0:00:03 > 0:00:05Take a look around your home.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Can you be sure that every appliance is safe?
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Is everything a company tells you about a product true?
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And are you getting the best value for your money?
0:00:22 > 0:00:25With the help of the country's top experts, we're going to see
0:00:25 > 0:00:29what it takes to test the household products we use every day.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34We'll discover how they're pushed to their limits.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39We'll put the maker's claims on trial...
0:00:41 > 0:00:45..and show you how to make your money go further.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48You'll find these products in any ordinary house.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53But this is no ordinary house and no ordinary street.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55This the Watchdog Test House.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06Hello. We're deep inside one of Britain's leading science centres.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Here at the Building Research Establishment,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13some of the products and materials that we use every day
0:01:13 > 0:01:14are put to the test
0:01:14 > 0:01:18to make sure that they're safe, environmentally friendly
0:01:18 > 0:01:19and that they don't fall apart.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Coming up on today's programme... They're lethal
0:01:23 > 0:01:26and they could still be in thousands of homes.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Do you own one of them?
0:01:28 > 0:01:32The cooker produced massive amounts of carbon monoxide.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34They had absolutely no chance.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36How does a big manufacturer react
0:01:36 > 0:01:40when something as dangerous as this gets onto the market?
0:01:40 > 0:01:42None of us put our products on the market with
0:01:42 > 0:01:47the expectation that it will cause injury or death or damage.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51No-chip nail varnish? Not what we found.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I've got quite a lot of chips on both hands.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57And how the development of fire retardant chemicals has
0:01:57 > 0:02:01radically reduced your chances of dying in a house fire.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Every year, hundreds of products, from cars to chairs,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13lawn mowers to slimming pills, are recalled because they're defective
0:02:13 > 0:02:18and, in some cases, extremely dangerous, like this Beko cooker.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22In 2008, Beko discovered that on a number of different
0:02:22 > 0:02:25models, the grill was emitting lethal levels of
0:02:25 > 0:02:30the poisonous gas carbon monoxide when used with the door closed.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33But even though the company recalled thousands of them,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36some owners may still be unaware of the risk.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Richard Smith was 30 years old and living in Saltash,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47a town on the bank of the River Tamar in Cornwall.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50The month was November. The year was 2010.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56We got the call from Richard's work on the Friday
0:02:56 > 0:02:59to say that he'd been off work and
0:02:59 > 0:03:03they couldn't contact him on his telephone, so my wife
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and I went round that Friday, and when we got to the house, all the
0:03:06 > 0:03:13lights were on, and we had concerns then as to where Richard was.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Brian had no option but to break into Richard's house,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22a house that his shared with his friend, Kevin Branton.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26I climbed over the back wall
0:03:26 > 0:03:30and got into the house through the patio doors, which were open,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33and that is when I saw Kevin slumped on the settee.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I knew something was wrong at that stage.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42I then ran upstairs, hoping to find Richard...
0:03:43 > 0:03:47..and that is when I found him on the bed, but as soon as I touched him,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51he was cold and I knew there's nothing I could do for him.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It soon became apparent that both Brian's son, Richard,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and his housemate, Kevin, had been overcome
0:03:58 > 0:04:02and killed by fumes from their Beko Flavel cooker.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05The boys were cooking their supper under the grill,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07and at some point, one or the other of them
0:04:07 > 0:04:11must have accidently shut the grill door whilst it was lit.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17As soon as they did this, the cooker produced massive
0:04:17 > 0:04:23amounts of carbon monoxide over a period of a couple of minutes.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28Carbon monoxide is an invisible yet highly poisonous gas.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32Breathing it in can make you unwell and, in high doses, can kill.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36A lethal dose is just 500 parts per million.
