I've tested a few Kärcher cleaning appliances over the years, so when the SC 2 Deluxe landed on my doorstep, I had high hopes. As a mum of three, I was drawn to the promise of cleaning everything from my floors to my oven hob and shower screen using nothing but water.

So, I put it to the test around my family home to see how it measures up against the best steam cleaners and mops. A couple of niggles aside, it lived up to expectations, and it really impressed me.

In a nutshell

The Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe is a compact steam cleaner that comes with a useful range of attachments, so it can tackle much more than just your floors. I used it to clean my hob, oven door, shower screen and the awkward areas around taps.

Interestingly, it wasn't my floors where I saw the most impressive results, as it was the smaller attachments that really won me over. Using the small round brush around my hob rings and the base of my taps, I was genuinely shocked at how much hidden dirt it blasted away from spots I didn't even know were there. It even came to the rescue when nail varnish ended up on my carpet, leaving the mark barely visible.

It's well built, and the wheels and carry handle make it easy to move from room to room. The illuminated LED ring is a simple touch, but it gives it a more modern feel than many of the steam cleaners I've used before. It's not without its niggles, though. It takes around six minutes to heat up, so it's not something I'd reach for to deal with a spill in a hurry. I also found it hard to tell how much water was left, as the tank is hidden inside the unit.

Overall, the SC 2 Deluxe really impressed me. It's incredibly easy to use and delivered a genuinely thorough clean across my whole home, with results that surprised me more than once. Once you factor in the warm-up time, it's a brilliant, harsh-chemical-free steam cleaner, and with little ones around, it's earned a spot in my cleaning cupboard.

How I tested

Specifications

• Dimensions: 30.4 x 23.1 x 28.7 centimetres
• Cable length: 4m
• Steam settings: 3
• Heat up time: 6.5 minutes
• Water tank capacity: 1 litre
• Cleaning power: 1500 watts
• Weight: 2.68 kg
• Accessories: 2.2m Steam hose with trigger gun, accessories bag, crevice brush, detail nozzle, floor cleaning cloth, floor nozzle, hand nozzle, microfibre cover for hand nozzle, small round brush

Unboxing, assembly, and first impressions

Arriving in the brand's unmistakably bold yellow packaging, the Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe Steam Cleaner was light enough for me to carry myself. Inside, everything was neatly packed, with some components wrapped individually in plastic packaging labelled '50% recyclable'.

The box also includes a generous selection of accessories. Alongside the main unit, it comes with a steam hose with a trigger gun, crevice brush, detail nozzle, floor cleaning cloth, floor nozzle, hand nozzle, microfibre cover for the hand nozzle, and a small round brush. There was also an accessories bag, which I thought was a handy touch, especially since I'm someone who easily misplaces things.

Assembling it couldn't be simpler - all you need to do is fit the desired accessory onto the steam gun. I started with the floor nozzle, which connects to the gun via two extension pipes. They slotted together with a satisfying click, and the microfibre cloth attaches neatly to the mop head with Velcro.

Once everything was ready, my first impression was that the Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe looks and feels well built. The main unit is sturdy and solid, with the brand's distinctive white-and-black finish.

The standout design feature is the illuminated LED ring on top of the unit. It changes colour to show when the steamer is heating up and when it's ready to use. It's a simple touch, but it gives the SC 2 Deluxe a more modern, premium feel and sets it apart from basic steam cleaners. It's also more practical than it sounds, as you can see at a glance whether it's ready from across the room.

It's also compact, so it won't take up much room when stored away. Although it's a corded model, the 4m cable length means you can move around freely without constantly switching sockets. I also like the fact that it has wheels underneath, which makes it easy to slide along with you as you clean.

Before switching it on, I needed to fill the water tank, and that's when I noticed the Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe works differently from other steam cleaners I've used. The tank isn't a separate, see-through container; instead, it's concealed inside the main unit, and you fill it through a top opening sealed with a screw-on safety cap.

My first thought was that this might make it tricky to judge how much water I was pouring in, and harder to tell when it was running low mid-clean. If I'm nitpicking, I also would have appreciated a funnel in the box, since the opening is fairly small. It wasn't a big issue though, and I just used a jug from my kitchen, which made filling it straightforward enough.

On a positive note, water is all you need. With little ones in the house, I always favour harsh-chemical-free options where possible, as it gives me peace of mind that I'm not leaving nasty residue on floors or surfaces that they're constantly touching.

Using the Karcher SC 2 Deluxe

Getting started was simple. There's no on / off switch; as soon as you plug the Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe into the mains, the LED ring on the unit lights up red to indicate it's heating up.

While it warmed up, I could hear it quietly working away in the background. The sound never got any louder, so it wasn't distracting, and I could carry on with other jobs while I waited.

Kärcher states a heat-up time of 6.5 minutes. I timed it myself, and it was about right: after around six minutes, the ring turned green to show it was ready. It did feel on the longer side compared with other steam cleaners I've used (for reference, the Kärcher SC 1 Multi Up & Extra was ready in around 30 seconds). If you're after something to clear up a quick spill, it's not a 'grab-and-go' sort of steam cleaner.

Once it was ready, the controls were easy to get the hang of. There are three settings which sit on top of the handle: maximum steam, reduced steam and no steam. Having the switch right under your thumb makes it easy to adjust as you go.

To clean floors

For its first use, I decided to just give my laminated kitchen floors a once-over. I have three children, and I feel like I'm constantly mopping up after them, so I usually reach for my Shark Steam & Scrub Automatic, although it works differently because it's purely a floor mop and uses rotating mop pads to clean surfaces.

I experimented with the different steam settings, but for my floors I found I needed the max setting to get the best results. To release the steam, you have to keep your hand on the trigger continuously, so worth knowing if you're planning to clean several rooms in one go.

I was really impressed with how effortlessly the floor nozzle glided across the floor. It also felt smooth and lightweight to hold. I'll admit, I expected more steam, since it looked quite subtle. But it didn't take long to see it was working, as my floors were visibly wet after each pass.

I did have to apply more pressure to really stubborn marks, and it took a few passes before they lifted. But I was impressed with how clean my floors looked afterwards, and they were dry enough to walk on within a couple of minutes, too.

Cleaning the oven

After using it on my floors, I decided to tackle one of the jobs I hate most: cleaning my oven. I started with the hob rings, using the small round brush attachment, and it's safe to say it was pretty shocking to see how much hidden dirt and grime it blasted away from the edges and crevices I'd clearly been missing with my usual wipe-downs.

I then went over the whole surface with the hand nozzle and microfibre cover, which lifted the loosened grime and left the hob looking noticeably cleaner and fresher. And the colour of the cloth afterwards told me everything I needed to know!

I also used the hand nozzle to clean the inside of my oven door, which I'll admit was embarrassingly dirty. My expectations weren't high, but after just a couple of passes I could see the grime starting to lift.

Granted, I needed to apply pressure and scrub the tougher spots, and it didn't shift all the baked-on dirt. Still, considering its state and that I used nothing but steam, I was really impressed with the results.

Cleaning a carpet spill

I'd normally reach for my Bissell SpotClean HydroSteam spot cleaner when tackling carpet spills, and it's worth noting that the Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe is mainly designed for hard surfaces. But when I had a huge mishap and spilt a bottle of nail varnish on my living room carpet during the testing period, I decided to try my luck with it.

Using the round brush attachment, I was pleasantly surprised to see that after a few passes with the steam, the stain had visibly lifted. It didn't remove every trace of it (nor was I expecting it to), but it made a massive difference to a stain I assumed I'd be stuck with for good.

I would still recommend a dedicated spot cleaner for a spill like this, but if you want to try the SC 2, test it on an inconspicuous area first.

Cleaning the bathroom

I swapped to the small round brush to tackle my sink and the base of my taps. No matter how often I clean, within five minutes the basins seem to be covered in toothpaste marks and general grime from the kids.

After a couple of bursts of steam, the toothpaste melted away. The area under the taps is such an awkward area to reach with a cloth, but the brush got right into the gaps with ease.

Not sure if I'm alone here, but there's something quite satisfying about watching all the limescale you've been missing lift away. My taps and sink area looked noticeably cleaner and shinier afterwards, so this was one of the areas where it impressed me the most.

I also put the Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe Steam Cleaner to work on my glass shower screen, using the hand nozzle with the microfibre cover. It did a good job of lifting the random spots of water, and the glass looked noticeably cleaner afterwards.

That said, once it dried, faint water streaks remained on the glass. It's still a handy option for wiping down your shower doors, especially if you're using it to clean other bathroom surfaces.

Cleaning, storage and maintenance

Looking after the Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe is fairly straightforward. Once I'd finished cleaning, I unplugged it and let it cool down completely before emptying any leftover water. Since the tank isn't removable, you have to lift the whole unit to empty it, which is a bit inconvenient.

The floor cloth and the microfibre cover are both machine washable, which is just as well considering the colour of them after each cleaning session. I did find the brushes and nozzles were in need of a clean after each use, particularly after I'd tackled a really tough area. But I found soapy water did the trick.

As with any steam cleaner, limescale can build up over time. Kärcher recommends regularly descaling the boiler with a descaling solution.

For storage, I found the included mesh accessories bag really handy. There's also a built-in hook to loop the cable around at the back of the unit, and the unit is compact enough that it doesn't take up much cupboard space.

How does it rate online?

On the brand's website, the Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe has an impressive 4.9 star rating from 11 customer reviews. However, it is worth noting that these reviews were incentivised, and reviewers received the product for free in exchange for their feedback. Even so, the comments were consistently positive, praising its cleaning performance and versatility, and a couple of users said they'd used it almost everywhere around their home.

On Amazon, 33 customers scored it an average of 4.4 stars, with the feedback of a similar nature. A couple of customers referenced the water tank as being on the smaller side, while another found the six-minute warm up time a little long, which echoes my own experience.

How does it compare to similar models?

The Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe is part of the brand's popular lineup of steam cleaners. The most notable differences from the standard SC 2 are in the design. Alongside the illuminated LED ring, the Deluxe weighs 2.6 kg and is 20% lighter than standard models, and the cable and hose can be wrapped around the handle for neater storage.

The most obvious comparison for me is the Kärcher SC 1 Multi & Up Extra, which I've previously tested. It is another versatile steam cleaner that comes with a range of different attachments to tackle different surfaces. However, the SC1 has a much quicker heat-up time and is ready in just 30 seconds, but the water tank is much smaller, making it better suited to smaller clean-ups rather than large-scale jobs, like the SC 2 Deluxe.

It's worth comparing to Ideal Home's top-rated steam mop, the VAX Steam Fresh Total Home. It's an upright mop, but it also comes with a removable handheld unit and 14 different accessories (including a carpet glider, which could have been useful for my nail varnish spill). The downsides are that its water tank is much smaller, and it's heavier overall.

Verdict: Should you buy the Karcher SC 2 Deluxe?

