0:00:03 > 0:00:05Take a look around your home.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Can you be sure that every appliance is safe?
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Is everything a company tells you about a product true?
0:00:16 > 0:00:21And are you getting the best value for your money?
0:00:21 > 0:00:24With the help of the country's top experts we're going to see
0:00:24 > 0:00:28what it takes to test the household products we use every day.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35We'll discover how they're pushed to their limits.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39We'll put the makers' claims on trial.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44And 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 is the Watchdog Test House.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Hello. We're deep inside one of Britain's leading science centres.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Here at the Building Research Establishment
0:01:08 > 0:01:10some of the products and materials
0:01:10 > 0:01:14that we use every day are put to the test,
0:01:14 > 0:01:15to make sure that they are safe,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17environmentally friendly,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20and that they don't fall apart.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Coming up on today's programme...
0:01:22 > 0:01:27Car seats for kids. What can happen if they're not fitted correctly?
0:01:27 > 0:01:32It didn't cross my mind that it wouldn't keep him safe in a crash.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33How clean is your house?
0:01:33 > 0:01:38These liquids claims to kill 99.9% of bacteria.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Not exactly what we found.
0:01:40 > 0:01:41If it was up to me I'd probably want
0:01:41 > 0:01:44to give that another clean again.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45And killer tumble dryers -
0:01:45 > 0:01:49how Watchdog's campaign for smaller child-proof doors
0:01:49 > 0:01:50led to a safer design.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Now, if you've got children, or grandchildren,
0:02:00 > 0:02:01you'll know all about these.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Child car seats.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07They are crucial for keeping your kids safe, which is why standards
0:02:07 > 0:02:11and testing in this area are developing all the time.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12One of the biggest concerns?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15The way some seats are fitted to the vehicle.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Get it wrong and the consequences could be unthinkable.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Harvey Goulding was nearly three years old
0:02:22 > 0:02:25when he was involved in a car crash.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30He was in a car seat, and his mother Rachel hoped he'd be safe.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31He wasn't.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33His car seat moved forwards.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35His knees hit the seat in front
0:02:35 > 0:02:37and the car seat crushed him from behind.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41When they told me that both legs had broken I just felt numb.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44He was in a wheelchair for about two months,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48with a cast from his ankle to the top of his knee.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53The seat, a Nania Trio Plus, had passed official safety tests.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56But the nature of Harvey's injuries suggested that it hadn't been
0:02:56 > 0:02:59fitted correctly into the car.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01I fitted it how I thought was correct.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05I did everything I could to make sure it was secure, as any parent would.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07It didn't cross my mind that it wouldn't keep him safe in a crash.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Which? magazine also found
0:03:10 > 0:03:12that fitting this seat properly can be tricky.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14According to their research,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17although the instructions are easy to understand, it's difficult
0:03:17 > 0:03:20to install due to the way it works with the seat belt.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23The manufacturer, Team Tex, has told us they did not receive any
0:03:23 > 0:03:26direct complaint about Harvey's accident, but as soon as
0:03:26 > 0:03:30they were made aware they tried to contact his mother to investigate.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32They say if the seat had been fitted correctly,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34the injuries would not have been sustained,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36and the seat has been modified
0:03:36 > 0:03:39as part of a programme of continuous improvement.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41But any car seat that's fitted incorrectly
0:03:41 > 0:03:44can put a child in danger.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And here in Blackburn, where independent child safety advisors
0:03:47 > 0:03:52are carrying out roadside checks, many parents are getting it wrong.