0:04:36 > 0:04:42This cooker produced 14,000 parts per million in just two minutes.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45They would have just been very, very sleepy
0:04:45 > 0:04:48and gradually lost consciousness,
0:04:48 > 0:04:53and they had absolutely no chance from that moment.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Beko already knew about this serious fault with their cookers.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00In fact, two years before Richard and Kevin died, the company
0:05:00 > 0:05:04had issued a full recall of 30,000 products,
0:05:04 > 0:05:09all manufactured between 2003 and 2009 because of other deaths.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13As soon as we became aware of the problem,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15any retailer we had supplied the product to,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17we made them aware and we recalled that product.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21We tried, we feel, everything we could to try and reach people, and
0:05:21 > 0:05:25we will continue to try and reach people to prevent future tragedy.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28But despite trying to warn owners of the potential risk,
0:05:28 > 0:05:33at least eight people have died and many units remain untraced.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37There were 30,000 put on the market. We believe
0:05:37 > 0:05:41there are still about 3,900 out there that we need to track down.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44And the work to find those cookers continues.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Really, any opportunity we can, we will take,
0:05:46 > 0:05:47and I think your programme, actually,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49is a great opportunity for us to
0:05:49 > 0:05:52appeal to people if they've got a Beko cooker to go and check it.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54And then if they contact us, phone us, visit our website,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58we can advise them whether or not their product is affected.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02I think of him every day, but sometimes, it's just a tiny thing -
0:06:02 > 0:06:03someone's laugh...
0:06:05 > 0:06:09a High Vis jacket with a woolly hat pulled over his ears,
0:06:09 > 0:06:15little things like that. And I take a second glance and for a second,
0:06:15 > 0:06:16I think he's back.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24And that's probably the hardest thing to cope with.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29I miss my son. We think of him every day.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33And I just wish he could be here.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39The inquest declared the cause of death accidental
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and no action was taken against Beko.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46But what was it about the cooker that went so terribly wrong?
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Although the instructions stated that the door must be kept open
0:06:49 > 0:06:53during grilling at all times, that was to prevent a fire.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56It turns out it was never tested for carbon monoxide with
0:06:56 > 0:06:58the door shut.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So once we'd identified that problem, we worked with the test
0:07:01 > 0:07:04houses to get their testing regimes changed
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and with the standards bodies to get the standard changed,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08so the European standard was changed.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10None of us want this sort of thing to happen.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13None of us put our products on the market with
0:07:13 > 0:07:17the expectation that it will cause injury or death or damage,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and that's why safety is such a high priority and that's why we work
0:07:21 > 0:07:25so hard to try and put products out on the market that are safe.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29The safety of cookers has improved
0:07:29 > 0:07:31and most of them now have a safety cut-out
0:07:31 > 0:07:33or an air gap around the seal
0:07:33 > 0:07:38to prevent high levels of carbon monoxide if the grill door is shut.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Testing standards have also been modified to include carbon monoxide
0:07:41 > 0:07:44tests on grills with the door closed.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Later, we'll be heading to the UK National Standards Body
0:07:48 > 0:07:51to see just how rigorously cookers and their grills
0:07:51 > 0:07:55are now put through their paces before they come onto the market.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Now, your nails. They certainly go through a lot everyday,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05from opening doors to driving, washing up
0:08:05 > 0:08:07or spending all day at a computer.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Which is why, if you wear nail varnish,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13you'll probably choose one which promises not to chip.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17But do these products really stand up to their claims?
0:08:17 > 0:08:18Let's find out.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20I can't wait for this one, Sophie!
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Right, in today's test, we have a range of nail polishes that
0:08:23 > 0:08:27claim to be chip-resistant across a range of price brackets.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29The most expensive polish we could find is the
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Dior Vernis Haute Couleur High Lasting Nail Lacquer at £20.50.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38It claims to give "impeccable hold" and a "chip-resistant formula".
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Our mid-range product is
0:08:39 > 0:08:43the Bourjois So Laque 10 day Glossy Nail Polish at £5.99.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46It claims to be "ultra-resistant" and "enriched with vinyl
0:08:46 > 0:08:49"and resins to prevent your nails from chipping".
