Questor: in a nation of hygiene addicts McBride should be cleaning up

It seems clear that the cleaning bug will benefit McBride going into its 2021 financial year, but there is little upside to be found in the forecast numbers. Investors are waiting to see what Mr De Mot, who ran ArcelorMittal’s Canadian mining outpost, might do with the business before formulating an opinion.

McBride has been trying to clean up its act, with mixed results, selling off most of its personal care division – mouthwash, shampoo, skincare – over time but holding on, for now, to a small aerosols business that is doing well thanks to demand for hand sanitiser.

It has also tried to tackle costs, closing factories in Hull and Barrow and shortly opening in Malaysia, with an eye on growing Asian sales. Keen for the business to prosper is Teleios Capital Partners, an activist investor and McBride’s largest shareholder.

Its 23pc stake is less than it was but it is fair to assume it is still sitting on a loss thus far. Swiss-based Teleios is not used to failure, with notable hits including its role in the turnaround of drinks maker SodaStream that resulted in its 2018 sale to PepsiCo.

Also betting on better times for McBride – as he must – is Jeffrey Nodland, the chemicals industry veteran. The chairman since October, he has been stockpiling shares like most people were grabbing loo rolls not long ago, spending the best part of £200,000.