Health scare triggers recall: Kmart's festive bedroom item raises alarm after shocking reactions
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The holiday season is meant to be a time of joy and celebration, and shoppers are eagerly snapping up popular festive products to prepare for the celebrations.
However, one recent incident involving a common holiday item has left many concerned.
This unexpected ordeal has sparked a wave of reactions, highlighting the importance of safety during the festive season.
The Mr and Mrs Claus Cotton Rich Reversible Quilt Covers from Kmart, which were intended to bring festive cheer into the bedroom, instead brought about a series of health scares that led to hospital visits and a swift product recall.
A Gold Coast mum, preferring to stay anonymous, shared her ‘horrific’ experience after purchasing the quilt covers from Kmart on November 1.
She was eager to decorate her home for the festive season but was immediately struck by an overpowering smell of what she likened to ‘jet fuel’ emanating from the new bedding.
‘I washed them a couple of times because the smell was horrific. Even after washing them two or three times, the smell was still really strong,’ the woman recounted.
Eager to embrace the festive spirit, she went ahead and put the sheets on her bed and her eldest son's bed despite her concerns.
The decision proved to be alarming. Within a short period, her son began to exhibit asthma symptoms, and her husband, a man with no history of health issues, woke up with severe chest pains.
‘[He's] normally super healthy, he hasn't seen a GP since he was a child,’ the Queensland mum said, referring to her husband.
‘One morning, he woke up and said he was having chest pains. It's weird for him to complain. He said he might need to go to hospital which was super alarming.’
The couple chose to wait an hour before taking any action, but midway through, the woman's husband pleaded with her to ‘call an ambulance’. ‘He was genuinely scared,’ the mum recalled.
When paramedics arrived, she claimed they immediately instructed her to remove the blanket from him.
‘One of the paramedics walked in and turned it over and said to get it off him,’ the woman narrated.
‘They had seen complaints about the blankets, and multiple cases with everything from rashes to chest pains, and they all have this blanket. I thought that was crazy.’
The man was transported to the hospital, where ECG and blood tests showed no signs of any underlying condition.
‘His chest pains resolved within the next day,’ the mum said after taking the covers off the bed.
‘Now we've all just got weird burning in our eyes and stuffy noses,’ she added. ‘From what I've Googled, it seems to be some kind of chemical exposure.’
The mum wondered where Kmart's bed products are made and ‘what they are being sprayed with’.
‘Is this ongoing?’ she questioned. ‘Do their clothes have [these chemicals at lower levels] and is it making people sick?’
Another Kmart customer shared on social media the frightening experience they had after bringing the quilt covers home.
‘I had a nurse call me an ambulance as the exposure to the chemicals made me quite unwell. I was nearly fainting, vomiting and other gastro symptoms, sudden sharp, intense jaw and shoulder pain,’ one shared.
‘I'm now in hospital awaiting results, do not buy this!’
‘I returned mine, the smell was horrible, I was told by the lady they had been removed off the shelves now,’ another reported.
‘I can't go near my laundry currently because the smell is so strong. If you've ever smelt a burning motor in a cheap pedestal fan, it kinda smells like that,’ a third added.
In a statement, a Kmart spokesperson confirmed that the sheets have been pulled from stores, but maintained their position that the sheets are ‘safe’.
‘We take the quality and safety of all our products very seriously. We have noted the concerns about an odour with this product,’ the spokesperson stated.
‘While the product is safe, it is important to us that our customers enjoy using our products and have made the decision to withdraw the product from sale.’
‘As always, we encourage all our customers whenever they experience an issue with a product to get in touch with our customer service team to ensure that it can be appropriately addressed,’ they added.
Kmart was asked for an explanation regarding the smell detected on the bedding, the number of complaints from affected customers, and its response to reports of hospitalisations.
However, it did not directly address these questions.
While Kmart's recent bedding ordeal has sparked concern over the safety of some of its products, it's not the first time shoppers have faced unexpected—and even dangerous—situations with items from the popular retailer.
Another incident involving a children's toy has also sparked alarm among parents.
Both situations highlight the potential risks associated with seemingly harmless products and serve as a reminder for shoppers to exercise caution when making purchases, especially when it comes to items for their loved ones.