0:08:49 > 0:08:50And our cheapest product -
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Boots 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish promises to have
0:08:53 > 0:08:55"chip-resistant" colour
0:08:55 > 0:08:58that "lasts for up to five days" and costs just £2.99.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02We'll be comparing these to B Quick One Coat Nail Varnish.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07It costs £4.99 and makes no claims about being chip-resistant at all.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11The key ingredient with the non-chip nail varnish is
0:09:11 > 0:09:14a group of compounds called film-forming compounds.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18They create a network of molecules which stick together
0:09:18 > 0:09:22across the surface of your nail and, in theory, should make it non-chip.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27So that's theory. Time to find out what happens in practice.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Dr Laura's painted these fake nails with equal amounts of varnish.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Beautifully done, Dr Laura!
0:09:32 > 0:09:37She's also created her very own slightly terrifying-looking machine.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39We call it the Chip-o-meter.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Dr Laura clamps the painted fake nails next to it to see
0:09:42 > 0:09:44if any of the varnish comes off.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Each of the nails is left for two minutes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50OK. First, our most expensive product, the Dior nail varnish.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57This one has chipped.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59The rest of the nail still looks good, so it hasn't
0:09:59 > 0:10:01spread across, but under these conditions,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03it has chipped off a bit.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Next, the mid-range Bourjois polish.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09After two minutes on the Chip-o-meter, how's it done?
0:10:09 > 0:10:14Second nail, we can see clear chip marks quite a long
0:10:14 > 0:10:18way along the edge, and it's the edge where you would expect it to
0:10:18 > 0:10:21start chipping if you were wearing this nail varnish.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Now, the cheapest polish, the 17.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29So product number three, which was the 17, has come off an awful lot.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33There is a clear amount of removal from the surface there,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36so it hasn't stood up to the test very well.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39And finally, how will these compare to the product which makes no
0:10:39 > 0:10:41claims about being chip-resistant, the B Quick?
0:10:43 > 0:10:46It's actually performed slightly better than the 17 polish,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48which claims to have chip-resistant colour.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53But neither polish has done as well as the Dior, which has won this test,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56or the Bourjois polish, which came second.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58So when it comes to chip-resistance, at the moment,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02it seems spending more might just be worth it.
0:11:02 > 0:11:03So that's the lab.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05But how will they all perform where it really matters,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08real life? Find out later.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Sitting comfortably? You should be
0:11:14 > 0:11:18because the furniture in your home has probably been built to
0:11:18 > 0:11:19an exacting design.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Strict safety standards, too.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26In fact, sofas, armchairs, beds and cushions sold in the UK meet
0:11:26 > 0:11:29some of the highest requirements in the world.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32But it wasn't always this way.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Before the development of fire retardant chemicals,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38a sofa could catch fire within seconds
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and smoke could reach life-threatening
0:11:40 > 0:11:43levels in just three minutes. Here's Lynn Faulds Wood.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49'Welcome to Watchdog. In tonight's programme...
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'All these people have written to us...
0:11:54 > 0:11:57'This is the acrylic fur fabric cover we saw earlier.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01'I'm going to light it just with an ordinary household match.'
