Two Australian women were reportedly taken to hospital after being exposed to Kmart’s Christmas-themed quilts, with a public recall to also be issued in New Zealand.

Christmas-themed quilts sold by Kmart will be recalled in New Zealand after the blankets were linked to two hospitalisations in Australia.

On Tuesday, Australian media reported that a product recall will be issued for the Anko Mr & Mrs Claus Reversible Queen Size Bed Quilt Cover Set and Christmas Elf Reversible Single Bed Quilt Cover Set, with two customers reportedly experiencing health issues after being exposed to the bedding.

A Kmart spokesperson confirmed to the Herald that a public recall for the quilts will also be issued in New Zealand in the coming days. In the meantime, customers – regardless of whether they experienced any health issues – can return the product in-store for a full refund.

“We take the quality of all our products seriously and are committed to addressing customer product satisfaction issues. Regardless of whether they have experienced any issue, customers who have purchased the Mr & Mrs Claus Reversible Queen Size Bed Quilt Cover Set and Christmas Elf Reversible Single Bed Quilt Cover Set may return the product to store for a refund,” they said in the statement.

“If customers have any questions, we ask them to contact Kmart Customer Service on 0800 945 995. We have taken the proactive step of providing notification via the formal recall in New Zealand of a voluntary product recall yesterday. The public recall notice will follow in the coming days.”

The spokesperson added that no incidents related to the quilts had been reported in New Zealand to their knowledge.

At the time of publishing, the recall notice has yet to be issued via Product Safety New Zealand, a division of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

When the Herald googled “Kmart Mr & Mrs Claus Reversible Queen Size Bed Quilt Cover Set“, the top result was a link to the product (the ”Mr & Mrs Claus Cotton Rich Reversible Quilt Cover Set“) on Kmart NZ’s website, which had two five-star reviews. However, clicking on the link returned the message: ”Sorry, the page you’re looking for can’t be found."

A search for “Christmas Elf Reversible Single Bed Quilt Cover Set” did not return a result for Kmart NZ, only Kmart Australia.

Members of the Facebook group Kmart Mums NZ have been sharing the news of the recall, with several customers who purchased the quilts in New Zealand also complaining of a strong smell.

“After washing mine [it] made the smell 100 times worse,” one commented in the group, with another adding: “My one did not smell of gas but my boy got [a] massive rash as soon as I put this on.”

Another member alleged she experienced “chest pain and a tingly arm” and was rushed to the emergency department.

“I washed my one like five times and used a whole bottle of fabric softener then hung it on line ... could explain why haven’t been feeling well and why I ended up in ED with chest pain and tingly arm.”

Others said they hadn’t experienced any issues with the product.

‘House was stinking of chemicals’

Speaking to A Current Affair, Brisbane mum-of-one Eden claimed her Kmart quilt set smelled strongly of diesel when she opened the packaging.

“My house was stinking of chemicals,” she told A Current Affair. “After I had that small inhalation I ended up in hospital, not really able to breathe.”

Eden said an X-ray found she had inflammation of the heart and lungs.

Another customer, Holly, told the news programme she called an ambulance after being exposed to the bedding.

“I had a sudden sharp pain in my shoulder and it came at the same time as a pain in my jaw.”

She said she spent the night in hospital and was forced to discard her washing machine, claiming it had been damaged by the chemicals.

“No one would expect that you would go to Kmart for a doona [duvet] and then get so sick from it.”

If you have purchased the Anko Mr & Mrs Claus Reversible Queen Size Bed Quilt Cover Set or Christmas Elf Reversible Single Bed Quilt Cover Set, you may voluntarily return the product in-store for a refund - regardless of whether you have experienced an issue. Kmart Customer Service can be contacted on 0800 945 995.

-NZ Herald.