I have cleaned a lot of carpet over the years and encountered a lot of situations, but I've got a very interesting problem now that I have'nt seen before. A large carpet dealer that sends us a lot of work has contacted me about a new carpet odor. They put new carpet in one room of a very nice 2 story home. A few hours after installation the lady called the carpet store and informed them that the smell was so bad that her family was having headaches and watering eyes. They told her to give it 48 hrs. and the new smell would be gone. She waited 24 hrs. and could not take it anymore and called them again. The carpet store called me to see what I could do. I told them I would try but could'nt promise anything. I went to the home yesterday morning and it seemed to me that this carpet had gotten a triple dose of whatever chemical the manufacturer uses.
We cleaned the carpet and applied an odor killer/deodorizer that has always given us great success in many other situations. We left, and this morning the lady called me and said it was better but she still could not stand it. I told her that it would clear up over time but she is frantically trying to sell her house and she want's it solved NOW! So she had a pretty full head of steam by the time our conversation ended and said she was calling the carpet store and demand satisfaction. I'm sure glad that I did'nt have to present her with a bill, since the carpet store is taking care of us.
Anybody encountered this situation before? Why would that new carpet have such a powerful chemical smell?

Does it smell like a new mobile home? New homes have to be aired out. Found this info in a search maybe it's your answer. But the best even this answer suggests is ventilation.

Answer: New carpet can be a source of chemical emissions. In addition to the carpet, the padding and adhesives all emit volatile organic compounds. Some people report symptoms such as upper respiratory irritations, headaches, skin rashes, shortness of breath or cough, any fatigue, which they associate with new carpet installation. The distinct odor of new carpet is usually attributed to the chemicals 4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PC). This chemical can be detected at very low levels, but does not result in an unpleasant odor for everyone. The odor dissipates within a few days.

Be curious what running an ozonator might do?

Is there a new pad layed underneath the carpet. If so this could be the problem. Some people are (including myself) very sensitive to the chemicals in the pads used under the carpet. A cheap pad I have found can smell for weeks and make people sick. I bought a Condo about 15 years ago and the previaous owner was to replace the carpet before I moved in. The smell from the chemicals in the pad made me so sick. I had to rip up the carpet and replace it with a better quality pad. I would ask the supplier what type of pad did they put down?


Ralph

Two approaches to this situation may provide her with some relief. She is reacting not just to what most would just call the smell, but to the actual offgassing of chemicals, which may include formaldehyde. The offending chemical could be part of the carpet fibers, whatever they might be sized with, with the base of the carpet, the pad beneath the new carpet, or some or all of the above. The higher the temperature surrounding an offending chemical element, the more rapidly it can be offgassed, or outgassed. The application of dry steam vapor, from a steam vapor machine such as a Fogacci or a DeLonghi might help. They generate steam in the vicinity of 300 degrees F. When doing this kind of work, the chemically-sensitive individual should be out of the house. Also, do it while wearing the most protective breathing apparatus you can obtain. Have all the windows of the room wide open, and fans blowing, to force the released gas out of the room. Tape off any doors to adjoining rooms so the released gas won't infiltrate into the rest of the house.
Others in the same situation, lacking a steam vapor machine, have turned up the house heat to maximum, put as many space heaters into the problem room as can be safely accomodated, sealed up the room, and let it "slow cook" that way for a couple of days. Then, of course, you have to go in and open up the room, and blow the contaminated air to the outside. As a final step, you could seal in any remaining chemistry with a carpet sealing product from AFM. The sealant will eventually wear off from wear and/or cleaning, but the new owners of the house may not be as sensitive as the current owner.