After using the Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe around my home, I'd say it's a great choice for anyone who wants a thorough, harsh-chemical-free clean. The water tank means you won't need to stop and refill often. I cleaned several rooms on a single tank, and the range of attachments makes it easy to switch between cleaning the floors and different surfaces around the home. It really shines on smaller, fiddly jobs, so it's ideal if you want more than just a floor cleaner.

I think it's particularly well-suited to busy family homes. The child lock on the steam gun gave me peace of mind with three little ones around, and because it uses only tap water, I didn't need to worry about harsh chemical residue on floors or surfaces they're always touching. That makes it a great option for households with pets, too.

It's also a good choice if you find bulkier appliances a struggle. It's lightweight and compact, and the wheels make it easy to pull along behind you as you clean, so it may suit anyone with back or mobility issues.

The main drawback is the six-minute heat-up time, so if speed is a priority, there are models that heat up much faster. It isn't the cheapest steam cleaner, but if you are looking to invest in a versatile all-rounder, the impressive results make it feel like money well spent.

Princess is best known for affordable, well-designed kitchen and home appliances, and dehumidifiers are very much part of that offering. I’ve been testing the Princess Smart 20L, available at B&Q for just over a month in my period home, including a bedroom that’s always been a bit of a problem when it comes to damp.

With thick walls and limited ventilation at this time of year, it’s exactly the kind of space where condensation builds up quickly, and mould can creep in if you’re not careful. In other words, a pretty realistic setting for seeing how this high-capacity, smart-controlled dehumidifier copes in day-to-day life.

The best dehumidifiers bring humidity down, stop damp in its tracks and are simple to manage day to day. So when I tested the Princess Smart 20L dehumidifier, I put it through the same checks we use for every model to see how well it handled moisture control and how convenient it was to live with, including how easy it was to 'set-and-forget' with its smart app control.

At a glance

Princess is a well-established consumer appliances brand, particularly popular across Europe, and best known for making affordable, well-designed home gadgets that aim to make everyday tasks easier.

The Princess Smart 20L dehumidifier sits at the larger end of the brand’s dehumidifier lineup and is designed to tackle higher humidity levels in real homes, including older properties like mine. I tested it over a month in a period house with thick walls that’s prone to condensation, damp, and occasional mould, especially during the colder months when ventilation is limited.

What sets this model apart is its smart functionality. Alongside manual controls, it can be operated via the Princess app, letting you monitor humidity levels, adjust fan speeds, set schedules and turn the unit on or off remotely. In everyday use, that made it easy to keep humidity in check without constantly interacting with the machine itself. It felt straightforward to live with, quietly working away in the background while giving me the option to step in and fine-tune settings when I needed to.

Specifications

• RRP: £230.00
• Type: Compressor
• Colours: White
• Extraction rate: 20L/day
• Water tank capacity: 3.7L
• Max room size recommended: 20m squared
• Noise level: 39dB – 44dB
• Power: 325W
• Dimensions: H57.2x W34.4 x D25cm
• Weight: 12kg
• Portable?: Yes
• Automatic humidity sensor: Yes
• Continuous drain option: Yes (hose included)
• Laundry mode: No
• WiFi connectivity: Yes
• Timer: Yes
• Child lock: No
• HEPA filter: No
• Warranty: 2 years

How I tested

I tested the Princess Smart 20L dehumidifier in my home over the course of a month, using it in different rooms to see how it coped with varying conditions. This included a damp bedroom that’s prone to condensation, as well as drier parts of the house, to get a sense of how it performed across the home.

To check accuracy, I used an independent humidity monitor and compared its readings with the humidity levels shown on the dehumidifier display and in the Princess app.

I tested how easy it was to set schedules and adjust settings using the app, as well as how intuitive the manual controls were in day-to-day use. Noise levels were measured on both fan settings using a decibel meter, and I paid close attention to how noticeable the dehumidifier was during normal daily activities.

As part of regular use, I checked how easy it was to empty the water tank and remove the filter, as these are tasks you’ll need to do routinely. By using the dehumidifier in different rooms, under different humidity levels, and over an extended period, I was able to get a clear picture of how easy it is to live with and how well it performs in a real home.

Unboxing, set-up and design

The Princess Smart 20L arrived in a large cardboard box, with additional cardboard packaging inside to keep the unit secure. The dehumidifier itself was wrapped in protective plastic, which did its job well, although whether that plastic is recyclable will depend on the services in your area.

Inside the box is the dehumidifier, the instruction manual, and a hose for continuous drainage. Everything is neatly packed and easy to remove, and there’s nothing over-the-top or fiddly about the packaging. It’s a straightforward unboxing that gets you up and running quickly.

Set-up

Getting the Princess Smart 20L ready to use is refreshingly simple. The filter is already in place, the castor wheels are pre-attached, and there’s very little to do beyond positioning it and switching it on.

The manual recommends leaving around 20cm of clearance between the unit and walls or other obstacles, and avoiding direct sunlight. Once positioned, you can control it using the top panel or the Princess app, available on Android and iOS. It also works with Google Assistant if that's your preference.

Connecting it is as simple as downloading the Princess app, connecting to Wi-Fi, creating an account and adding the device, all of which took just a few minutes. Having struggled with connecting smart devices in the past, this felt like a breeze in comparison.

Using the app, you can turn the dehumidifier on and off remotely, adjust fan speeds and set humidity levels, schedules and timers. The app also displays the current humidity level of the room, which means you can check conditions while you’re out. If humidity creeps up while you’re at work, you can switch it on remotely and come home to a more comfortable indoor climate.

In terms of looks, the Princess Smart 20L is taller than most dehumidifiers, measuring around 57cm in height. That said, it’s not very deep or wide, measuring 25cm by 34.4cm.

It comes in a sleek black-and-white colourway, with a smooth, shiny white plastic casing on the front and back, black side panels, and a black control panel on top. Some of the finishes are glossy, others matte, and overall it looks and feels minimalist and more premium than I expected.

At the back of the unit, you’ll find the vented panel where the filter is housed, along with the drainage tank.

Despite its size, it’s easy to move thanks to the built-in wheels and two well-concealed side handles, which are neatly integrated into the black panels.

I really like the modern, minimalist display. When the unit is switched off, it’s almost completely hidden within the black panel. Once powered on, it clearly shows the current humidity level, fan speed, timer settings and active modes.

There’s also a swing function, which allows the air outlet at the top of the unit to move up and down continuously, helping to circulate air more evenly around the room. You can set a timer between one and 24 hours, and switching between fan speeds and modes is intuitive using the touch controls.

The drainage tank has a capacity of 3.7 litres. That’s a good balance between capacity and overall size, meaning you won’t be emptying it constantly, but it’s still easy to handle when full.

Once the tank fills up, the dehumidifier stops automatically to prevent overflow and beeps at you until you remove and empty it. If you’d rather not empty the tank manually, you can use the included hose for continuous drainage, which allows the unit to extract up to 20 litres per day. The hose measures around 73cm. It could be longer, but it’s perfectly functional.

The tank itself is very easy to remove and replace. There’s a simple handhold that makes it easy to pull out and reinsert. Accessing the filter is a little more fiddly, as it involves removing a perforated panel, but it’s not something you’ll need to do often.

Ease of use

The Princess Smart 20L dehumidifier is easy to live with on a day-to-day basis. Whether you’re using the controls on the unit itself or the app, everything feels intuitive and well laid out.

Using the app, you can check the current humidity level, set a target between 40% and 80%, adjust fan speeds, set timers and schedules, and turn the unit on or off remotely. It’s quick to respond and easy to navigate, which makes it genuinely useful rather than just a novelty.

On the unit, the display is clean and minimalist, clearly showing humidity levels, fan speed, timer settings and active modes at a glance. The touch controls respond well, and switching between settings only takes a few taps. The swing feature allows the air outlet at the top of the unit to move up and down continuously, helping to circulate air more evenly around the room.

Practical details also help with everyday use. The castor wheels and concealed side handles make it easy to move between rooms, while the water tank is simple to remove and empty when full. Filter access is slightly more involved, but it’s not something you’ll need to do often.

There are a couple of omissions worth noting. There’s no child lock, which would be useful in family homes, and there’s no dedicated laundry mode, so drying clothes relies on manual settings rather than a one-touch programme.

Overall, the Princess Smart 20L dehumidifier combines straightforward controls with genuinely useful smart features, and while it lacks a few extras, it's easy and intuitive to use in everyday life.

Performance

I started testing the Princess Smart 20L in a bedroom that’s always been tricky when it comes to damp. It has two external walls, which makes it far more prone to higher humidity, condensation and the kind of damp patches that tend to show up in corners. We’ve had mould issues here in the past, so this felt like a proper stress test.

Before switching it on, humidity levels were sitting at just over 80%, which is very high. I ran the dehumidifier for an hour at full power, using the high fan speed with the swing function on, and checked both the humidity level and how much water had collected. After that first hour, humidity had dropped to around 60%, with about 100ml of water pulled from the air.

I left it running for another hour under the same settings. By the end of the second hour, the humidity level was still holding steady at 60%, and the tank contained around 300ml of water in total. On other occasions in this same room, I managed to bring humidity down even further, to around 55%, which sits nicely within the generally accepted comfortable range for a home and immediately made the room feel fresher and less dank.

I then repeated the test in a room with just one external wall, which tends to be much drier. Here, humidity levels started at around 67%. Under the same settings, the Princess Smart 20L brought humidity down to 55% in just half an hour, and by the end of the first hour had removed around 200ml of water, while comfortably maintaining that lower level.

Overall, the Princess responded quickly to changes in humidity, working hardest where conditions were worst and easing off in drier rooms. It felt particularly effective in problem spaces, while still being efficient and controlled in rooms that needed less intervention.

Energy use

If you're wondering how much a dehumidifier costs to run, it largely depends on its wattage. The higher the wattage is, the more energy it uses.

The Princess Smart 20L dehumidifier has a power rating of around 0.33kWh, which works out to roughly 9p per hour to run. It’s not the cheapest dehumidifier on the market in terms of energy use, but it sits firmly in the middle for a smart 20-litre model. Based on this figure, running the Princess Smart for 12 hours would cost about £1.08

During testing, it felt affordable enough to run regularly without worrying about energy bills creeping up too quickly, particularly if you’re using schedules or switching it on only when humidity levels rise.

Noise levels

The stated average noise level in the manual is 46dB. In real-world use, I measured around 39dB on the lowest fan setting and roughly 44dB on the highest, using a decibel reading app on my phone. That’s comparable to a quiet office or library.

Overall, it’s pretty unobtrusive during the day, though the higher fan speed may be noticeable if you’re trying to sleep nearby.

Portability

Despite being a fairly large, high-capacity dehumidifier, the Princess Smart 20L is easy to move around the home. It comes with built-in wheels, which are already attached out of the box, so there’s no setup required before rolling it into position.

There are also two concealed handles on either side of the unit, neatly integrated into the black side panels. These make it easier to move the dehumidifier between rooms when combined with the wheels.

While it’s not a lightweight machine, it never felt awkward to move during testing. I was able to use it in both a damp bedroom and a drier living room without it feeling like a hassle to relocate, which makes it practical if you want to tackle humidity in different parts of the house rather than leaving it fixed in one place.

