Brilliant tips from GH staff

Scented knickers?

The chore I love: \'Weirdly enough, it\'s ironing. It a satisfying task because you start off with a heap of crumpled clothes and at the end a pile of neatly folded, beautifully crease free clothes - it\'s like they are new again.\'

Clare Livingstone, Senior Researcher at Good Housekeeping Institute

Sticky stuff

\'I wind sellotape around my fingers with the sticky side outermost and brush it over upholstery or clothing to remove pet hair. It\'s also great for sprucing up a suede or nubuck handbag or pair of shoes.\'

The chore I love: \'My favourite thing is when I haven\'t planned anything for supper... opening the fridge and rustling something up from whatever\'s in there, with a bit of help from the storecupboard. It\'s rewarding when it works out well, and I\'ve made a few new culinary discoveries (not all of them good ones!).\'

Karen Barnes, Associate Editor

I\'m Emma and I\'m a compost addict...

‘I am addicted to recycling raw fruit and vegetable peelings at the moment and put everything in the compost bin, which has revolutionised my life!\'

The chore I love: ‘I am mad about tidying up the kitchen and putting everything away back in its place, cupboard or drawer after being used. And, when in season, I am fanatical about making marmalade, to store in the cupboard to last the year then spread generously on a buttered (homemade) loaf.\'

Emma Marsden, Cookery Editor

Book it!

‘I\'ve recently reorganised a lot of the storage in my house and have bought a small A-Z notebook in which I\'m writing the whereabouts of things that are often "mislaid". So when a teenager says, "Mum, where\'s my passport?" I can say, "Look it up under P in my house book". Of course, you do have to remember where the book is to begin with!\'

The chore I love:  ‘I love folding the washing as it comes out of the dryer. It smells nice and homey, and I like "snapping" pillowcases and T-shirts to get them wrinkle-free (but I don\'t much like ironing!)\'

Louise Chunn, Editor

Burn out

‘Shift burnt-on food from the bottom of pans by boiling a dishwasher tablet in a couple of inches of water for a few minutes. Wash the pan thoroughly and it\'ll be as good as new.\'

The chore I love: \'It may sound silly, but my all time favourite thing is to get in to a lovely clean, fresh bed so my favourite household task is a combination of washing, line drying and ironing my bed covers so I can have that gorgeous smell of fresh sheets when I jump into bed! (Oh preferably done on a Sunday night- a great way to start the week!)\'

Jacquelyn Redpath, Consumer Researcher, Good Housekeeping Institute

Fast fix

When keeping surfaces tidy and clutter-free becomes a battle, I pull out a few baskets and dot them around the house to deposit bits and bobs in them until I have time for a good tidying session. The house instantly looks better.\'

The chore I love: ‘I actually enjoy doing the vacuuming - sucking up all the mess is therapeutic. I have the TV on at the same time.\'

Joanne Finney, Cookery Writer

I love to list!

‘I pin a list of the use-by dates of fresh food in my fridge on the front of the door so I know which to use first. There\'s always stuff that gets pushed to the back and forgotten otherwise.\'

Alison Walker, Deputy Cookery Editor

Pound shop find

‘I\'m in the process of moving house and my sanity-saving discovery is those big, checked plastic laundry bags you can buy from pound shops for around £1.99 each. They\'re very strong (the zips aren\'t though, so don\'t overfill) and I\'ve used them to pack clothes, bedding, towels and kids\' toys. You can label them as normal with instructions for removal men. Wonderful.\'

The chore I love: \'‘I love shining my bathroom taps - someone once told me that as long as the taps are gleaming people overlook a less than pristine house!\'

June Walton, Deputy Editor

Web Editor: I have heard June say that once her taps are shined up, she will keep popping back in to look at them - fabulous! 

The big black box

‘I keep all the product instruction books for appliances and gadgetry along with their guarantees in a big black box file, so when anything goes wrong I can easily find the necessary info to check how to fix it, or who to ring to get it fixed.\'

The chore I love: \'Decrumbing the toaster. Oh and cleaning the bits and bobs I keep out on the counter (then wiping it all over so it looks as if I\'m hugely houseproud!) Polishing my new induction hob is probably the best bit of all...\'

Judith Gubbay, Consumer Director

Eco oven cleaner

‘Burnt-on food spills in my oven don\'t stand a chance against my brilliant Astonish Oven & Cookware cleaner. It contains far fewer chemicals than some other oven cleaners, so I don\'t worry about inhaling nasty fumes while I\'m scrubbing.\'

The chore I love: ‘Cleaning limescale from around the base of the taps in my kitchen or bathroom. Give me an old toothbrush and some limescale remover or vinegar and I\'m a happy woman. There\'s something very satisfying about it. ‘

Emilie Martin, Consumer Writer

Have a haven

\'No matter how messy my home gets (and it gets pretty messy!) I always keep one room clear and clean, so that I have a haven to go to and relax. I rarely have more than one room looking good at any one time!\'

The chore I love: \'Cleaning light switches and sockets. Every now and then I am so on top of things that my damp cloth strays to the walls and glides over these unsuspecting surfaces. They come up so beautifully white, so easily. Mmmm...\'

Carol Muskoron, web editor