0:03:52 > 0:03:5550% of the seats that we're seeing, they're incorrect.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00But 77% of the faults that we're seeing of those, they are fixable.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Harnesses not fastened tightly, seat belts not being used properly.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Those sorts of common things we can sort out for people.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12This driver has made one of the most common mistakes.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15There's a huge gap down the back of the seat there.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17We need that seat to be having
0:04:17 > 0:04:20as much contact with that seat as possible.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23The problem is that the car's head rest hasn't been taken out.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26So we'll remove the head restraint and get a nice, tight fit.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28For younger children who are still in a harness,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31the key is nice and tight.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Pull it tight, two fingers in here,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37and if I can fold it, which I can...fold it over,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39it's still too loose.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Keep pulling. struggling to fold it.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46There we go, that's perfect.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47Its clear there's plenty of confusion
0:04:47 > 0:04:50about how to fit child seats correctly.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52But here's the good news.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55New safety standards - called I-size - are being introduced.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57They'll be phased in over the next few years,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01and one of the big changes is encouraging a shift towards the
0:05:01 > 0:05:07newer Iso-fix style seat that some manufacturers have already embraced.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Some cars and car seats
0:05:09 > 0:05:11use just the seat belts to fasten themselves together.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Now that's OK as long as you get it exactly right.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16And that's where a lot of parents are getting it wrong.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20The whole idea behind Iso-fix is that the seat is simple to fix.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24These two metal bars fix directly into the car seat.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26They lock on.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29And when you see the green light, you're good to go.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33The new I-size standards will mean other changes too.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38Children will be kept in a rearward-facing seat until at least 15 months
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and they will be classified by height rather than weight.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46The new standard will also introduce stricter side-impact testing.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Some seats currently on the market may not pass this new test,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53and could therefore no longer meet the highest standards of safety.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55What could that mean for your child?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Later, we'll be heading to
0:05:57 > 0:06:00the Transport Research Laboratory to find out.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Three and a half billion pounds.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07That's how much we spend
0:06:07 > 0:06:09on household cleaning products every year.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11And if they're going to part you from your money,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14the manufacturers need to convince you with their promises.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16So do their products
0:06:16 > 0:06:20really wipe out virtually all bacteria as they claim?
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Well, Sophie, there's hand gels, kitchen surface sprays,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26toilet cleaners.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31No shortage of products claiming to kill at least 99.9% of bacteria.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Now that's a tough ask, according to Dr Laura.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38These are massive claims, because actually what it's worth remembering
0:06:38 > 0:06:41is that we are in contact with bacteria all time.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43They're on our skin, they're in our hair,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46they're up our noses, they're just everywhere.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Everything we're touching is covered in bacteria.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Time to put some products to the test. Our subjects?
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Three students - Nick, Harriet and Katie.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Well, it's safe to say
0:06:58 > 0:07:00they all know a thing or two about the need for cleaning.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Our products? Three antibacterial hand gels.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Three kitchen surface cleaners.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08And, yes, our least glamorous challenge - two toilet cleaners.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13All of these types of products claim to kill 99.9% of bacteria or germs.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19First up, hand sanitising gels.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23For this test, our students need to get their hands dirty.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27So where better to send them than on the London Transport network?
0:07:27 > 0:07:28It's estimated the average traveller
0:07:28 > 0:07:34comes in contact with at least 1,390 bacterial cells per square centimetre
0:07:34 > 0:07:36on every Tube journey.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I wonder what our students have managed to find on their trip.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41I feel really dirty. You don't normally think about it.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44But I feel really horrible now. I wouldn't want to touch anything.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47First, Dr Laura swabs each of their hands to establish
0:07:47 > 0:07:51the level of bacteria present before they apply the hand gel.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54She then gives each of them a different hand gel to use.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Now it feels so clean again.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59She then swabs their hands again
0:07:59 > 0:08:02and places the samples into sterile containers.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03At the end of the day all the swabs
0:08:03 > 0:08:06will go back to the lab for analysis.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08So, to our next test.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Kitchen surface sprays.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Obviously there's quite a lot of you in this flat
0:08:14 > 0:08:19and you must find it quite difficult to keep things clean, is that right?
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Because there's five of us it does get quite difficult,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23especially when there's deadlines coming up.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Again, we're using three products
0:08:25 > 0:08:29all claiming to kill 99.9% of bacteria.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31For this test, we need three kitchens,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34so we borrow a couple from around the halls of residence.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Again, Dr Laura swabs the kitchen surfaces before the product
0:08:37 > 0:08:40is applied to establish the level of bacteria present.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The students then apply each of the sprays
0:08:43 > 0:08:46according to the instructions, using a brand-new kitchen cloth.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Another swab is taken, and these are also sealed in sterile
0:08:49 > 0:08:52containers before heading to the lab for analysis.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Our kitchen never looked cleaner!
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Time for our final challenge - the toilet.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58For this we use two products.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Go on, Laura, be brave.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05OK, so I'm just going to go into the little toilet cubicle
0:09:05 > 0:09:06and take some swabs.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11It tends to be quite often where you get a lot of bacteria.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Once all the toilets have been cleaned and swabbed -
0:09:14 > 0:09:17before and after the products have been applied -
0:09:17 > 0:09:19it's finally time to go back to the lab.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Will all these products actually have killed
0:09:22 > 0:09:2699.9% of bacteria in our test as the labels promise?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Find out later.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Now, look around your kitchen.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38It's full of appliances and gadgets
0:09:38 > 0:09:41with safety features we all take for granted.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42For example, your oven.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45It doesn't get dangerously hot on the outside.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Or your tumble dryer.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51It's designed to stop a child getting stuck inside.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53But it hasn't always been this way.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Here's Lynne Faulds Wood.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- TV:- 'Welcome to Watchdog. On tonight's programme...