Maintenance

Day-to-day maintenance on the Princess Smart 20L dehumidifier is simple and doesn’t take much effort. The water tank is easy to remove and empty, with a straightforward handle that makes it quick to pull out and slot back into place once emptied.

Accessing the filter is slightly more involved, as it sits behind a perforated panel at the back of the unit. That said, it’s not something you need to do often, and once the panel is removed, the filter itself is easy to take out and refit.

Because the dehumidifier stops automatically when the tank is full, there’s no risk of overflow, which also helps keep maintenance stress-free. Overall, routine upkeep feels manageable rather than fiddly, and nothing about the process stood out as awkward during regular use.

How it compares with other dehumidifiers

To put the Princess Smart 20L into context, it helps to look at how it stacks up against a few other popular dehumidifiers we've reviewed recently.

If you compare the Princess Smart 20L with the MeacoDry Arete One 12L, the biggest difference really comes down to size and what they’re designed to do. The Meaco is well-suited to smaller spaces, offering quiet, straightforward moisture control that works nicely in bedrooms, flats and compact rooms. It also includes extras like a HEPA filter and a child lock, which the Princess doesn’t offer. The Princess, by contrast, is built to handle much higher humidity levels, making it a better fit for larger rooms or more persistent damp. Its smart app control also means you can check humidity levels and adjust settings without needing to be in the same room.

When you look at the DREO Smart 512S, there are plenty of similarities on paper, particularly around smart features and app control. The DREO is often praised for its clear humidity feedback in the app and family-friendly extras like a child lock. However, it’s a little noisier during operation, the water tank is a little smaller at 3.4 litres, and our reviewer found it kicked out quite a bit of heat during use, so it may not be suitable during the summer months.

When you compare the Princess 20L with another smart dehumidifier designed for larger living spaces, the Duux Bora Smart 20L is more expensive to run, costing around 12p per hour compared with the Princess’s 9p per hour. That higher running cost does bring added benefits, though, including a built-in carbon filter designed to help reduce airborne pollutants such as bacteria and tackle lingering odours from damp, smoke, cooking smells, or pets.

How does it rate online?

The Princess 20L dehumidifier has 3.7 out of 5 stars from 18 ratings on Amazon, with 57% of reviewers giving it 4 stars or above. Feedback from buyers is generally positive, with most reviewers agreeing that it does a solid job of pulling moisture out of the air. Several customers describe it as a “great dehumidifier” that’s effective when left running for longer periods, particularly in damp-prone rooms. The smart features also get a thumbs up, with one reviewer saying it’s “handy to have it controllable from my phone”, making it easier to tweak settings without constantly fiddling with the controls on the unit itself.

Some reviewers do flag concerns around longevity and noise on higher settings, which brings the overall score down, with one noting that it “stopped working after about 14 months”, despite performing well up to that point. Others flag that it’s on the heavier side.

Overall, though, reviews suggest it’s a capable, well-featured dehumidifier for the money, as long as you’re aware of a few trade-offs.

Should you buy it?

After a month of real-world testing in my period home, the Princess Smart 20L proved itself as a strong option for tackling serious damp. It brought humidity down quickly in problem rooms, kept condensation under control, and made my home feel noticeably more comfortable.

The smart app worked reliably, making it genuinely easy to set schedules, monitor humidity remotely and let the machine quietly get on with the job without constant input.

It’s not without compromises. The unit is larger and heavier than compact models, and while noise levels are reasonable for a 20L dehumidifier, the higher fan setting is noticeable if you’re trying to sleep nearby. There’s also no dedicated laundry mode or child lock, which some households may miss.

Compared with smaller models like the MeacoDry Arete One 12L, the Princess is bigger, more powerful and better suited to persistent damp, while remaining affordable to run at around 9p per hour. More premium smart alternatives, such as the Duux Bora Smart 20L, offer extras like air filtration but cost more to run.

If you’re dealing with higher humidity in a larger room or older home and want smart control without premium running costs, the Princess Smart 20L strikes a strong balance between performance, convenience and value.

In the UK, the autumn and winter months have a noticeable effect on our homes and how we use them. And as our bedrooms become places to escape the cold and store thicker winter clothes, they become fuller than ever. More stuff then equates to more mould.

One of the biggest bedroom storage mistakes I see during the colder months is overfilling wardrobes and drawers. But while it’s worth decluttering clothes to prevent damp, it can be hard to edit winter clothes down to a number that works for daily life. It’s often much easier to close the doors and pretend the mess inside doesn’t exist. These clothes then become silent moisture absorbers.

Thankfully, you don’t have to get rid of all your clothes to keep your bedroom (and your clothes) tidy and moisture-free.

As Shannon Murphy, Professional Organiser and Founder of Simpl Living Co explains, ‘When clothes are tightly packed together inside a wardrobe - or chest of drawers - airflow is restricted, and moisture can become trapped.’ This increases humidity in an already tight space, leading to condensation, damp, and eventually mould.

The chances of this mould then spreading throughout the rest of your bedroom only increase during the condensation-filled autumn and winter months, so the best way to prevent mould in wardrobes is to increase airflow and open up the space.

In fact, Kate Dufton, Professional Organiser and Declutterer at Ace Your Space, advises, ‘You should aim to keep your wardrobe a maximum of 80% full, leaving a little breathing room between clothes.’

A quick and easy way to do this without getting rid of your clothes is to embrace a seasonal clothing swap. This works especially well if you keep your summer and winter clothes together, as rotating them seasonally can free up a huge amount of space.

You can keep your out-of-season clothes safe and moisture-free by placing them in vacuum bags like these Argos Home Pack of 10 Mixed Vacuum Storage Bags (£15 at Argos), and then storing them elsewhere - like a spare bedroom, under the bed, or in an empty suitcase up in the loft.

Hanging moisture absorber bags like the Nyxi Set of 12 Hanging Interior Wardrobe Dehumidifiers (£12.97) will also tackle excess moisture, pulling it from the air so it doesn’t cling to the fibres of your clothes or the sides of your wardrobe.

You can then focus on using the things people with tidy wardrobes and drawers always have to add an extra layer of organisation. This can improve airflow even more, especially if you choose drawer organisers that will turn piles of crinkled clothes into folded masterpieces and use space-saving hangers to free up more rail space.

However, where you place clothes storage also plays a key role in preventing damp and mould in a bedroom. Shannon warns, ‘A room can appear clean and organised while damp develops unnoticed behind a chest of drawers or wardrobe.’

‘Large pieces of furniture placed flush against cold external walls can restrict air circulation, leaving the wall surface colder and making condensation or mould harder to spot,’ she adds.

‘This is particularly important in bedrooms where furniture is rarely moved. Leaving a gap behind larger pieces, keeping the room ventilated and occasionally checking hidden areas can help you identify problems early.’

So, if you have fitted wardrobes or clothes storage that can’t be moved because it's too heavy, it may be worth investing in one of the best dehumidifiers to use in the bedroom. You can then keep the wardrobe doors open every now and then to increase airflow.

Moisture-busting buys for clothes storage

Making a few changes to your clothes storage can help to prevent mould. But if you’ve already spotted mould, our guide on how to get mould off walls can certainly help you.

In our busy household and as a family of four, we get through a fair bit of washing, so when we renovated the back of our house, I wanted to make sure our small laundry room worked as hard as possible because there wasn't much space to work with.

So despite its size, I've managed to squeeze in everything from laundry baskets to my vacuum cleaner, ironing board and cleaning essentials. The secret has been investing in a few clever clutter busters that make the most of every inch and keep everything neat and tidy and out of sight.

Here are the five things that have made the biggest difference to my utility room storage.

1. Individual pull out baskets

This is by far one of my favourite additions to our laundry room space. Rather than having our copious amounts of laundry baskets inevitably cluttering up our floor, we installed a dedicated cupboard that houses four baskets, one for each family member.

It's made sorting the laundry and putting it away so much easier, particularly with two young children and their endless array of tiny garments. I bought these Urbnliving oval laundry baskets from Amazon that fit perfectly into the slots.

2. A pull out shelf for catching laundry

I spotted this clever pull-out shelf idea on Pinterest, and I made sure it fit our design. It gives me somewhere to pull all the freshly dried clothes from our tumble dryer into a basket and also sort and fold clothes. Once I'm finished, it simply slides back into the cupboard, taking no space at all.

It also houses this HoldAll collapsible laundry basket from Joseph Joseph, which folds completely flat when not in use, so it can be tucked in on the shelf when it's hidden away and pops open in seconds when you need it. It's sturdy, easy to carry, has a large capacity and wipes clean.

3. A slim detergent cupboard

Our laundry room needed to work for cleaning storage as well as housing laundry essentials, so things like bathroom sprays, multi-surface cleaners and floor cleaner needed a home, as well as washing liquid, stain removers and fabric conditioners.

I've added a slim pull-out cupboard to store all my laundry kit so it's easily reachable from the washing machine, etc., so the rest of the cupboards keep everything else hidden.

4. A cupboard for bulky cleaning equipment

Finding somewhere to store a vacuum cleaner, an ironing board, an iron and a mop can be tricky, especially if you have a small space to work with.

We made sure we had a decent-sized cupboard, and that's been a game changer for keeping everything in its right place, so I no longer have to look at any of it!

5. A retractable washing line

I'm a big fan of anything that doesn't take up permanent space, which is why I love this viral brass retractable washing line that I picked up last year.

It's a great little buy that's ideal for hanging shirts and smaller items to dry, especially in winter. It just disappears into a pretty little brass unit when not in use.

6. A big laundry basket with built-in sorting

Another laundry essential and one of my many Joseph Joseph buys is the Joseph Joseph Tota Trio laundry basket. Its three genius compartments mean I can sort clothes into different loads as I go, rather than tackling one enormous pile.

The removable bags make transferring everything to the washing machine easier as well. Plus, it's not something you need to hide away, as it's super easy on the eye and doesn't take up too much space.

If you're planning a small laundry room, my advice would be to think about how you actually do your washing before deciding on storage.

These pull-out solutions, hidden cupboards and multifunctional additions have made ours super practical, without sacrificing valuable real estate!

British Gas has warned of mass boiler breakdowns as the cold weather sets in people turn their central heating on for the first time in months. It's been reported that the energy supplier estimated that 34,000 households could be left without heating and hot water, right as temperatures plummet.

Despite a mild start to autumn, you might have adopted a few habits over the last couple of weeks to delay turning on your central heating. With the end of October (and the clock change) fast approaching, most households will decide it's time to use their heating for the first time since the early spring.

But unfortunately, this is the exact time that many will discover that their boiler isn't working, leading to a surge in calls for urgent repairs. 'The first really cold day of the year is often when people discover there's a problem with their boiler,' says Sheena Anker, Engineer at British Gas. 'Unfortunately, that's also when demand for repairs starts to rise.'

