A group of franchisees have allegedly left carpet cleaning business Electrodry because of their concerns that a chemical used by the company could potentially pose a serious health risk as well as damage carpets.

According to a SmartCompany report, the chemical was endorsed by the National Asthma Council Australia’s Sensitive Choice program and that the disgruntled franchisees were told by Electrodry at a 2010 conference that the franchise would charge them an $11-per-week fee for the endorsement.

These allegations come after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s legal action against the franchisor of the Electrodry Carpet Cleaning business, claiming that it posted fake online testimonials in July 2014.

One of the former Electrodry franchisees said that the issues began in 2012 when a former storeman alerted a group of franchisees that a chemical called Tinopal CBX – an optical brightener – was added to the main line of cleaning products.

The disgruntled, former franchisee raised their concerns after reading an article online that outlined how optical brighteners could reduce stain resistance in carpet, have a tendency to yellow with age, and can cause respiratory issues.

The former franchisee – who wished to remain anonymous – claims that they sought legal advice which proved to support their concerns, and their case in court if litigation arose.

“We all sought legal advice as this was of great concern to us and what we, as Electrodry franchisees, were doing to our customers’ carpets and upholstery and that now we were aware we would be liable for any issues resulting in the use of this optical brightener Tinopal,” the anonymous franchisee said.

Electrodry denies that its cleaning products include any optical brighteners.