0:12:02 > 0:12:06The year is 1985 and I'm demonstrating just how
0:12:06 > 0:12:11dangerous loose furniture covering can be when exposed to a flame.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14That's two minutes, and you can see that's like a bonfire
0:12:14 > 0:12:17sitting on top of that chair. The whole thing's caught alight.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20But by far the bigger risk to life back then
0:12:20 > 0:12:24was the foam filling manufacturers used on the inside.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28When polyurethane foam was first invented in the 1950s,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32it was hygienic, hard-wearing and it gave people a level of comfort
0:12:32 > 0:12:35they hadn't been able to afford before.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40The trouble is, it had one fatal flaw - it could easily catch fire.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44In fact, at the height of its popularity, in the 1970s,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47you were almost four times more likely to
0:12:47 > 0:12:49die in a house fire than you are today.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Just take a look at this footage
0:12:53 > 0:12:56filmed in a lab at the Building Research Establishment.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00The technician drops a match onto the sofa and leaves the room.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03After one minute, the sofa is fully alight
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and the flames are out of control.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09By two minutes, a thick layer of poisonous black smoke has
0:13:09 > 0:13:11formed on the ceiling.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And in just three minutes, the whole room is ablaze.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Just imagine if this was a real fire in a real house.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24What we found is that people didn't have time to escape,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28so they were rapidly overcome by the smoke from a fire,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31and then, obviously, couldn't find their way out.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34The fire brigade were all too aware of the dangers.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39But one day in 1979 made the public very aware of them, too.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45On 8 May, a faulty electrical cable started to
0:13:45 > 0:13:48spark in a branch of Woolworths in Manchester.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52It set fire to the foam-filled furniture stacked on top of it,
0:13:52 > 0:13:57which began emitting poisonous cyanide gas and carbon monoxide.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Soon, the whole building was ablaze.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03'Flames were streaming out of the three second-floor windows
0:14:03 > 0:14:05'and smoke billowed out across Piccadilly Gardens
0:14:05 > 0:14:08'before the first of the fire engines arrived.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11'And the fire station is only a few hundred yards away.'
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Ten people lost their lives in Woolworths that day
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and 47 others were injured.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Bob Graham, assistant chief fire officer at the scene,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22later told Watchdog what happened.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26The main injuries were carbon monoxide or smoke inhalation
0:14:26 > 0:14:28for the casualties.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31The smoke from burning polyurethane
0:14:31 > 0:14:33and the covering fabrics, at that time, is very acrid.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37It only takes one breath and it affects your throat.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42Strangely, you can't shout because it affects your vocal cords as well.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44It was as a result of that Woolworths fire
0:14:44 > 0:14:50back in 1979 that Bob Graham became a fierce campaigner for change.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Many other chief officers joined him.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56And by 1980, some legislation had been introduced -
0:14:56 > 0:14:59furniture coverings had to resist a smouldering cigarette.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01But the law was patchy.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Some types of upholstery were completely exempt
0:15:04 > 0:15:08and it didn't cover the highly flammable foam at all.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10It took years to find a solution -
0:15:10 > 0:15:14a new chemical that could make foam fire retardant.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16In the mid '80s, the foam industry developed
0:15:16 > 0:15:20the technology to add melamine into the foam at the point it is mixed.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24And that drastically reduces the tendency to burn.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28But this new type of foam was more expensive and, without legislation,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32getting all manufacturers to act was a slow process.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Then what are the Department of Trade doing about it?
0:15:34 > 0:15:35Well, not a lot at the moment.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38They've known about the problem for a long time. They say they're
0:15:38 > 0:15:43very concerned, but they're not really doing very much about it.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46It wasn't until three years later, 1988, that
0:15:46 > 0:15:51the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations were introduced.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54It followed a Christmas period in which 24 people
0:15:54 > 0:15:56died in house fires.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Firemen are sick to their stomachs with going into burnt houses
0:16:00 > 0:16:05and pulling out these poor little mites, who are dead, charred.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Quite a dreadful experience for any man to have to face.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11For the first time, covers, upholstery
0:16:11 > 0:16:16and filling materials all had to go through strict flammability tests.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20We take blocks of foam, place them on a test rig
0:16:20 > 0:16:24and then we use an ignition source and we ignite that. That burns,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and what should happen is that the foam should self-extinguish itself.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33And five years later, the legislation was extended to
0:16:33 > 0:16:36cover the sale of second-hand furniture.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42Now, the 1988 Fire Safety Regulations only apply to furniture sold
0:16:42 > 0:16:44here, in the UK.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Unlike a lot other safety laws, they weren't introduced across Europe.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51So, in a recent test,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55when the flammability of European sofas was compared to
0:16:55 > 0:17:00that of a British sofa, the impact of the legislation was plain to see.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03The Slovakian sofa on the left reaches life-threatening
0:17:03 > 0:17:06levels of fire and smoke in just three minutes,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10whereas the one from the UK takes 20 minutes to get to the
0:17:10 > 0:17:12same intensity.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13The fire takes longer to develop.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15So what we notice is that people are much more likely to be
0:17:15 > 0:17:18aware of fire in time for them to get out and escape.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20There's plenty of evidence out there that says, actually,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24lives were directly saved as a result of this legislation.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26So the good news -
0:17:26 > 0:17:29this country now has some of the safest furniture around.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Now, fuel for your car.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40It costs the average family over £1,200 a year.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43But do you use petrol or diesel?
