While many in this industry have been enjoying themselves out at ISH this week, John Austen and I have been at a cleaning show at ExCel in London's Docklands.

The KBB sector was never far from our hearts and minds however, particularly so since all the wonderful things this industry produces, need to be cleaned - and bearing in mind we're talking about areas where we're most vulnerable to picking up germs, i.e. the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom, they need to be cleaned properly.

As you might imagine then, it was with much interest that we struck up a conversation with the head honcho at the Domestic Cleaning Alliance, who approached us specifically to grumble about the way some of the goods manufactured by this industry, are made, since their design and/or construction, make/s the job of cleaning them, almost impossible.

I often grumble about how difficult it is to clean my kitchen and its appliances properly (same with the bathroom) because of their design, but I'd not been aware prior to my conversation with the DCA's director Stephen Munton that some items I enjoy writing about are actually prone to breaking... so much so, in fact, that when preparing contracts, many Alliance members include a clause saying they won't be held responsible if certain types of loo flushing systems break.

Many also specify that they cannot rinse down a shower properly after cleaning, if all there is in the bath or shower is a fixed shower head. Logic tells you that you need to be able to hold a shower head in order to direct it around the area you've cleaned, if you're to remove all the cleaning solution and muck.

Stephen revealed that so often, his members are faced with just a fixed shower head and thus can't provide a proper clean. Why are some of us not telling consumers that, if they're buying shower equipment with a fixed head, they should perhaps purchase something that also incorporates a hand-held shower, because of cleaning issues? After all, most good manufacturers produce these. And just think of the extra profits!

And regarding loo flushes and other items that regularly break long before their guarantee runs out, why aren't we doing something to stop this happening? Or is it just that disappointed consumers don't bother to complain that their 'new' fittings have broken? I'd love to know...

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Yours,

Jan Hobbs