Mothballs and a bad idea...

[StainlessBullet]

Last spring I discovered that I had a mouse living inside my project car. He hadn’t had a chance to do any major damage before he was evicted. After trying to find a way to keep more mice from coming back, I read on the internet that mice (and pretty much everything else) hate the odor caused by mothballs. I understand this was not the intended purpose of mothballs, but I went ahead and bought a box of mothballs and put them in the car. It worked great for keeping mice out, but it was a very, very BAD idea. My car absolutely reeks now. You need a respirator to even stick your head in the car for a minute.

So, I need some tips or suggestions for getting rid of the mothball smell out my car. I didn't care if the car smelled like this last year as long as it kept mice out, but now I’m trying to get this car back together and it’s tough not being able to breathe and all.

[sdg3205]

Try sprinkling baking soda everywhere. It's a great deodorizer. Vacuum it up and repeat.

Worst case scenario, remove carpets and fabrics and wash with laundry detergent. Clean fibreglass with soap and water.

[StainlessBullet]

Try sprinkling baking soda everywhere. It's a great deodorizer. Vacuum it up and repeat.

Worst case scenario, remove carpets and fabrics and wash with laundry detergent. Clean fibreglass with soap and water.

That's not a bad idea. I'll try the baking soda trick first. If that doesn't work, I'm going to be removing all the interior when I get a little further into the restoration anyway.

I'm also looking into an Ozone Generator. Anybody ever use one?

[DMCVegas]

The online consensus from some of the antique car sites what I've read on a few web sites are to set some bowls of charcoal in your car for about 3 days, and possibly sprinkle some baking soda around the interior like sdg3205 said. Let the whole thing air out with the doors open too. Also ensure you've got airflow to not only let the odors escape, but to let them be absorbed by the charcoal. After that vacuum and throw a bunch of leather scraps from an upholstery shop all over the car to let it overpower any remaining smells.

I found that while many people disagree on the odor absorbing properties of coffee versus it just masking odors, people have uniformly vouched for both charcoal and airing the car out.

I also remember that years ago on DMCNews someone posted a how-to on restoring the new car smell of a DeLorean to cover up odors, and vinyl and leather scraps were also on that list. Though I think it also required warming them up first with either an oven or a heat gun.

If it were me, this would be exactly what I'd try.

[DMCMW Dave]

The directions I've heard for mothballs always involved placing them under the car, not inside it. I believe the active ingredient in them is naptha, which will evaporate over time (leave the doors open outside for a while).

Believe me, it does not smell as bad as a car full of mouse piss. That's very difficult to eliminate.

[Patrick C]

Believe me, it does not smell as bad as a car full of mouse piss. That's very difficult to eliminate.

Agreed 100%. It took me 7 years to get rid of the mouse smell in VIN 1880

[Jonathan]

Just one word of caution on safety with charcoal: as it is an oxygen scavenger, just be sure to keep the area well ventilated when you are using it. You can put it in the interior of your car, just ensure you open the doors and give it a few minutes to have some fresh air from your open garage door to get in there. You aren't likely going to be working with a big volume of the stuff, but it's chemical properties remain the same at any volume.

It is used often in the water treatment industry as a carbon filter for removing chlorine, for example. Loading a few hundred cubic feet into a large vessel (confined space) can be dangerous if you are not prepared. Especially if you are the guy in the vessel getting the bags lowered down to him.

+1 on moth balls under the car, not inside. Put them in an aluminum pie plate and then slide that under the car or put them near the wheels.

[thirdmanj]

Just let your car sit outside a bit once it warms up. Should bake that odor right out! The power of the furnace that cabin becomes in the sun never ceases to amaze me. I've baked cookies in it....didn't turn out so well, but it worked well enough. Plus it made the car smell GREAT!

[Byrne H&A]

Ask the manufactures of Mothball for antidote.

[bikergurl2000]

I've found this product to be very effective at removing odors.

http://www.amazon.com/ATP-ZE-1-Zeo-T...words=zeo+trap

Cheers