Mothballs are smelly, white balls of the chemical 1,4-dichlorobenzene that are traditionally placed in drawers and closets to keep moths away. Why? Moths eat holes in fabric, and can ruin your clothes.
However, mothballs have lots of other uses around the house, too. Here are a few of them that I've personally tried with some success (check out the linked sites for other ideas):
1. They stink so much that animals don't want to nest around them. So, throw some mothballs around and keep rats, bats, and stray cats away from your garage, attic, or shed.
2. Keep puppies and kittens out of potted plants by putting a couple of mothballs around the topsoil -- IF you're sure that they won't try and eat them. Mothballs are toxic to the little babies so make sure they hate them before you put them into the plants.
3. Put the family silver in a plastic bag with a couple of mothballs and voila! nothing tarnishes.