If you haven't tried your central heating yet, and you want to limit your chance of being one of the thousands of homes at risk of a boiler breakdown, there are a few things you should do right now.

1. Check your boiler pressure

While there are a few signs your boiler is about to stop working, not all of them can be rectified on a DIY basis. But one that can is boiler pressure.

If your boiler seems to be working, but your house just isn't warming up, it may be that the boiler pressure is too low (a reading of between 1-2 bar is the sweet spot). When it comes to what to do if your boiler pressure is too low, the good news is it's relatively simple, provided you haven't seen any signs of leakage around radiators, pipes and valves. If you spot this, you will need professional help before you try to repressurise your boiler.

But if you don't see any signs of leaks, and you follow the instructions in your boiler manual, you can locate the filling loop and slowly open the valves to introduce more water into the system. Once the pressure is in the sweet spot you can close the valves.

2. Bleed your radiators

If you can feel your radiators getting warm at the bottom but their cold at the top, you likely just need to release trapped air from the system to get your home feeling warm again.

Make sure you turn your heating off before you bleed your radiators, and bleed them in the correct order for the best results.

This is what you'll need to bleed your radiators in the most mess-free way possible:

‘You’ll know a radiator has been bled properly when water flows out in a steady stream without any hissing or spluttering,’ says Nick Duggan, Managing Director at The Radiator Centre. ‘After bleeding, the radiator should heat evenly from top to bottom, and any cold patches at the top should disappear. It’s also worth checking your boiler pressure afterwards, if the pressure is stable and the radiator is heating well, you’ve done it right.’

3. Keep the heat you do have in

If you do find that you have a problem with your heating that requires a professional, then it's important you keep as much heat in your home as possible so you can stay warm until it's fixed.

Close windows, keep internal doors closed and block any draughts around windows, doors and chimneys to limit heat loss.

If you do find yourself without heat for a short time, little things like leaving your oven door open after you've cooked will give you a little burst of heat when you need it.

4. Have an electric heater on hand

You might not think you need an electric heater or oil-filled radiator, but as someone whose boiler packed up a couple of years ago during a very cold February, I definitely wish I'd had one to hand when I was wearing all the layers to try and stay warm.

Having something suitably powered to heat the rooms you use most will be well worth the money if it gives you peace of mind that you won't have to sit there freezing while you wait for your boiler to get repaired.

Something light and compact, like the Dreo Atom 316 electric heater will be ideal for moving around your home with you, while if you are looking to heat a larger space over a longer period, the De'Longhi Dragon 4 oil-filled radiator can heat spaces up to 50m2, while the Vonhaus 2500w 11 fin oil-filled radiator will warm rooms up to 30m2 and carry on kicking out heat for up to an hour after being turned off.

5. Add a boiler service reminder to your calendar

To avoid emergency call outs, right when you need your heating needs to be in good working order, it's a good idea to get it serviced well before you actually need it.

You should only need your boiler serviced once a year, and the ideal time is either the spring or later summer/early autumn. Although if you experience any of the signs your boiler needs servicing, it's best to call the plumber sooner rather than later. At this time, your requirement for a service won't be fighting with the throngs of people needing a plumber because their boiler has stopped working altogether.

As well avoiding boiler breakdowns, you can also avoid unexpectedly costly repairs.

As Ideal Home’s Floorcare Editor, I take pride in keeping all the floors in my home clean and tidy. I can’t deny that the autumn months make that very difficult, though.

And while the best vacuum cleaners can be a lifesaver year-round, I’ve learned through hundreds of hours of testing and cleaning that they’re not the be-all-and-end-all. Especially when you’re dealing with muddy shoes, mucky paws and overall sogginess of the colder, wetter months. That’s why I always switch up my floorcare routine in autumn.

In fact, I swear by three products to keep my floors sparkling during the autumn and winter months. They work on the principle that prevention is better than cure, helping stop outside mess from being tracked into your home. So, I thought I’d share them with you, too.

1. A shoe rack

During the colder months, floors get dirty faster when wet and muddy shoes are tracked in through the front door and into the depths of the house. And the quickest way to prevent this mess is to stop those shoes at the front door or in the hallway.

So one of the best ways to autumn-proof a hallway is to add a shoe storage solution. This way, you can take your shoes off as soon as you enter the house and give them a proper home without cluttering up your entryway. Or, if you regularly wear boots and wellies for your dog walks, you could pop a boot rack outside your front door so they don’t enter the house at all.

Personally, I’d suggest buying a plastic or metal shoe rack so you can wipe it clean if muddy shoes leave their mark. Wooden shoe racks typically look better but are much harder to keep clean, so I think it’s always better to choose function over form.

2. An absorbent doormat

I share my home with a very fluffy cocker spaniel who soaks up water like a sponge, so I have to contend with wet shoes and paws. For a few years, I mopped up his muddy paw prints twice a day. Now? They’re barely noticeable, and I clean much less.

This is all thanks to the absorbent doormats I bought last year. And while they may not be the most glamorous purchases I’ve ever made, I can confidently say that they’re some of the best (and most affordable). That’s because, unlike regular doormats, these ones absorb excess moisture from shoes and paws, so less of it is walked into your house.

And while it doesn’t completely dry my dog’s paws, it takes off a lot of the surface water - and then I keep this pet wiz Microfibre Noodle (£12.95 at Amazon) nearby to tackle the rest. I also keep one by my back door for when he walks on the wet grass, but you don’t have to be a pet parent to use them. They work just as well for wet shoes, too.

3. A multi-purpose appliance

As mentioned, vacuum cleaners alone can’t handle the wet debris that settles on floors during autumn and winter. After all, liquid is one of the many things you should never vacuum up. But in today’s modern day and age, appliances can vacuum and mop your floors at the same time.

This includes the best vacuum mops and robot vacuum mops, both of which tackle dry and wet debris in one appliance. This makes them perfect for homes during the wetter months, as they can handle muddy footprints and the extra dust that amps up when the heating is on, without adding more cleaning time to your busy schedule.

Just be warned that most vacuum mops won’t vacuum carpets or rugs, which is why I’d always recommend opting for a robot vacuum and mop instead. A bonus is that they’re almost completely hands-free and can be programmed to clean your home when you’re sleeping - or not even at home at all.

With these essentials at your disposal, I bet your floors will stay cleaner than ever this autumn.

If you’re like me, your under-the-sink cupboard is probably overflowing with bottles, brushes, sponges and cloths. That’s one reason Joseph Joseph’s new CleanTech Tool Set with Caddy Organiser (£60 at Amazon) stood out to me. But it’s not the only reason.

As I test the best cleaning products as my day job, I had the pleasure of testing out Joseph Joseph’s debut CleanTech set last year. Most of the bigger tools have since become a huge part of my personal cleaning routine, and the additional pole organiser has been great for storing them out of the way in my small home. However, it hasn’t quite tackled the clutter of cleaning bottles and smaller essentials under my sink.

That's where Joseph Joseph’s new caddy shines. It includes some of my favourite tools, and the grab-and-go design holds the tools and extra cleaning bottles you’ll need for an effective whole-home clean. Then you can store it inside a cupboard door, making the most of every precious inch of available storage.

The Joseph Joseph CleanTech Caddy actually solves a few of the problems I face in my home, and not just my struggle to be like the people with consistently tidy under-the-sink cupboards. It also solves the problem I face when I want to clean upstairs, but have inevitably left the cleaning tools and products I need downstairs. I know I'm not alone in that struggle, either.

And while you can buy a cheap cleaning caddy (like this £3 caddy from Dunelm) to cut down on running up and down the stairs, these caddies are often bulky and take up a lot of cupboard space when not in use. Something I personally don’t have a lot of.

However, the CleanTech Caddy attaches to the inside of the cupboard with the included mounting bracket and screws, and its super-slim design means you should still be able to close the cupboard door even when the inside is full.

Of course, it’s also worth decluttering your cleaning products every now and then, just to make sure you’re not holding onto out-of-date chemicals (guilty), empty bottles (very guilty), and cloths that have seen better days (very, very guilty).

But the CleanTech Caddy isn’t just a caddy. It also includes three tools: the CleanTech Dual-sided Surface Scrubber, CleanTech 2-in-1 Glass Cleaning Tool, and CleanTech Telescopic Extension Pole.

This is a streamlined setup compared to the original set that I have, but as the scrubber and the squeegee-like tool are some of my most-used tools, it makes sense.

They’re ideal for cleaning bathrooms, kitchens, and windows, and choosing fewer tools gives you extra caddy space for your preferred cleaning bottles. Alternatively, you could top up the set with tools you know you’ll definitely use, since everything in the CleanTech range can be bought separately.

So, you could build your own bespoke cleaning caddy, and these are some of the favourite tools I’ve tried (and loved).

So, will you be snapping up this caddy? I already have the tools, but thankfully there's the option to buy the caddy on its own for just £29, so I'll be doing just that!

With cooler temperatures taking hold, now is the time to ensure you are set up to stay comfortable warm throughout the autumn and winter months.

Whether or not you have put your central heating on yet, having one of the best oil-filled radiators available can help keep you warm in the room you are in, especially when you don't want to heat your whole home unnecessarily.

I've recently been testing the Morphy Richards HeatFlux 2.5kW digital oil-filled radiator in my own home. This is how it fared in our tests and whether I ultimately think it's worth your money.

In a nutshell

The Morphy Richards HeatFlux 2.5kw Digital Oil Filled Radiator is designed to heat medium to large rooms up to 25m2. It offers three different heat settings, low, medium and high, as well as an eco mode, with a customisable thermostat from 5-30°C, giving you complete control over your comfort levels.

It's also got a LED display, with touch buttons, plus a remote control for easy operation.

Available in both grey and white, it has an RRP of £99.99.

How I tested

Specification

• Type of heater: Oil-filled radiator
• RRP: £99.99
• Weight: 9.9kg
• Dimensions: (W x H x D): 46.4 x 63 x 24.5cm
• Wattage: 2500W
• Running costs per hour: 26-66p/kWh
• Room size suitability: Up to 25m2
• Smart features? None
• Dual functionality? None
• Timer? Yes
• Remote control? Yes

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

It took me less than 5 minutes to get from opening the cardboard box to the Morphy Richards HeatFlux 2.5kW Digital Oil-Filled Radiator plugged in and ready to use.

While it arrived in largely cardboard packaging, there is a recyclable plastic bag and some polystyrene in the mix.

In the box, you get the radiator itself, an instruction manual, the remote control as well as two sets of wheels and the bolts needed to attach them.

While I've found it a bit fiddly to attach the wheels to other oil-filled radiators I've tried, fixing the wheels to this Morphy Richards model was a doddle. Firstly, the U-bolt needed is already fitted to the radiator itself, which means it stays in place, and frees your hands up to hold one of the wheel bases steady while you attach the bolts. For the second wheel base, there are predrilled holes and all you need to do is line up the holes on the wheel base, then attach the screws.

At 9.9kgs, it's not the lightest to turn upside down to fix the wheels in place, and then turn right way up again, but I did find it manageable.