0:10:00 > 0:10:02'All these people have written to us...
0:10:03 > 0:10:07'..We also heard from the parents of this little chap,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09'five-year-old Daniel Byron.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11'He and his two-year-old sister, Lucy, were playing in the kitchen
0:10:11 > 0:10:13'when he climbed into the dryer
0:10:13 > 0:10:15'and loosely closed the door after him...'
0:10:15 > 0:10:19The year was 1989 and Watchdog was campaigning
0:10:19 > 0:10:21to make tumble dryers safer.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23'Thank goodness their mum, Sue, was only seconds away
0:10:23 > 0:10:27'and she says she was able to pull the near hysterical Daniel
0:10:27 > 0:10:28'out of the machine.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32But in just those few seconds, his back was badly burned.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34As our demonstration showed,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38it was far too easy for a child to climb into a tumble dryer.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Children had actually died after closing the door on themselves
0:10:42 > 0:10:46and the machine left in mid-cycle starting up automatically.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Watchdog wanted smaller doors
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and a ban on dryers turning on when the door shut.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55But this change was slow in coming.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Tumble dryers are now much safer than they were in the 1980s,
0:10:58 > 0:11:03but it just took far too long to get design standards improved -
0:11:03 > 0:11:07as it did with another worry we highlighted on Watchdog.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09This time - oven doors.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Oven doors that were dangerously hot on the outside
0:11:15 > 0:11:20and exactly the right height for passing toddlers' hands.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24I'd been warning about this for ten years by 1992.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28By then, 7,000 children had been so severely burnt
0:11:28 > 0:11:31they needed hospital treatment.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Children like little Andrew West.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36They don't seem to be healing.
0:11:36 > 0:11:37The skin is very hard
0:11:37 > 0:11:39and it's almost welded together.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43They're never going to heal completely
0:11:43 > 0:11:47but they might be able to improve on how they are at the moment.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48Now, this is the Wests' cooker.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52The temperature's now reading 115 degrees.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54So the outside of the Wests' oven door
0:11:54 > 0:11:58is considerably hotter than a pan of boiling water.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00And it's all perfectly legal.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It was legal because until the late 1980s
0:12:03 > 0:12:08safety standards allowed oven doors to be hotter than boiling water.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13In 1989, that was brought down - but only to 100 degrees.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Still far too hot.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Finally in 1992, some manufacturers took action.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23In the last few days, several major cooker manufacturers
0:12:23 > 0:12:25have told me because of our campaign,
0:12:25 > 0:12:30they're completely redesigning their oven doors or have already done so.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Today the standard says glass doors
0:12:32 > 0:12:35should get no hotter than 80 degrees.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37But why did it take consumer pressure from a programme
0:12:37 > 0:12:40like Watchdog to make such change happen
0:12:40 > 0:12:43when products are legally required to be safe?
0:12:43 > 0:12:47I think originally, with things like cookers and any domestic appliance
0:12:47 > 0:12:49in the kitchen, the kitchen was felt very much to be
0:12:49 > 0:12:52a no-go area for children. You don't have children in the kitchen,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55so if the outside door gets hot,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58you know it gets hot and you avoid touching it.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03These days, manufacturers, retailers and safety organisations
0:13:03 > 0:13:06all work together to draw up the standards -
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and these are used by nearly all makers
0:13:08 > 0:13:13of domestic appliances as ways of making sure their products are safe.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16They're constantly evolving to keep up with changing products
0:13:16 > 0:13:20and - in the case of oven doors - changing times.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23The discussions take place during the development of the standards
0:13:23 > 0:13:26to recognise, actually, this is being used in this way,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29we need to think about what will happen.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31And then the standards need to be set
0:13:31 > 0:13:34to ensure that those things don't happen.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Back in the '80s lots of the machines we take for granted were pretty new,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and design standards were struggling to keep up.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45But by the mid-1990s the problems Watchdog exposed
0:13:45 > 0:13:46were less to do with safety
0:13:46 > 0:13:51and more with whether machines worked properly.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57In 1996, Watchdog visited a development in Bishop's Stortford
0:13:57 > 0:14:01where the houses all had the same Whirlpool oven.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03But because of faulty door seals,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06it was better at heating the home than the dinner.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11At Jamaica, number 11, it's 88 degrees Centigrade.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Over at Trinidad, it's 94 degrees,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and, as you can see, palm trees are growing.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23At Tobago, it's 132 degrees and rising.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30While at the Isle of Skye for some reason, it's still cold and wet.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34In the end, Whirlpool agreed to compensate the hot home owners.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38But perhaps one of Watchdog's more memorable
