been proven effective. The amount of naphthalene found in mothballs is enough to eliminate moths on fabric like clothes and bedsheets, but it is not enough to repel mice. They simply avoid the mothballs and take another route instead.
Why does my house smell like moth balls all of a sudden?
What Causes a Mothball Smell In Your House? The simple answer is mothballs. Specifically the chemical that causes the mothball smell is naphthalene. Naphthalene also is present in tobacco smoke, and even in the air in highly polluted cities.
Can naphthalene balls cause death?
A number of deaths have been reported following intentional ingestion of naphthalene-containing mothballs (ATSDR, 1990). The estimated lethal dose of naphthalene is 5-15 g for adults and 2-3 g for children. Naphthalene is a primary skin irritant and is acutely irritating to the eyes of humans (Sandmeyer, 1981).
How toxic are moth balls to humans?
Moth balls contain a toxic chemical, either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Both become a gas when exposed to air and cause that pungent moth ball smell. These gases are irritating to the eyes and lungs and may cause headache, dizziness and nausea. They are both suspected of causing cancer.
Does mold smell like mothballs?
If you smell an odor of stale, old moth balls or mildew, chances are that you have mold living somewhere in your building. Chances are if you smell that distinct mildew smell, then you have mold present.
