I would like to share with you my experience with Mohawk SmartStrand Triexta carpet made with DuPont’s Sorona renewable sourced polymer (installed January, 2010) and my breathing dilemma that disappeared completely after we finally removed that carpet from our family room in October of 2011. I would like others to be aware that their breathing issues could be the result of their carpeting.

We installed our Mohawk Triexta carpet in January, 2010, as part of our family room renovations. We loved the new carpet, the color, the feel under our feet, the overall look and the warmth it brought to the room. Everything was good, OR SO I THOUGHT!!

I had a cold going into January, 2010, and I’d been under some stress, not just due to the holidays, but my mom was in the hospital before Christmas. So, in January and after the new carpet was installed, I couldn’t get rid of the cold – more like a bad cough with lots of “clear” congestion. Went to the doctor (MD who does acupuncture and Chinese medicine). The Chinese formulas and acupuncture helped for a short while, less than 2-weeks, and then I was back to the doctor again for a change in formula. This cycle kept up for a long time. And, whatever I tried, including antibiotics, did NOT HOLD. My symptoms just continued to get worse. I was having a very hard time breathing. Diagnosed as bronchial asthma, I could hardly make it up the stairs to bed; couldn’t even walk next door to take care of mom; couldn’t even sleep. This went on like this for over a year and a half, with no sufficient relief. Lost 30 pounds!

Interestingly, when my husband and I went on vacation (2010 and 2011 Caribbean Cruises), all my symptoms went away, only to return within a week of being home. When I told the doctor, all he could say was “Well, you do live in Cleveland and there are no trees in the ocean.”

I could not convince my husband that the carpet was the problem. After all, it cost us $1300.00 to have installed. I even went to an allergist with a piece of the carpet, asking him to test me specifically to this carpet. He thought I was stupid, looked at me and said “What do you want me to do with this. We don’t test to carpet pieces!” No help here either!

In the meantime, we had our attic space checked for mold. We had a minor issue, which we took care of my installing a new roof with proper ventilation and getting mold remediation done. We even had our ductwork cleaned again. All this had no effect on my breathing problem. I was getting worse not better. I also bought room air filters that I ran continuously in the family room – lots of fibrous, grey, powdery stuff on the filter every week. Then, I had the air tested in the family room. Only thing found was an extremely high level of aspergillus. Don’t know what that meant health wise, but it didn’t sound good.

It’s now October, 2011. In tears, I said to my husband, we’ve got to get away from home for a few days. We were gone 3-days and by the third day I was feeling better. Tom finally agreed to remove the carpet; that was mid-October, 2011. We then changed all the furnace filters, again. By the week before Thanksgiving, I was feeling like my old self again. And I know feel GREAT!! We had hardwood floor installed, at 3X, the price of that carpet, but it was worth it for me. Hope this information will help someone else.

I have not contacted Mohawk or Dupont, since I can’t imagine either corporation willing disclosing other allergic reactions to the fiber. But I DID make an inquiry to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, asking if they had done any research into a cause-effect relationship. To date I have not had a response, but remain curious about allergic reactions others might be having.

Would you please get in touch with me? Our 2.5 year old little girl got itchy bumps all over her hands and feet (which then spread to legs and arms) right after we installed smartstrand in our townhome. The allergist confirmed her allergy to the carpet through testing. We are now trying to get a breakdown of the carpet’s components from Mohawk but are having some difficulty. I think our experiences are both similar and different but I’d like to discuss with you how the air purifer has worked. Was your carpet was brand new when you moved in? Did your daughter also have any bumps or any form of skin dermatitis? You may reach me at marc.hyman@verizon.net.

Thank you.