The age of hoover consent
October 29th 2008 Karl Walker was told by a cleaning firm that he is not old enough to use hot water, washing up liquid and furniture polish or to empty bins, reports The Daily Telegraph.
Apollo Cleaning hired the student and his friend to work in offices in Chippenham, Wiltshire, but after a week they were ordered to stop by a regional manager. The firm says it is following government guidelines by insisting on safety clearance.
Karl is 16, so by law he is old enough to join the Army and fire a gun, play the lottery, have sex legally and get married, but the firm said he required special permission to use cleaning equipment, including vacuum cleaners.
"I just don't understand what is going on," Karl was reported to have said. "How can I be too young to use a vacuum cleaner? It is so stupid. I want to earn a living."
His mother Susan, added, "My son is legally old enough to get married or join the Army yet these people think he is too young to be able to hoover up. The entire situation is a joke."
"When an employee is only 16 we have to be very careful with the tasks we set them as their bodies are not yet fully formed," commented Paul Lundy, boss of London-based Apollo Cleaning, said "But I am sure once the proper checks have been completed there will be no problem in re-employing these young people."
(Cleaning Matters advises readers not to let their children hear about the safety risks of helping with the hoovering). More articles from Cleaning Matters: | 
