By virtue of its sheer size and muscle, Reckitt Benckiser, the new British based company formed from the merger of Reckitt & Colman and Dutch group Benckiser, looks set to shake up the household cleaning market. With annual sales of more than £3bn, Reckitt Benckiser is the world's largest player in household cleaning, and third after Procter & Gamble and Unilever if laundry detergent products are included. The merger brings together Benckiser's leading stain removal brand, Vanish, Finish dishwashing detergent and Calgon water softener with Reckitt's Dettox (leader in the fast growing antibacterial sector) plus Harpic, Mr Sheen, Windolene, Silvo and Brasso metal polishes. The company sees increased convenience and multi use products as the market's driving forces with automatic dishwashing products, air fresheners, water softeners and antibacterial cleaners key areas for growth. It says: "We will lead the market through highly focused strategies for our portfolio of established brands, combined with an aggressive and innovative new product development programme." The Dettox brand has potential for expansion. Surface care marketing manager William Garley says in the last year it's been extended beyond the kitchen into bathroom and shower cleaning because consumers are now comfortable with antibacterial products. "But we can't say what the next step might be for competitive reasons." Similarly, Vanish has been extended from laundry into carpet care, the most recent addition being a foam trigger spray for spot cleaning. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}