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Should you drive to your local supermarket
0:17:46 > 0:17:49or buy from the nearest petrol station?
0:17:49 > 0:17:50Well, with us now to talk about getting
0:17:50 > 0:17:54the best value for your money is Emma Butcher from What Car?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Does it matter, first of all, where you buy your fuel from,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01whether it's a supermarket or your local petrol station?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Well, no, not at all, not in terms of quality.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06There's no evidence to suggest that quality is
0:18:06 > 0:18:08dependent on where you buy your fuel. The one thing you
0:18:08 > 0:18:12do have control over is how much you pay for it, and costs vary
0:18:12 > 0:18:16right across the country, whether you buy from the supermarket,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19an oil company station or an independent petrol station.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23What about standard unleaded versus premium unleaded
0:18:23 > 0:18:26because there's a huge hike in the price, isn't there? Is it worth it?
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Well, premium unleaded is generally around 9 pence per litre more
0:18:30 > 0:18:34expensive than standard unleaded petrol, so you'd need to see a
0:18:34 > 0:18:37really big increase in fuel economy for it to be worth your while.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39We would say, save your cash. Go for the standard petrol.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43And what about diesel cars versus petrol cars because, certainly,
0:18:43 > 0:18:44when you fill a diesel car up,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46you seem to getting a lot more miles for your money?
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Absolutely. Diesels traditionally are much more economical than petrols.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52However, that's not always the case.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55So what you really need to do is decide how many miles you're going to
0:18:55 > 0:18:58do in a year, and then you need to look at the whole life cost of the
0:18:58 > 0:19:03car, from how much you pay up front to your tax, insurance, servicing,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07depreciation and, of course, your fuel, based on the MPG figure.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10And then work out which is the best value for you.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13We looked at around nine different models of all different
0:19:13 > 0:19:16kinds of cars on the road today and we found that, in general,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20the odds were pretty evenly stacked between a petrol being more
0:19:20 > 0:19:22economical than a diesel or vice versa.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24- Basically, very worthwhile doing your sums!- Absolutely.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25- Emma, thank you.- Thank you.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Back to nail varnishes now and those products which claim not to chip.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39We put three to the test in the lab and none came out unscathed,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42but some did perform better than others.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45So, how will they cope in the real world?
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Time to go to the wall.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Yes, Sophie, I can tell you can't get enough of this stuff!
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Right, according to our one-off lab test, so far, the more
0:19:54 > 0:19:58expensive chip-resistant varnishes are outperforming the cheaper ones.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Now it's time for our not-so-scientific real-life tests.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04So, say hello to today's volunteers
0:20:04 > 0:20:07who, as it happens, are rock climbers!