I was a bit surprised that the battery for the remote control wasn't included. It's a flat circular battery that I don't tend to have spare versions of lying around the house, but fortunately, I have reviewed other Morphy Richards products with remove controls with the same battery so I was able to swap them over. Alternatively, you could buy the CR2025 batteries for a couple of pounds from Amazon.

In terms of appearance, the Morphy Richards HeatFlux 2.5kW digital oil-filled radiator looks more modern than other oil-filled radiators on the market, with it's LED digital display screen, and stylish grey colourway.

What’s it like to use?

My first thought when using the Morphy Richards HeatFlux 2.5kW digital oil-filled radiator was just how user friendly it is. The touch buttons on the LED display are clear and easy to press (and a beep sounds even time a press is registered so it's simple to tell you've pressed the touch button correctly, although you can turn this off if it'd bug you).

I found it pretty intuitive to use, but the instructions in the manual are also clear to follow. I also liked how you can achieve exactly the same functionality with the remote control as you can with the on-board controls.

The display clearly illustrates which mode you are in, whether it's low, medium, high heat mode or on the eco setting, which adjusts the power based on your target temperature and the ambient temperature in the room.

First up, I used it in my living room, that is around 18m2 in size, in high heat mode and found that I could feel the heat from about 2.5m away after 10 minutes or so. My thermostat also measured that the ambient temperature in the room had risen by almost a whole degree in those first 10 minutes. After an hour, it had risen by about 3.5°C, and after two hours, it was 5.2°C warmer than the starting temperature.

When I used it in my larger kitchen diner, that measures around 22m2, it did take a little longer to warm up, raising the ambient temperature by 2°C in two hours. However, I could feel the cold edge being take off the room, wherever I stood in it, after about 30 minutes.

A feature I particularly liked was the On/Off timer functionality. It was so easy! A couple of presses on the remote and I could set the radiator to turn on or off after 1-24 hours. Compared to those oil-filled radiators that have physical dials with tiny little plastic notches that represent 15 minute segments, this was a breeze, and definitely much more my preferred way to set a timer.

Once turned off, the radiator carried on kicking out heat for about 15 minutes, which is nice, but it's not quite as impressive as some other oil-filled radiators we've tested.

In terms of noise, it's virtually silent. There was a bit of a crackling sound for a couple of minutes the very first time I used it, which the instruction manual told me was completely normal. But after those first few minutes, I couldn't hear anything at all. And it didn't happen on subsequent uses.

When it comes to manoeuvrability, the wheels glided smoothly across both my wooden floor and my thicker rug so it required very little effort to move around. But I'd definitely wait until it's cool to move it about. After a couple of hours use, the handle gets quite hot, so while you could make minor adjustments to the positioning, I'd wait until it's cooled down before trying to move it.

As with all oil-filled radiators, they do tend to be heavier than some of the best electric heaters around, so this probably isn't a heater I'd want to be lugging up and down stairs on a regular basis. Although when it's cool, it's doable.

How much does it cost to run?

The Morphy Richards HeatFlux digital oil-filled radiator will cost up to 66p/hour to use (based on the October 2026 energy price cap), but the cost will depend on the mode you use.

Using the eco mode will be the most cost effective, allowing you to set a target temperature and when that's reached, the radiator will cycle on and off to maintain that temperature. That means it won't be using energy unnecessarily.

There are other ways to ensure you use an oil-filled radiator more efficiently, including choosing a suitably powered appliance, positioning it correctly and using it to complement, rather than replace, your central heating.

Cleaning and maintenance

You won't need to do much to keep this oil-filled radiator in good working order. Keeping it dust-free is advised, and while a dry microfibre cloth will get the job done, you can also use a vacuum cleaner with the nozzle attachment to remove any stubborn dust between the fins.

When you're not using it, there's a handy cable tidy you can wrap the power cord around to keep it from getting damage or being a trip hazard.

Who should buy this oil-filled radiator?

If you are looking to heat a room up to 25m2 and ease of use is your primary concern, then the Morphy Richards HeatFlux 2.5kW digital oil-filled radiator will be right up your street. The on-board control panel and remote control are both intuitive to use, and the LED display makes it clear exactly what settings are in play.

But if the radiator's power and heat output is more of a concern, then Vonhaus' 2500W 11 fin oil-filled radiator may be more suitable. Despite having the same wattage, it felt more powerful in testing, warming a larger space more quickly. It also offered better heat retention, keeping warm for close to an hour after it was turned off, compared to around 20 minutes for the Morphy Richards. The downside? It's timer is definitely not as easy to use as the Morphy Richards model and it doesn't look as modern.

If you're trying to heat a much larger space, then the De'Longhi Dragon 4, which can heat spaces up to a whopping 50m2, will be best.

After a quicker boost of heat? Then instead of an oil-filled radiator, I'd recommend an electric heater than will kick out heat instantly. The Dreo Atom 316 is a favourite here at Ideal Home, making quick work of heating spaces up to 20m2, while the Duux Threesixty 2 evenly heats larger spaces up to 30m2.

It's that time of year again when many of our thoughts will begin to turn, however reluctantly, towards turning the central heating back on after months of enjoying lower energy bills thanks to the glorious summer we've just enjoyed.

I don't know about you, but I have already felt the cold creeping back into my house which, from about now onwards, right up until well into spring, becomes a place where layer-upon-layer of knitwear, hot water bottles and fluffy socks are firm staples.

While I am managing to resist the temptation to turn on the central heating system just yet, it is definitely getting towards that time but, given that my house is really inefficient in terms of retaining heat, I'm really keen that when I do flip the switch I get the most out of the my system. I admit that I am totally clueless about how many hours the heating should be on as well as a sensible schedule for me, so asked the experts for their advice to make sure my home is toasty and warm all winter long.

Is there such a thing as a perfect central heating schedule?

While I love the idea of there being a 'perfect central heating schedule' that I can simply set up and press go, I am dubious whether this really exists.

While many people will follow a similar pattern of scheduling the heating to come on for a couple of hours in the morning, maybe an hour or so at lunch and a couple of hours in the evening, this might not be ideal for everyone.

Patrick Garner, a Gas Safe registered engineer at Heatable, told me that, in reality, what is 'perfect' for one household will be all wrong for another. 'There isn’t one perfect heating schedule because every house is different.'

Martin Garbutt, head of technical governance at home services platform Ding, agrees that there is not a one-size-fits all schedule to keep a house warm in winter here. 'There’s no universal perfect schedule for heating your home. It depends on both your home and your habits. Finding yours will probably take a bit of trial and observation rather than following a generic rule.'

How do you find the best schedule for your home?

It seems clear then that what's needed is a tailored approach – but just where do you start when setting up the best heating schedule for your home?

Tom Houlker, director of Houlkair, suggests beginning by assessing at your daily routines. 'Build the heating schedule around when you use each room, and allow enough time for it to feel comfortable when you come home.'

Martyn Fowler, founder of Elite Renewables, has some more advice on this, particularly if, like me, you work from home. 'I’d start by looking at how you actually use the house and how quickly it cools down. If you work from home, you probably don’t need the heating running at the same temperature all day. I’d get the house comfortable for when you start work, then try dropping the thermostat slightly during the day and see how the house responds.

'Older, draughtier homes can lose heat quite quickly, so this can take a bit of trial and error,' continues Martyn. 'If the temperature falls rapidly and the boiler then has to work hard to get the house comfortable again, I’d adjust the timings rather than sticking rigidly to a schedule someone has recommended online.'

I'm definitely going to follow this advice, and use a bit of trial and error to determine the right schedule for my home. To start with, this is what I'm planning:

• 5.30-9am: We get up pretty early due my son's school being far away so we need the heating to already have kicked into action when we wake up at 6am. 
• 12-2pm: As I work from home, I need some heat throughout the day, and it is at about midday that the heat from the morning seems to wear off.
• 5-8pm: As the kids get home from school, we need the house to be warm and cosy – but I like it to be a bit cooler once we all head to bed later on so this is a good time for it to go off. Also, when winter really hits, we like to light the log burner and open fire and they kind of take over on the ground floor.

Tom Houlker says that the size of the space you are heating will also play a part. 'Every room will take a different time to heat up, depending on its size, windows and external walls. Don’t assume it will take the same 30 minutes it always does throughout winter either. Check the forecast and allow extra time on colder days, using your own observations to adjust the schedule. There’s no reliable rule that says each degree colder requires another five minutes of heating.'

What is the most efficient way to use central heating?

Understanding the most efficient way to use your central heating will be key to establishing the right heating schedule for your home.

Energy prices are once again on the rise, with Ofgem confirming that from 1 October to 31 December 2026, the energy price cap will increase by 4% to £1,725 per year for a typical use household.

We have an electric boiler and, with electricity prices considerably higher than gas, I am keen to know the most efficient way to heat a house and get the most from my heating system once I do cave and turn it on.

Ant Langston, marketing manager at HeatandPlumb.com, had some really interesting advice for me, particularly given the age of my house. I never realised that it can actually be cheaper to leave the heating on all day. 'We find the most energy efficient way to heat your home, especially in older properties, is to use the central heating only when needed, but set a minimum temperature so the room does not go completely cold. Allowing a room to go completely cold, only to reheat it again is a very expensive game to play. For older, draughty homes, never turn the heating off completely as this risks frozen pipes.'

Martyn Fowler agrees that low and steady is a good approach to take towards heating. 'The biggest thing is to avoid heating an empty house, but I also wouldn’t keep turning the heating from very hot to completely off throughout the day. For someone working from home, I’d usually aim for a comfortable temperature during the hours they’re actually using the house, then set it back when they go out or go to bed.

'And don’t set the thermostat to 25°C because you want the house to warm up faster,' adds Martyn. 'It doesn’t work like an accelerator. You’re just telling the heating to keep going until the house reaches a much higher temperature.'

Is it complicated to set up a heating schedule?

I have to admit that, in the past, I have ignored many energy saving tips and done the complete opposite of what the experts I spoke to suggested, simply turning the heating on and off as needed – largely due to being too lazy to take the time to set up a proper schedule.

According to Martyn Fowler, programming my system needn't cause me any headaches. 'It doesn’t have to be very complicated. Start with your normal routine. So when you get up, when you start work, when you finish and when you go to bed. Set the heating around those times and then adjust it over a week or so.

'I’d change one thing at a time,' continues Martyn. 'If the house is cold at 8am, bring the heating on a little earlier. If it’s staying warm for hours after you go to bed, you can probably switch it off earlier. You’re basically learning how your house behaves rather than trying to find a magic set of times.'

You should be able to find the instruction manual for your programmer or room thermostat online, which will talk you through how to do it.

Is smart heating better than traditional systems?

We're planning on starting work on another extension and remodel next year at some point and, as part of that, we'll be moving the boiler and upgrading the heating. I was interested to know whether the experts thought I should invest in a smart heating system at the same time.

'A normal programmable thermostat can do the basic job perfectly well,' picks up Martyn Fowler. 'That said, smart controls are useful because they make it easier to adjust things. If you finish work early or go out for the afternoon, you’re less likely to leave the heating running.'