0:14:38 > 0:14:41domestic appliance stories was this one.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Hotpoint washer-dryers that ripped your clothes.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I ended up with holes in my jumpers, my husband's trousers,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50the legs were shredded completely.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55I suppose, in total, it would amount up to about £400
0:14:55 > 0:14:57this machine has cost me in clothing alone.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Watchdog showed the problem was clothes getting caught
0:15:01 > 0:15:03in a gap between the drum and the seal,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07and Hotpoint's own paperwork confirmed it.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12But the company refused to accept responsibility or compensate customers fairly.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15This led to one of Watchdog's more famous campaigns,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17the washing line of shame.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22So, until Hotpoint changes its tune each week we'll bring you the latest
0:15:22 > 0:15:25line of clothing torn in Hotpoint washer-dryers.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29So if your Hotpoint washer-dryer is causing trouble,
0:15:29 > 0:15:34send us the evidence to place on the Hotpoint washing line of shame.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40We'll continue to embarrass Hotpoint until the company starts offering decent compensation.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43The washing line returned week after week,
0:15:43 > 0:15:48until Hotpoint eventually agreed to pay a standard rate of compensation.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49By the end of the campaign,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52500 people had contacted Watchdog.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57You helped to improve lots of things in our homes.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00And today, not only are appliances much safer,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02they're more efficient, too.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12Now, we spend more than £3 billion a year on over-the-counter medication,
0:16:12 > 0:16:16from painkillers and anti-histamines to cold and flu remedies.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19But with a wide range of products and prices, how do you know
0:16:19 > 0:16:23what's going to be most effective and worth spending more on?
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Well, Professor Jane Lawrence from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
0:16:27 > 0:16:31is with us now to talk us through it all. There is a big difference
0:16:31 > 0:16:34in price, isn't there? Because you go to a shop or a chemist's nowadays,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37there are so many on offer, but what is the difference between the
0:16:37 > 0:16:40branded products and the, let's say, supermarket-branded products?
0:16:40 > 0:16:43I think the first thing is, there is a big difference with cost
0:16:43 > 0:16:47but the customer should be reassured that regardless of cost
0:16:47 > 0:16:49all their medicines are made to the same high standards,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51so they shouldn't be worried about that.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55So, if you go into your pharmacy and you want perhaps a painkiller
0:16:55 > 0:16:59for back pain, you go looking at 200mg ibuprofen.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03If you have a 200mg ibuprofen that is generic formulation,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and the same formulation that's branded,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10the patient actually won't see any difference in their effect - they will effectively be the same.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13They all look the same, because we've got a little pile here, haven't we?
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Those are branded, and they are
0:17:15 > 0:17:17supermarket-branded as well. You wouldn't know the difference.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20No, they've both got a coating and they will act in the same way.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25What about the group of tablets that promise to work faster? Do they?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27They are evidence based. If you go in a lab and test them
0:17:27 > 0:17:30they will actually work quicker, but the problem is we're
0:17:30 > 0:17:33so variable as humans, depending on what we've perhaps eaten that
0:17:33 > 0:17:37day or whether we take our tablets with water or no water,
0:17:37 > 0:17:41and that can make just as much effect on how fast the tablets work.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44So probably most of us aren't going to see much benefit.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47And what about the ones here that promise to target specific pain?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49So if you've got a backache, for example,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51if you've got a headache, what is the difference between them?
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Well, they will work where they say they work,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57so they will target the inflammation, for example, in your back,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01but you have to realise it will also act perhaps on their period pain.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06So that's quite important to realise. So that if you're taking a tablet for period pain
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and you have perhaps back pain you don't take another tablet -
0:18:09 > 0:18:12your tablet for period pain would probably work for your back pain.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16We spoke to the association who represent over-the-counter medication,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18and they say that all the claims on the product packaging
0:18:18 > 0:18:22are evidence based and they can be trusted.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27Let's look now at the placebo effect. Is there one? Does that happen?
