Last updated on December 5th, 2022
Mothballs are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and they are caused by pesticides present in the air. These pesticides contain either paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene and both of these products are potentially toxic for humans and pets, especially when they hanging in the air for quite some time. Negative health effects include nausea, eye and nose irritation, coughing, headaches.
Mothballs leave a strong odor in a room where they’ve been used. To remove this odor you can use an air purifier that can remove VOCs, chemicals and odors. There are not many such units that can effectively deal with this type of air pollution. Austin Air makes air purifiers that are known for their ability to reduce odors and get rid of chemicals floating in the air thanks to their large 15-pound filters filled with activated carbon. Their most popular model is HealthMate HM400 which I can recommend to everyone who wants to get rid of a strong chemical mothball odor.
Another brand that manufactures air cleaners that can remove the mothball smell is Airpura. It is made in Canada and provides a 5-year warranty on its products. Their Airpura F600 air cleaner uses an 18-pound Carbon filter in addition to the HEPA filter and effectively cleans the air from formaldehyde, VOCs, mothball smell and other odors.
When it comes to the price tag, Airpura air purifiers are somewhat pricier, but they cover larger areas, up to 1000 square feet and bigger. Basically, if you want to remove the mothball smell from 1000 sq. ft. space, get yourself the Airpura air cleaner, if not – buy one from Austin Air.
My name is Alex Evans and I own this website. I have been in air purifier industry for several years now and nowadays I write about air purifiers, their features, benefits and downsides. Cheers!