Have you ever encountered a problem with a product that affected your health? How did you handle the situation? Share your stories in the comments below, and let's help each other stay safe and informed this holiday season and beyond.
However, one recent incident involving a common holiday item has left many concerned.
This unexpected ordeal has sparked a wave of reactions, highlighting the importance of safety during the festive season.
The Mr and Mrs Claus Cotton Rich Reversible Quilt Covers from Kmart, which were intended to bring festive cheer into the bedroom, instead brought about a series of health scares that led to hospital visits and a swift product recall.
A Gold Coast mum, preferring to stay anonymous, shared her ‘horrific’ experience after purchasing the quilt covers from Kmart on November 1.
She was eager to decorate her home for the festive season but was immediately struck by an overpowering smell of what she likened to ‘jet fuel’ emanating from the new bedding.
A Gold Coast mum bought Mr and Mrs Claus Cotton Rich Reversible Quilt Covers from Kmart, which emitted a jet fuel-like smell. Credit: Facebook / Yahoo News Australia
‘I washed them a couple of times because the smell was horrific. Even after washing them two or three times, the smell was still really strong,’ the woman recounted.
Eager to embrace the festive spirit, she went ahead and put the sheets on her bed and her eldest son's bed despite her concerns.
The decision proved to be alarming. Within a short period, her son began to exhibit asthma symptoms, and her husband, a man with no history of health issues, woke up with severe chest pains.
‘[He's] normally super healthy, he hasn't seen a GP since he was a child,’ the Queensland mum said, referring to her husband.
‘One morning, he woke up and said he was having chest pains. It's weird for him to complain. He said he might need to go to hospital which was super alarming.’
The couple chose to wait an hour before taking any action, but midway through, the woman's husband pleaded with her to ‘call an ambulance’. ‘He was genuinely scared,’ the mum recalled.
When paramedics arrived, she claimed they immediately instructed her to remove the blanket from him.
‘One of the paramedics walked in and turned it over and said to get it off him,’ the woman narrated.
‘They had seen complaints about the blankets, and multiple cases with everything from rashes to chest pains, and they all have this blanket. I thought that was crazy.’
The man was transported to the hospital, where ECG and blood tests showed no signs of any underlying condition.
‘His chest pains resolved within the next day,’ the mum said after taking the covers off the bed.
‘Now we've all just got weird burning in our eyes and stuffy noses,’ she added. ‘From what I've Googled, it seems to be some kind of chemical exposure.’
The mum wondered where Kmart's bed products are made and ‘what they are being sprayed with’.
‘Is this ongoing?’ she questioned. ‘Do their clothes have [these chemicals at lower levels] and is it making people sick?’
Another Kmart customer shared on social media the frightening experience they had after bringing the quilt covers home.
‘I had a nurse call me an ambulance as the exposure to the chemicals made me quite unwell. I was nearly fainting, vomiting and other gastro symptoms, sudden sharp, intense jaw and shoulder pain,’ one shared.
‘I'm now in hospital awaiting results, do not buy this!’
‘I returned mine, the smell was horrible, I was told by the lady they had been removed off the shelves now,’ another reported.
‘I can't go near my laundry currently because the smell is so strong. If you've ever smelt a burning motor in a cheap pedestal fan, it kinda smells like that,’ a third added.
In a statement, a Kmart spokesperson confirmed that the sheets have been pulled from stores, but maintained their position that the sheets are ‘safe’.
‘We take the quality and safety of all our products very seriously. We have noted the concerns about an odour with this product,’ the spokesperson stated.
‘While the product is safe, it is important to us that our customers enjoy using our products and have made the decision to withdraw the product from sale.’
‘As always, we encourage all our customers whenever they experience an issue with a product to get in touch with our customer service team to ensure that it can be appropriately addressed,’ they added.
Kmart was asked for an explanation regarding the smell detected on the bedding, the number of complaints from affected customers, and its response to reports of hospitalisations.
However, it did not directly address these questions.
While Kmart's recent bedding ordeal has sparked concern over the safety of some of its products, it's not the first time shoppers have faced unexpected—and even dangerous—situations with items from the popular retailer.
Another incident involving a children's toy has also sparked alarm among parents.
Both situations highlight the potential risks associated with seemingly harmless products and serve as a reminder for shoppers to exercise caution when making purchases, especially when it comes to items for their loved ones.
