The timesaving guide to cleaning

It\'s all about having the right kit

To find it, our expert team tested a total of 84 products and gadgets. The GHI has never looked so sparkling!

Sink and worktop wonder

Winner of the reader-nominated Household Hero category in the Good Housekeeping Good Buy Awards 2007, Cif Cream Lemon, £1.29, effectively tackled dried-on pasta sauce, oil, tea, coffee, curry and red wine, as well as burnt-on bacon fat, gravy and milk.

86/100

Great on grill pans

Antony Worrall Thompson\'s Fresh and Green Kitchen and Hob Degreaser, £1.99 (01244 280751; www.freshandgreenuk.com), does a great job on worktops and sinks, removing burnt-on grime from hobs, oven doors and even devilish grill pans.

83/100

Excellent all-rounder

The challenge for a do-it-all product is tough, but Flash All Purpose, £1.49, produced impressive results overall, especially on kitchen surfaces, sinks and appliances. It\'s also effective on tiles, but for a particularly nasty task you\'ll need Cif instead.

82/100

All-round hand protector

Latex gloves with flock cotton linings may seem much of a muchness, but the best ones protect hands from heat as well as water. The Champion Water Stop Gloves, £1.99 a pair (015394 88100; www.lakeland.co.uk), have cuffs to stop water getting inside.

84/100

Scum-busting spray

Bathroom cleaners need to tackle soap scum, dried-on toothpaste, ceramic, and acrylic and enamel baths, as well as water-marked shower screens and limescale around taps. Try M&S 100% Natural bathroom cleanser, £1.99, and Flash Bathroom, £1.49.

88/100

Fast de-blocker

Fastest to clear a U-bend blocked with solid lard and tea leaves was Buster Kitchen Drain Clear, £3.29 (0870 603 0420; www.plugholesneedlovetoo.com). As a preventive measure, pour a cup of soda crystals down the drain once a month and flush with hot water.

95/100

Oil and mud-buster

Cif Floor Cleaner, £1.69, is the solution when a damp microfibre mop won\'t hack it - such as on oil and mud. It also copes with dried-on blackcurrant juice, tea, jam and curry sauce. Cleaning is excellent and all but smear-free.

92/100

Chemical-free shine

Copes easily with smeary mirrors and muddy, greasy windows, indoors and out... all without nasty chemicals. The E-cloth cleaning system, £8.99 for a two-cloth kitchen/bathroom pack (01892 893131; www.e-cloth.com), gives excellent, streak-free results.

88/100

No water, no chemicals

Even without chemicals or water, microfibre mops do a good job on wood laminate and a fair one on tiles. But even the best - the Smart String Mop, £9.99 (015394 88100; www.lakeland.co.uk) - struggles to clean up mud and oil, so you\'d need Cif for these.

86/100