0:20:07 > 0:20:08I don't normally wear nail varnish
0:20:08 > 0:20:11cos it doesn't last five minutes, especially if I'm climbing.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13I never wear nail varnish on my nails any more
0:20:13 > 0:20:14just cos there's no point.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It'll last me a day, if I'm lucky, and that's it.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Each volunteer has applied one coat of the chip-resistant nail
0:20:20 > 0:20:24varnishes to each nail on their right hand and allowed them
0:20:24 > 0:20:27to dry as per the instructions.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Hannah is wearing the most expensive Dior polish that
0:20:29 > 0:20:35costs £20.50. Jade is wearing the mid-range £5.99 Bourjois polish.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38And Karyn is wearing the 17, which costs just £2.99.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41On their left hand, they've each applied the varnish which
0:20:41 > 0:20:46makes no chip-related claims - the B Quick One Coat, costing £4.99.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47Now for our challenges.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Round one - the rummaging through the handbag test.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54We've hidden a key which our volunteers will each have to find.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57The bag contains some common objects, like a hair brush,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00a mobile phone and, just to mix things up a bit, some more random
0:21:00 > 0:21:05ones, including a fork, some batteries and a classic novel.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07I've always wondered what ladies carried around in those big bags!
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Anyway, they're off!
0:21:20 > 0:21:22And they've done it!
0:21:22 > 0:21:25That was actually quite stressful!
0:21:25 > 0:21:29They may have found the key, but will their nail varnishes have survived?
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Well, the Dior one, there's a few tiny little chips
0:21:34 > 0:21:37there and there and one on my thumb.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39And the one that makes no claims is actually fine.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40Interesting.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43On Jade's hands, neither the mid-range Bourjois nor
0:21:43 > 0:21:46the B Quick polish, which makes no claims, are doing particularly well.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48I've got equal chippage on both.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53But on Karyn's hands, both the cheapest polish, the 17,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56and the product which makes no claims are both performing well.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01The one that I'm wearing 17 on held up pretty well.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04There's not really any chips at all.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08And the one that makes no claims has a little
0:22:08 > 0:22:11bit of chipping on the edges, but not very much.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16So, how will they do in round two - the washing-up bowl test?
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Each of our volunteers will have to wash up the same amount of dishes
0:22:19 > 0:22:24in this hot soapy water, otherwise known as nail varnish Kryptonite!
0:22:34 > 0:22:38The one that's made no claims hasn't really changed.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42There's a slight bit of wear right at the very tips.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47The Dior one has worn away a bit more at the ends.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50So again, on Hannah's hands, the product which makes no claims
0:22:50 > 0:22:53is slightly outperforming the Dior.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55On Jade's hands, there's also a few more chips.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Both the Bourjois and the one that has no claims,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02just a little bit of chipping on all of my tips.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And finally, the cheapest polish, the 17.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Mine seem to be still OK, both of them.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Just a couple of chips, but faring pretty well.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16So, it's the cheapest polish, 17, on Karyn's hands
0:23:16 > 0:23:19that's performing the best in our test at this stage.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21But now to the toughest of our challenges,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25the moment you've all been waiting for - the climbing wall!
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Contestants, ready?
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Nail varnishes, ready? Go!
0:23:41 > 0:23:43And back they come.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Let's see if the nail varnishes have survived this.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51First up, the most expensive polish - the Dior that's on Hannah's hand.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Overall, the Dior has fared slightly worse
0:23:54 > 0:23:56than the one that hasn't got any claims,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59so I would definitely go for the one with no claims.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01How about the mid-range Bourjois?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I've got quite a lot of chips on both hands.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Maybe the scratches I had there before have just got worse,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09and this one, well, I must have just caught the wall.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Not good, on both hands.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14As for the cheapest 17 polish?
