Reckitt Benckiser claims it is creating a new segment in the laundry additives category with an extension to its Vanish stain-removing brand. Launching now, Vanish OxiAction powder aims to bring big basket shoppers with families into the category, attracting them with its "universal" application, said the company. The newcomer contains "active oxygen" which, when released by warm water, works its way through fibres to lift out stain particles. Costing £3.99 and £5.99 for 500g and 1kilo tubs respectively, it can be used as an in-wash booster or as a stain remover, soaker or spot stain pre-treater. Anna Swaby, brand manager for Vanish, said the brand was expected to deliver £3.5m incremental value to the category in its first year on shelf. "We're predicting that by the end of 2003, over half of the UK population will be regularly using a specialist stain remover for their laundry," she said. {{MARKETING }}