Tom Houlker agrees that smart controls are useful for those with less predictable routines. 'A conventional timer and thermostat will work well if you have a consistent schedule. Smart controls are useful when plans change. Delaying heating using your phone is very helpful for this, therefore opting for a smart system can save you money in the long run.'

Martyn Fowler did point out to me, however, that while a smart system should be something to consider, I would be wise to use it alongside some other old house upgrades, including addressing heat loss. 'Smart controls will only get you so far. If you can feel cold air coming around the windows and doors or the house loses its warmth almost immediately after the heating switches off, I’d deal with those problems first. A heating schedule can reduce waste but it can’t stop heat escaping.'

This Draught Excluder Tape for Doors and Windows from Amazon has been a real game changer in terms of how warm my living room feels.

FAQs

Is it expensive to switch to smart heating controls?

I am seriously considering smart heating when we carry out work to our house next year but, given how over-budget our past projects have gone, I am keen to keep an eye on our renovation and extension costs this time. Is going high-tech with my heating a wise investment?

'The extra costs involved on the initial purchase will take a while to 'pay back' on the added savings,' advises Ant Langston. 'As good as these smart devices are, there are a few niggles which could affect how you use it.

'The main thought for me would be WiFi signal in older homes,' adds Ant. 'This can be troublesome due to the thicker walls so a hub losing a connection could mean a schedule doesn't run, or you cannot access it from where you are.

'Ongoing costs beyond the initial set up can also be a factor, such as subscriptions or or more advanced features like geo-fencing being paywalled,' adds Ant.

Alongside addressing my central heating schedule, I'll also be adding in a few upgrades to make my old house feel warmer this winter without relying solely on the heating system. The draught-proofing could still be improved upon and a couple of sets of thermal curtains are high on my wish-list.

It’s essential to clean the things that clean for you, as failing to do so will drastically shorten their lifespan and reduce efficiency. So, when you’re shelling out for an expensive robot vacuum, it’s even more important to clean this hands-free hero.

Nowadays, the best robot vacuum cleaners can largely be left to their own devices. They’ll vacuum your carpets, mop your hard floors, and some will even dust your skirting boards. But just as you need to clean a vacuum cleaner regularly, you also need to take some time to clean your robot vacuum and keep tangled hair, clogged filters and stagnant water at bay.

Thankfully, this won’t take much of your time. Lukas Zou, Robot Vacuum Specialist at Anker eufy, says you need to remember the following rule: ‘A five-minute weekly tidy, one twenty-minute monthly service, and a dock refresh every couple of months.’ So, these are the exact steps you need to follow.

1. Turn it off

The first step is simple, and Lukas advises, ‘Before starting any maintenance, power off and unplug the dock.’ Just make sure you take the time to turn off the bot and the dock separately.

You typically do this by removing the bot from the dock and pressing the power button. You’ll likely see the lights go out, and you may hear the voice assistant confirming the shutdown. A surefire way to check you’ve done this successfully is to also check the app.

Unplugging the docking station is enough to power it down. At this stage, it’s also worth consulting your instruction manual to see if the manufacturer has any specific cleaning and maintenance requirements. However, everything below should be standard cleaning practice and will ensure the robot vacuum is worth it.

2. Top up fresh water, and empty waste water

If you have an auto-empty robot vacuum cleaner and mop (which is what I’d always recommend as someone who tests them for a living), you’ll need to replace the fresh water weekly. This ensures that you’re always mopping your floors with hygienic, clean water, and not letting it go stagnant - especially if you don’t use it regularly.

While you’re at it, empty the wastewater to prevent unwanted smells. Then give it a good clean with water, washing-up liquid, and a clean cloth to remove any lingering grime from the corners or internal pipework.

3. Rinse the docking station and check mops

Many robot vacuums can now compete with the best mops, and docking stations typically handle dirty water and mop pads without human intervention. However, it’s worth checking the washing tray regularly to make sure it’s doing its job properly, and wiping it down to remove any lingering dirt.

Elizabeth White, UK Brand Manager for MOVA, explains, ‘Check the dock’s washing tray for build-up. If the washing tray has a heating module, make sure it is fully cooled down before cleaning it. If your machine doesn’t wash and dry its own mop pads, clean them after use and let them dry fully.’

She adds, ‘With automatic mop cleaning, check occasionally that the pads are clean and drying properly. This helps prevent unpleasant smells and stops dirty pads spreading grime back across the floor.’

4. Empty the dust chamber or replace dust bag

Whether you have a dock-free robot vacuum or one with an auto-empty docking station, you’ll still need to empty and clean a debris chamber. And AO’s appliance expert, Jade Golding-Gault, warns, ‘A full dustbin can reduce airflow and impact suction power. Emptying it regularly helps the vacuum pick up dirt and debris more effectively.’

If your model only has a small onboard dust chamber, you should ideally empty it after every clean - or you might be able to stretch to once a week if you have minimal mess. If your model comes with a dust bag, replace it every 30-60 days, but inspect it monthly and replace it with a fresh bag if it’s full.

For docking stations without a dust bag, empty the contents into a general waste bin as often as needed (typically once a month). If the manufacturer allows, you can then rinse it with water and dry it with a paper towel - but always check this, as some robot vacuum manufacturers advise against using water.

5. Remove any hair from brushes

Robot vacuums typically have a few brushes and brush rollers - including side brushes and the removable roller brush on the underside of the bot. And if you’re regularly vacuuming pet hair (or you’re just a particularly hairy human), hair can wrap around both of them.

That’s why Elizabeth advises, ‘Give the brushes and wheels a quick check each week. Remove any trapped hair and threads using the recommended cleaning tool. Even anti-tangle brushes are worth checking, as build-up can restrict movement, leave more dirt behind and put extra strain on the machine.’

Your robot vacuum may come with a hair removal tool, but you can also use scissors or a dedicated tool like this Pikk-It Hair Removal Tool for Vacuums (£7.99 on Amazon) to remove hair.

6. Clean the filter

Just as you should clean your regular vacuum cleaner's filter once a month, you should do the same with your robot vacuum cleaner. Especially as Jade says, ‘Filters trap fine dust and allergens, but when they become clogged, they can put extra strain on the appliance.’

Thankfully, it’s not difficult to clean the filter and keep your robot vacuum in full working order. And Jade advises, ‘Tapping out loose debris and gently brushing away dust will help keep the vacuum running effectively.’

You don’t need any fancy tools, but if tapping over a bin isn’t enough, a clean, soft-bristled toothbrush should do the trick. If you run your robot vacuum more than once a day and have a particularly messy house, you may need to do this more than once a month.

7. Wipe the sensors

Although robot vacuums have sensors and obstacle detection that help them navigate around obstacles, it’s still a good idea to declutter before using a robot vacuum and wipe the sensors every so often. The same goes for the charging points on the bot and the dock.

Elizabeth says, ‘Sensors and charging contacts are easy to overlook. As a guide, give them a gentle wipe with a soft, dry cloth (never use a wet cloth) once a month, or sooner if they look dusty. Keeping these clean helps the robot find its way around your home and connect properly to its charger.’

This will help you get the most out of your robot vacuum and keep your hard-earned investment running and cleaning at its best.

FAQs

So, make sure you give your robot vacuum the TLC it deserves.

I always love a stick vacuum I can grab and go without thinking too much, and one that can handle my cat's hair and whatever's been tracked in from the patio of my basement flat. That's why I've always leaned towards the best cordless vacuum cleaners. It's an extra bonus when they're affordable, too.

That's why I wanted to test the VAX Pace Plus Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. It's the entry model in VAX's ONEPWR cordless range, with an RRP of £189.99, well below most of the stick vacuums I've tested. You wouldn't expect Dyson-level performance at that price, of course, but I was curious as to whether it would clean well enough that I wouldn't end up eyeing a pricier model. This is how it fared.

In a nutshell

A big vacuum has never really made sense for me, since my one-bedroom basement flat is mostly hard floors with a couple of rugs, and most of the mess worth worrying about comes in on my cat's paws as Jet comes through his cat flap. So, on paper, the VAX Pace Plus fit the bill.

And from the first proper clean, it did more than I'd anticipated for the price. Spilt flour and rice disappeared from the kitchen floor in one go, and the rugs (where a cheap stick vacuum usually gives up) were no trouble at all. At 3.1kg, it's light enough to pick up for a quick tidy, and it steers easily around chair legs and under the sofa.

I timed battery life at around 43 minutes in standard mode, which was more than enough for a go-around my flat. Boost mode, as you'd expect, wipes it out in about 10 minutes. Crushed cereal also needed an extra pass, and the only real nuisance was the fur wrapping itself around the brush bar. If you have a small place with mostly hard floors, I'd keep it in mind.

For the most part, though, this is a budget-friendly cordless vacuum that ticks a lot of boxes - just be warned that it won't be able to compete at the same level as the best vacuums for pet hair if you share your home with any furry friends.

Specifications

• Weight (overall): 3.1kg
• Weight (handheld): 1.4kg
• Bin volume: 0.6L
• Run time: Up to 40 mins, 10 mins in Boost
• Charge time: 3 hours
• Modes: 2 (standard and Boost), plus brush bar on/off
• Filtration: 3-stage, washable filter
• Noise level (measured by us): 56dB (standard), 64.5dB (Boost)
• In the box: Wall mount, ONEPWR charger, crevice tool, stair tool
• Dimensions: H105 x W24 x D21cm
• Guarantee: 3 years with registration

Meet the tester

Unboxing and setting up

The VAX Pace Plus comes in a tall, skinny box which I could quite easily carry in from the doorstep with one hand. All the components are in cardboard inserts, and the only thing that's in a plastic bag is the battery itself, so pretty much everything went straight into the recycling.

You get the main body, floorhead, extension wand, the removable ONEPWR battery with its charger, a crevice tool, a stair tool and a wall mount. It's a fairly basic kit by stick vacuum standards with no dusting brush or mini motorised tool - though at this price, I'd rather the money went into the floorhead than a drawer full of attachments destined to gather dust.

It took about two minutes to set it up. The wand clicks into the main unit, the floorhead clicks onto the wand, and the picture-led instructions take care of the rest. There's no floor-standing dock, just a wall mount, so you'll need to find a spot and drill it in (screws and wall plugs are included).

It won't stand on its own, so between cleans it'll be either on the mount or leaning against the wall. The battery slides out and charges in its own little cradle, so you don't have to keep the vacuum by a socket.

It feels a bit more plasticky than a Dyson or a Shark at this price, as you'd expect, but nothing gives way or flexes, and the wand feels solid. The grip is comfortable, and the weight is well balanced, sitting close to your hand rather than the front end dragging down.

Using the VAX Pace Plus Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

The controls are as simple as you could possibly get. Three buttons sit along the top of the handle: one for power, one to switch the brush bar on and off, and a plus for Boost.