0:18:27 > 0:18:30There is a placebo effect and the placebo effect is incredibly strong,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32and I think it is important to realise if a patient
0:18:32 > 0:18:35feels a branded one is going to work best for them it probably will work
0:18:35 > 0:18:39best for them, so they should use that if that's their preference.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Professor Lawrence, thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Back now to our household cleaning products.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52After our students' hands were swabbed,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55their kitchen surfaces scrubbed and their toilets sanitised,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59all the samples went to the lab for analysis.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04So, did the products kill at least 99.9% of the bacteria present
0:19:04 > 0:19:06as they claimed?
0:19:06 > 0:19:08The results are in.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Yes, they are, and it's interesting stuff, Sophie.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16The swabs were put onto these plates which help to grow bacteria
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and then placed in an incubator overnight.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22So, in our tests, will the cleaning products live up to their claims?
0:19:22 > 0:19:26If so, there should be little or no bacteria growth on the samples
0:19:26 > 0:19:29compared to the ones before the products were applied.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31So we'll be able to have a look now once we've examined
0:19:31 > 0:19:35the plates to see whether those products that claim
0:19:35 > 0:19:37that they kill at least 99.9%
0:19:37 > 0:19:39of all known bacteria and germs
0:19:39 > 0:19:42are living up to what they actually claim.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Let's start with the three hand gels.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48How well did they perform in the battle against bacteria?
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Well, according to our one-off test,
0:19:50 > 0:19:55the product used on Harriet's hands killed 95% of the bacteria present.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57The plate on the left is the bacteria on her hands
0:19:57 > 0:20:02before the hand gel was applied, the plate on the right is after.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05As you can see, there are very few colonies present.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07So it did a good job.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12The product used on Katie's hands only killed 70% of the bacteria
0:20:12 > 0:20:14according to our test.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20- What?!- Oh, my God!- That is so bad.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23And the product used on Nick's hands only
0:20:23 > 0:20:26killed 40% of the bacteria present in this one-off test.
0:20:26 > 0:20:2940% - that's so low!
0:20:29 > 0:20:33So with one of the products killing 60% less bacteria than it claimed,
0:20:33 > 0:20:39it makes you wonder about those big claims on the front of the packaging.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Next, the kitchen cleaners.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Overall, according to the results of our test,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45they performed better than the hand gels.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48One product did in fact kill 100% of bacteria present.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52As for the other two, one killed 96% and the third product
0:20:52 > 0:20:57killed 92%. Not a bad result for those two, but still not 99.9%.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00There are still some bacteria there.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03If it was up to me, I'd probably want to give that another clean again
0:21:03 > 0:21:08using the product in order to kill some of these that are left.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Finally, the results of the dreaded toilet test.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15One product in our test killed 99.4% of bacteria present.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20And the other removed only 84%. 15% less than it said on the label.
0:21:20 > 0:21:26It was my toilet, so I was there. We did exactly what the package said!
0:21:26 > 0:21:30So, with our one-off tests complete, although the products did kill
0:21:30 > 0:21:34quite a lot of the bacteria, only one product has appeared to deliver
0:21:34 > 0:21:38on their 99.9% promise. So how are they allowed to make this claim?
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Whilst their claims are backed up with evidence,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43all their testing is carried out in strictly controlled
0:21:43 > 0:21:46laboratory conditions and not in the real world.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48The industry bodies that represent the cosmetic
0:21:48 > 0:21:52and cleaning products industries, say this testing is robust
0:21:52 > 0:21:56and provides scientific evidence to back up the 99.9% claim,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and that consumers can be assured that products which pass
0:21:59 > 0:22:02these tests will produce a safe surface when properly used.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05They say the testing carried out is what is required under European law
0:22:05 > 0:22:09and that our testing was inadequate and falls far short and cannot
0:22:09 > 0:22:13be used as the basis on which to comment on product performance.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18Whilst it's true that the companies use really robust conditions
0:22:18 > 0:22:21when they are undertaking the tests, and the tests are done under
0:22:21 > 0:22:24really standardised conditions, which is great for us as a consumer
0:22:24 > 0:22:27because it means we can compare products like with like
0:22:27 > 0:22:32and know full well that we're getting really good answers that way,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35it does have problems. And the problems are that
0:22:35 > 0:22:37when we're using the products we're not using them
0:22:37 > 0:22:40under these robust, standardised laboratory conditions.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42We're using them in real-life conditions.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46So the amount of bacteria that you're using can be variable,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48what you're using it on can be variable
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and the way that we use it can be very variable too.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54And that, of course, is going to impact on the result that you get
0:22:54 > 0:22:56at the end having used that product.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Earlier we heard how new safety standards could now mean some
0:23:04 > 0:23:08child car seats currently on the market may no longer meet
0:23:08 > 0:23:10the highest levels of safety.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12So how strict are these tests?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Well, this is the pace to find out.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19The Transport Research Laboratory in Berkshire.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Today, we'll be taking a mid-range booster seat for children