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Both seem to be doing really well still.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18There's some tiny scratches,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21but not to the point where they'd need to be redone yet.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26I wouldn't want to spend that much money on a really known brand
0:24:26 > 0:24:30when, actually, the cheaper ones are doing really well.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34So, across our one-off set of real-life tests,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36what have we learned?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Well, as each volunteer experienced different results with the no
0:24:39 > 0:24:41claims product, it does show the amount of chippage
0:24:41 > 0:24:43depends on how careful you are with your nails.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46But one thing is clear.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Just because nail varnishes claim to be chip-resistant doesn't
0:24:49 > 0:24:53mean they're not going to chip, no matter how much you spend.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Dior told us they are pleased their product performed best in the
0:24:57 > 0:25:01laboratory tests, but say that, given the unscientific conditions
0:25:01 > 0:25:04used in our real-life tests, they do not accept that the results are
0:25:04 > 0:25:09an accurate reflection of the true performance of the their product.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Bourjois told us that they meet industry standards in order
0:25:12 > 0:25:14to make their claims, which are supported by tests,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17in real-life conditions and independently verified.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Back to the kitchen now and the cookers that Beko recalled
0:25:26 > 0:25:30because the grills were emitting dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32That was in 2009.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36As a result of the deaths caused by this serious fault,
0:25:36 > 0:25:37standards have since been improved,
0:25:37 > 0:25:42and new models now go through more stringent tests before they're sold.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44So just how stringent are they?
0:25:45 > 0:25:48To find out, we've come to the British Standards Institution.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Testing a cooker to the latest safety standards takes some time -
0:25:52 > 0:25:55hundreds of tests over a couple of weeks.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58So today, we've asked Graham to take us through the highlights
0:25:58 > 0:26:02on a typical mid-range product currently on the market.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05First up, emissions.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08We have a special-sized pan which is placed over the burner.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10It's got a special hood on top of it which allows us
0:26:10 > 0:26:13to catch all of the combustion products from that burner
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and then analyse them in this gas analyser here.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19There are limits for how much carbon monoxide is allowed to be
0:26:19 > 0:26:21emitted by each burner.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23As it's being tested in a confined space,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27a fail is anything over 1,500 parts per million.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29The burner's been running for 20 minutes.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32The carbon monoxide was about 30 parts per million, which is
0:26:32 > 0:26:35very low, so that's a pass and we can move on to the next test.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Next up, temperature.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The test we're doing now is for the temperature of the front surface
0:26:40 > 0:26:45of the cooker, which is accessible to children and people around the home.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48So what we do is we set both ovens operating with a centre oven
0:26:48 > 0:26:51temperature of 200 degrees C for an hour,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55also with pans boiling on the hobs, and then we measure
0:26:55 > 0:26:58the temperature of the oven doors and the whole front surface.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02The overall temperature is monitored using a thermal imaging camera,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05then a temperature probe is used on the hot spots.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08The glass panels shouldn't go above 80 degrees Celsius.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12This one reaches just 59, well within the requirements.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17How will it do on the next test - the impact strength test?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19So this is replicating people just bashing into it,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22just day-to-day rough and tumble that you get in your house.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27An impact hammer subjects the glass to a force of 0.5 newton metres
0:27:27 > 0:27:30three times in each area of weakness.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32The cooker passes this test, too.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Now for that new addition to the standard -
0:27:34 > 0:27:38testing for carbon monoxide levels with the grill door shut.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44After the incidents that arose where, sadly, some people died
0:27:44 > 0:27:45because of problems with their grill,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48the standard was changed very, very rapidly. The industry was
0:27:48 > 0:27:51very quick to recognise that standard needed to be improved.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54The test involves operating the grill as normal then closing
0:27:54 > 0:27:57the door. The grill must meet a strict carbon monoxide
0:27:57 > 0:28:02emissions limit or the burner must shut down within 15 minutes.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04So the burner's gone off at that angle,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07so not even close to being closed, so there's no risk of anybody
0:28:07 > 0:28:09starving the air supply to the burner.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12That's a safety device that's on most cookers these days.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17There are millions of gas cookers in use in homes throughout the UK.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20They're extremely safe, but the standards industry is working
0:28:20 > 0:28:24day in, day out, to keep raising the bar a little bit to make them safer
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and adapt the standard as necessary to cope with today's environment.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36If you want more information on the safety of products in your
0:28:36 > 0:28:38home you can go to our website.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46That's all for today. Thanks for watching.