There are just two power settings (standard and Boost), and you can turn the brush bar off for hard floors. The 40-minute runtime VAX quote is for standard mode on hard floors with the brush bar off, so you'll get less if you're cleaning rugs or carpet.

I started with a debris test on the textured vinyl in the kitchen, scattering flour, rice, and crushed cereal, then running the Pace Plus over it in standard mode with the brush bar on.

The flour and rice were both dealt with in one pass (a few grains did get caught in the vinyl's dimples), and the cereal took a second pass, with a few larger pieces being pushed ahead of the floorhead before it caught them.

Boost made very little difference, so I'd save that for carpet or rugs. I also did a pass with the brush bar off (as VAX recommends for hard floors), but I ultimately left it on for everything as the results weren't as effective.

The rug in the living room took a couple of passes to clean properly, largely because the muck had worked its way down into the pile. Boost definitely earned its keep here, pulling up the last of the fluff right along the edge.

VAX makes no anti-tangle claims for the brush bar, and it’s clear why. By the end of the test, a thick band of Jet's fur (and some of mine) was wound right around the brush bar, and a good-sized felted clump packed into the corner of the floorhead, which I had to pry the brush bar out of to clear.

Day to day, it's easy to carry between rooms and gets on well with furniture. The wand is low enough to reach under the sofa and bed, and my wrist was fine after a full clean, though I wouldn't want to use it as a handheld for long, as the 1.4kg weight can take its toll if you're constantly reaching up high to clean upper nooks and crannies.

The bin was the real story, as after the first couple of cleans, it was stuffed past the MAX line with hair, grit, and bits of leaf from the houseplants, plus stuff pulled out of the rugs, which I'd thought were fairly clean.

I got just over 44 minutes in standard mode, well above VAX's 40-minute claim. A full clean of my flat takes about 20 minutes, so one charge is more than enough, and I'd only be recharging every other clean.

Recharge time was just over 3 hours, which matches VAX's claim, but if you have a larger property, the removable battery could be worth a look. A spare ONEPWR battery (£79.99 from VAX at the time of writing) would double your cleaning time, and it's compatible with VAX's other ONEPWR machines, too

I recorded noise levels at 56dB in standard mode and 64.5dB in Boost (again, below average for a stick vac). You could still hear the TV over it in standard mode, though Boost is loud enough that I'd definitely avoid it if someone were on a call in the next room.

Using the attachments

There are just a crevice tool and a stair tool to swap between with the VAX Pace Plus, and it becomes a handheld when you unclip the wand with the button by the bin.

The corner by the cat flap is where Jet's litter and all the general outdoor mess accumulates, so that's where I put the crevice tool to work. It cleared that and the skirting boards pretty quickly, although the narrow nozzle does take a couple of passes to cover the width.

There are no stairs in my flat (another benefit of living in a basement), so I gave the stair tool a go on my sofa. It did a good job lifting cat hair out of the sofa cushions, though it required a few passes to get into the seams.

Cleaning and maintenance

The 0.6L bin is a bit bigger than some more expensive competitors, and in my flat I expected to empty it every two or three cleanings.

It's pretty easy to do, as there's a release that simply drops the base open, though it is a two-handed job, and hair has a habit of getting caught in the mesh filter in the middle, so I had to fish some of it out with my fingers.

The filter is washable (which keeps future costs down), but it needs rinsing about once every two weeks and takes 24 hours to dry. I'd wash it the night before a day off cleaning.

If hair did get caught on the brush bar, it was easy to release and remove, and clearing, refitting, and reassembling it took less than a minute.

The wall mount holds the vacuum by its handle with the floorhead resting on the floor. The battery charger obviously needs its own space near a socket, which is a small inconvenience but means the vacuum can stay in one room while the battery charges in another.

How does it compare?

A natural competitor to the VAX Pace Plus is in the same brand, though the Vax HomePro Pet-Design Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is slightly pricier at £299. However, this model is a dedicated pet model, so it suits those who need to rely on anti-tangle technology.

Spend a bit more, and you get the Dreame V20 Pro (£349.99 RRP), with Auto mode that adjusts suction to the level of dirt, a sharper edge and a charging dock with tool storage.

The bin is a little smaller at 0.5L, and for a small flat like mine, I suspect the extra performance isn't worth the roughly threefold price premium, at least while the Pace Plus is on sale. If you want a vacuum that looks like it's straight out of a sci-fi film, it's certainly an option.

Verdict: Should you buy the VAX Pace Plus?

The VAX Pace Plus cleaned my floors better than the price suggests, lifting flour and rice in one pass while also handling rugs quite well. It's light, easy to live with, and the removable battery makes it more versatile than most budget stick vacs I've tried.

It would start to struggle in larger homes, though. Half an hour of battery won't go far, and if you have a long-haired pet, untangling the brush bar will be a regular job. For a small, mostly hard-floored property, though, it's an easy one to put on your shortlist.

It's what I reach for now when Jet comes in through the cat flap trailing half the patio, and I haven't once wished it were something pricier.

Bedrooms are one of the rooms that seem to attract a lot of dust, and keeping on top of it can feel like a never-ending battle. But there are plenty of dust magnets in a bedroom that can easily get overlooked - and some of them might be hiding in plain sight.

So, where exactly are these sneaky dust collectors lurking? 'The obvious dust collectors are bedding, carpets, curtains, cushions and upholstered headboards,' explains Klaudia Skarbek, professional cleaner at Wecasa. 'Some of the biggest offenders are the things people rarely think to clean.'

The dust hiding in your bedroom isn't just dirt - it can contain dead skin cells, hair, fabric fibres, pollen and particles associated with dust mites (pretty grim, huh?!). And as we spend hours in our bedroom sleeping, keeping dust levels down can create a cleaner, more comfortable sleeping environment.

The good news? You don't need to spend hours scrubbing your bedroom from top to bottom to get rid of dust. I spoke to cleaning experts to find out which bedroom items are the biggest culprits, and how to clean them properly to keep dust at bay.

1. Lampshades

Lampshades are one of the most commonly missed bedroom spots to clean, but they're surprisingly good dust magnets, especially fabric ones. 'Fabric lampshades are often overlooked when it comes to cleaning but can be secret dust magnets if not cleaned regularly,' says Heather Nixon, sustainability manager at Bio-D.

Giving your lampshades a dust every one to two weeks can help stop dirt from building up. Heather recommends using a dry microfibre cloth or your vacuum's upholstery attachment on a low setting. 'Work gently from the top of the shade down so that you’re removing build-up rather than simply moving it around,' she says.

This top-to-bottom approach is a good rule to follow throughout your bedroom clean, too. 'My golden rule is dust from top to bottom and vacuum last,' says Klaudia. 'Otherwise, you’re simply knocking dust onto surfaces you’ve already cleaned.'

2. Curtains

Curtains are another obvious but easily overlooked dust magnet in a bedroom.

'Curtains are often forgotten when it comes to maintaining a clean home, but when left sitting undisturbed for long periods of time, they can accumulate dust, pet hair and everyday dirt,' says Heather.

It might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you're thinking about the best way to clean curtains, but Heather suggests using your vacuum's upholstery attachment to get rid of dust. 'Pay particular attention to the folds and top edge that could be secretly hiding dust,' she adds.

And if you need to give your curtains a deeper clean, some styles can be machine washed, but it's worth checking the care label first.

3. Mattresses

Because your mattress is covered by bedding most of the time, it's easy to neglect it. But keeping your mattress clean will help prevent dust (not to mention other dirt and debris) from building up.

'Over time, dust, skin cells and other everyday debris can collect across the surface and particularly around the seams and piping,' explains Heather.

Mattresses are another area where your vacuum cleaner can be put to use. Heather suggests running the upholstery attachment over the mattress when you change to your bedding. 'Pay extra attention to seams, edges and crevices where dust can gather,' she advises.

And if you haven't already, Heather recommends investing in a mattress and pillow protector. 'They create a washable layer and protect from any build-up,' she adds.

4. Under the bed

It might be out of sight, but the space under the bed can be one of the biggest dust hotspots in a bedroom - particularly if it's become a dumping ground for shoes, storage boxes and all the random items you don't quite know where to put.

'Under the bed is often an area of the bedroom where miscellaneous items get thrown and forgotten about but create even more surfaces for dust, hair and fibres to settle on,' says Heather.

Rather than just running the vacuum around whatever's underneath, Heather recommends taking everything out so you can vacuum or sweep the whole area properly. Heather recommends paying particular attention to the skirting boards and corners too, and wiping down any storage boxes before you put them back.

'To reduce the amount of settled dust, I’d consider closed box storage rather than open baskets,' adds Heather.

5. Upholstered headboards

And finally, if you have an upholstered headboard, you might be surprised at the amount of dust it could be collecting. 'An upholstered headboard can act like a dust trap,' says Klaudia. 'Its fabric, padding and seams can hold onto dust, skin cells and fibres, particularly around the edges.'

Thankfully, you don't need to dismantle your bed to give the headboard a good clean. Use your vacuum cleaner upholstery or brush attachment, and work slowly over the fabric, paying particular attention to seams and edges, where dust can gather.

And if you're aiming for a completely dust-free bedroom, Klaudia says it's worth remembering you don't need to eliminate every last speck.

'The aim isn’t to make your bedroom completely dust-free because it’s unrealistic,' she says. 'It’s about stopping dust from building up and regularly cleaning the surfaces and fabrics that collect the most of it.'

Shop dust-free bedroom essentials

You might not be able to completely stop dust magnets in a bedroom, but adding these often overlooked spots to your cleaning routine might mean you won't have to tackle quite as much dust next time.

Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be incredibly chaotic. And as you add presents, decorations, and guests to the festive fun, clutter can multiply and take over your house. That’s why storage is key.

As Ideal Home’s resident organisation guru and storage obsessive, I’m a big fan of pretty-but-practical storage baskets that help you store (and sometimes hide) those items that you don’t want on show. But I'm also a HUGE fan of whimsical Christmas decor. So, when I spotted new Christmas-themed storage baskets making the rounds, I knew they were made for me.

From storage baskets shaped like Christmas puddings to adorable penguins and trees, these are the magical buys I’m snapping up right now to get ahead of Christmas clutter at home. After all, if my prediction is correct, these will sell like hotcakes… or should I say hot chestnuts?

While I'm obsessed with these adorable festive storage additions, I also appreciate that other Christmas storage needs to be practical. That's why I've recently snapped up some practical storage for my Christmas tree, wreaths and baubles, too.

Everyone’s favourite laundry basket has had a glow-up this autumn. The Joseph Joseph Tota 2 Laundry Basket (£120, Joseph Joseph) has had a couple of clever design upgrades that make sorting your washing even easier and more efficient - and no, you don’t have to sacrifice the sleek design of the original.

The Joseph Joseph Tota Laundry Basket has been a favourite amongst Ideal Home editors for the past few years now. Its original design won over our hearts, as not only can you separate lights and darks, but each section has handles, making the whole process easier.

Now, the Tota 2 has these key features, but it has also upgraded its lid, fixing perhaps the basket’s only pain point. Here’s everything you need to know.