0:23:23 > 0:23:25aged between three and a half and 12
0:23:25 > 0:23:27through a range of tests to find out if it meets
0:23:27 > 0:23:31the latest standards, and that all important new side-impact test.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37We have dummies ranging from a newborn baby,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39right up unto a larger male.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44So this is the dummy we'll be using for the first test today.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47It's called a P3 and it replicates a three-year-old child.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51So that's the passenger, and this is the car.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Although it may not look like your normal car,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59the bench is designed to replicate the average vehicle.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04Unlike the average vehicle, this one's powered by 12 bungee cords.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Just like giant rubber bands, you pull them back, and let them go.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And it comes hurtling down the track.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14These spears will go into the holes in the wall here,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17hitting into these polyurethane tubes.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21It's designed to replicate that crumpling of the vehicle.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Once the car seat and dummy are in position,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27the team retreat into the safety of the control room.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Then the rig or sled is slowly pulled back inch by inch.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35We're pulling the sled back to give us a tension which allows
0:24:35 > 0:24:40us to fire the sled into the wall at around 50 kilometres an hour.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44And this is the requirement for the current crash testing regulation.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Ready...set... and trigger.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56It's over in a flash, but slow-motion cameras capture
0:24:56 > 0:24:59every detail of the action, so the results can be analysed.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03It's important that the head in a collision doesn't
0:25:03 > 0:25:06come into contact with any parts of the vehicle interior
0:25:06 > 0:25:09such as the seat in front, or the roof.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13This marker point here is actually the limit for the horizontal travel.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15And the marker on the top of the sled is
0:25:15 > 0:25:17the limit for the vertical travel.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22If the head passes these marker points, then the product would fail the test.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26It doesn't, so this is a pass. But they also need to check
0:25:26 > 0:25:30the readings from the dummy's on-board sensors, which measure
0:25:30 > 0:25:34the acceleration or G-force that the child experiences.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36The limit is 55.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40If the chest is above that for more than 3 milliseconds
0:25:40 > 0:25:43it's likely you'd see some internal injuries to the organs.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47The acceleration's not reaching that limit
0:25:47 > 0:25:49so this would be a good result.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51This would be a pass test.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Next, a visual inspection of the dummy's midriff.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Inside the dummy we have a clay block
0:25:58 > 0:26:01we use to measure the penetration,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04or the way the belts cut into the abdomen during the test.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And as you can see, there's no cutting into that clay.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09This would be a pass test.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13So that's one of the typical crash tests currently performed
0:26:13 > 0:26:17on all car seats in order to comply with the current legal standards.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20But with the introduction of the new I-size standard,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23there'll be another test to carry out.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27The current standard only looks at forward and rear impacts.
0:26:27 > 0:26:3120-30% of impacts are of a side-impact nature.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Side-impact crashes like this one.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38This footage shows what happens when a car seat doesn't offer full
0:26:38 > 0:26:41head and neck protection in a side-on crash.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45So the new test has been designed to fix that.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48This time the chair and dummy are placed on the rig sideways.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53Then, just as before, it's a case of wind it up and let it go.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03We're looking to see how well the head is contained within the child seat.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06One of the key things we don't want to see is the head hitting
0:27:06 > 0:27:08the door structure
0:27:08 > 0:27:09on the test rig.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11If we do see that, then it's an ultimate failure.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15On this chair the wrap-around head rest keeps the child's
0:27:15 > 0:27:20head in place, and there's no contact with the side of the car.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Also one of the key things you'll notice is that the side
0:27:23 > 0:27:27of the child seat is absorbing a lot of energy during the impact as well.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29This just softens the blow for the dummy.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32It meets the regulation standard for the side impact
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and the product has passed that test.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Some products on sale now, though, won't pass.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41And as the new standard is phased in over the next few years,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45booster cushions which have no sides or backs for example,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47are likely to stop being sold altogether.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Ultimately, the introduction of the new regulation is about saving lives.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56It will make manufacturers bring more advanced products onto the market,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59ensuring that the child occupant is offered a better level of safety.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07If you want more information
0:28:07 > 0:28:09on the safety of products in your home,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11you can go to our website...
0:28:16 > 0:28:19That's all for today. Thanks for watching.