This year, we’ve seen the rise of the pretty laundry basket, and the Joseph Joseph model remains one of the best-looking laundry baskets you can buy. Its sleek, compact design and neutral colourways blend seamlessly into your utility room and bedroom ideas. The Tota 2 is no exception.

At first glance, the two models look very similar. The difference is in the material and the new lid design upgrade. The plastic used for the original lid has been swapped for a luxe felt that matches the side of the laundry basket.

The other upgrade is that the lid now cleverly docks onto the side when in use. So instead of floundering around for a spot to perch the lid while you're lifting the laundry out to take to the washing machine, you just tuck it onto the side where it's always at hand.

‘I've had my tota twin laundry basket for 3 years; it was an expensive purchase, but so worth it. It neatly tucks away in the corner of my bedroom and speeds up laundry day as all my colours are pre-sorted. My partner has gone through 2 laundry baskets in the time I've had mine, and it still looks as good as the day I bought it,’ says Rebecca Knight, Ideal Home’s Digital Editor.

‘However, if I were to buy it again, I'd opt for the Tota 2 Trio (£130, John Lewis) so I have an extra compartment to separate things that need special washing care. I'm also very jealous of the new lid holder feature on the new and improved model!’

I’ll admit that Tota Laundry Baskets are expensive. Rebecca snapped hers up on sale, but does say it is worth it, genuinely streamlining her laundry routine. To further level up your laundry routine she also recommends pairing it with the Hold-All™ Ecru Collapsible 35L Laundry Basket (£37.50, Joseph Joseph). It is one of the best space-saving laundry baskets as it folds completely flat, making it easy to stash down the side of your washing machine or tuck behind the Tota laundry basket when not in use.

If you're looking to overhaul your laundry routine, here are a couple of other clever buys to help simplify the process.

If you laundry routine is due a refresh, the Joseph Joseph Tota 2 is a serious contender for a more streamlined experience.

If you wake up to steamy windows or find yesterday's washing still damp, these everyday frustrations could signal that excess moisture is building up in your home.

Cooking, showering, and drying laundry indoors all release moisture into the air. In autumn and winter, when windows stay closed longer, that moisture can become harder to manage, and that's where a good dehumidifier can help.

A dehumidifier can help bring indoor humidity under control, but how do you know whether you actually need one? These are the five signs top experts say to look out for in your home.

1. You regularly wake up to wet windows

A little condensation might not seem particularly alarming, but regularly soaking windows are worth investigating.

'Condensation forms when moist air meets a cold surface,' explains Chris Michael, Meaco’s co-founder and air treatment expert. 'Wiping the glass removes the water, but it does not address the excess moisture in the air.'

If wiping down or vacuuming your windows has become part of your morning routine, check your home's humidity rather than simply dealing with the puddles. Keep frames and sills dry, use extractor fans when cooking and showering and consider a dehumidifier, like the Meaco Arete Two at Appliances Direc, if moisture remains persistently high. Smaller dehumidifiers that usually cost under £100 are also useful for smaller, localised problem areas, like window panes.

Shop our best dehumidifiers

2. Mould keeps appearing around windows and behind furniture

Mould spots around window frames, in cold corners or behind a wardrobe can indicate a moisture problem.

'Look beyond the room where you first spot it,' advises Chris. 'Moisture from cooking, showering and drying washing can move around the home and settle on colder surfaces.'

Pamela Petty, director at Ebac, warns that excess moisture can also cause 'warped window ledges, peeling paint and wallpaper, and doors sticking due to expansion.'

A dehumidifier can help reduce airborne moisture, but it won't fix a leaking pipe, roof problem or water entering through damaged walls. Investigate the cause, particularly if damp is concentrated in one area, and deal with existing mould as well as the humidity.

3. There's a musty smell that won't shift

Sometimes your nose picks up a problem before you can see it. A lingering musty smell in a bedroom, cupboard or wardrobe deserves a closer look.

'A persistently musty smell around your home can be a sign of damp, even before you see mould,' says Chris. 'Check behind furniture and inside wardrobes and cupboards, where the problem may be less obvious.'

Pamela adds that upholstery and furnishings feeling damp to the touch can be another clue. Check these tucked-away areas for moisture and allow air to circulate around furniture. If the smell persists, investigate its source rather than covering it with fragrance.

4. Washing takes ages to dry indoors

If your clothes spend days on the airer or still feel slightly damp when you put them away, excess humidity could be contributing.

'Now it's autumn, cooler temperatures and closed windows make it harder for washing to dry and moisture to escape,' explains Chris. 'Each load adds moisture to your home, which can build up.'

Temperature, airflow and how closely you hang clothes also affect drying time. However, a dehumidifier can help by removing moisture released by the washing.

Both experts recommend looking for a dedicated laundry mode, like our favourite, the SmartAir Dry Zone dehumidifier, from Amazon, if you regularly dry clothes indoors. Give garments space on the airer and follow the appliance's instructions for positioning.

5. Your humidity readings regularly exceed 60%

An inexpensive hygrometer, like TempPro's small digital thermometer and hygrometer on Amazon, can help confirm whether your home's humidity is consistently high.

'Readings regularly above 60% indicate excess moisture and suggest your home could benefit from a dehumidifier,' says Chris. He recommends a target of around 55% relative humidity for UK homes.

Check readings over several days, rather than relying on a single measurement immediately after a shower.

Once you've spotted the signs, finding the right model is the next step. Chris recommends considering your home's size, how much washing you dry indoors and the temperature of the space, while Pamela advises comparing energy efficiency alongside the purchase price.

Our guide to how to choose a dehumidifier explains what to look for, from extraction capacity to useful features such as a humidistat and laundry mode.

Aldi is dropping a sleek new dehumidifier, and it’s perfect for keeping small homes and flats free from damp - and it’s only £44.99.

Now that the summer’s heatwaves feel like a distant, sweaty memory, the temperatures have dropped, the weather is getting wetter, and it’s quickly becoming the time of year when we are relying on the best dehumidifiers to help keep damp at bay in our homes.

However, the best models can easily cost hundreds of pounds. That is where this Aldi Specialbuy comes in handy. It’s affordable, compact and will remove excess moisture from your home. Here’s everything you need to know.

Every autumn, Aldi drops a dehumidifier, and this latest model is one of the more affordable options I’ve seen. A dehumidifier works to get rid of damp by sucking in excess water from the air in your home and releasing dry air back into the space to reduce the overall humidity. It can help dry washing faster, reduce condensation and can even remove musty, stale odours. This contributes to making your home a healthier environment for you and your family.

The Aldi Ambiano Dehumidifier has a 2.2L water storage tank, making it small to medium and well-suited to smaller rooms. It runs on a 24-hour timer and has overheat protection so you don’t have to worry about running it overnight. It even offers 10 different coloured night light options.

The dehumidifier itself looks pretty smart and, as a compact unit, is again well-suited to a small home. What I will say is that because of its small water tank, you should expect it to need emptying more frequently than larger tanks. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to reuse dehumidifier water around your home, including watering your plants and for cleaning jobs, like filling the iron.

Now, we haven’t tested the Aldi dehumidifier and considering its price, I expect it will be a little basic. However, if you are looking for an affordable dehumidifier, Aldi Specialbuys do tend to surprise me in terms of quality. So, I do think it’s worth a try.

Alternatively, here are a few more dehumidifiers that the Ideal Home team have tried and reviewed.

If you struggle with damp, but haven't invested in a dehumidifier let this be your reminder to do so, and that budget options are available.

After a very mild start to autumn, I am definitely starting to notice temperatures dropping. While I've been using an oil-filled radiator for the odd days it's been a bit chilly, I am now contemplating putting my central heating on for the first time this season.

Before I do that though, I always like to bleed my radiators so I know they'll offer even heat. While this is a task well within the skillset of even the most novice DIYers, there are a few key things you need to know before you start, from whether you should bleed upstairs or downstairs radiators first, to whether your heating should be on or off.

Should your heating be on or off when you bleed a radiator?

While having your heating on can help identify radiators that are warm at the bottom and cold at the top (a clear sign of air build up), for the actual act of bleeding your radiators, it is essential that your heating is off and your radiators cold.

'If you’re going to bleed your radiators, make sure the heating is switched off and, ideally, wait until your radiators have gone completely cold.,' says Nick Duggan, Director of The Radiator Centre. 'You don’t want to be opening the bleed valve while there’s hot water circulating, as you could end up with hot water coming out and potentially burn yourself. Letting the radiator cool down also gives the air and water inside a chance to settle, so you’ll get a better result when you bleed it.'

As well as the risk of scolding, trying to bleed a radiator while the heating is on means water will come out faster, making it a rather messy business. Plus it's less effective and you'll likely find your radiators have cold spots again.

How long after bleeding your radiators can you turn the heating back on?

While there's no set time period as to how long you should wait before turning your heating back on after bleeding your radiators, experts do suggest making one quick check before you turn it back on.

'Once you’ve finished, you don’t need to leave the heating off for ages,' explains Nick. 'Give it a few minutes, check the boiler pressure, and then you can turn the heating back on. If you’ve bled a few radiators, the pressure may have dropped slightly, so it’s worth checking it’s still within the recommended range before you do.'

How do you identify which radiators need bleeding?

While a cold spot at the top of a radiator is a common sign a specific radiator needs bleeding, you might not be able to feel all the signs of trapped air in the system.

'Trapped air can create cold spots, reduce heating performance and, over time, contribute to corrosion within the system,' explains Darren Danks, Head of Training at Worcester Bosch. 'It's also worth noting that small pockets of air don't always produce noticeable cold spots, so a system can still contain air even if every radiator feels warm.'

So while you could just bleed the radiator that has a noticeable cold spot at the top, it's worthwhile taking a couple of extra minutes to bleed all of your radiators to release any hidden trapped air from the system.

How long does it take to bleed a radiator?

The good news is it only takes about 30 seconds to bleed a radiator, so you can likely bleed all of the radiators in your home in around 15 minutes. It might take a bit longer if you have radiator covers that need to be removed first.

But once you have the tools you need, and have the process nailed, it's definitely not a long and laborious task. This is what you'll need:

The autumn weather can turn your hallway into a mess. And as someone who went years without proper shoe storage, I can tell you that constantly tripping over shoes and mopping up muddy footprints gets boring fast. That’s where clever products like the Argos Home 2 Shelf Stackable Shoe Rack (£7 at Argos) can help.

Yes, one thing I know for certain is you can’t keep a hallway consistently tidy without storage solutions that work for your entryway and your needs, and narrow hallways with limited space like mine suit small-space-friendly shoe storage solutions best. However, these space-savvy options also often limit the number of shoes you can store - which isn’t always practical if you have a big family, like to host or just love shoes (guilty!).

That’s why this Argos shoe rack is so clever. Not only does it give muddy shoes a home over the wetter months, but the stackable design means it can ‘grow’ as and when you need it. This means that you can tailor it to your space AND your shoes throughout the autumn months and beyond.

At just £7, this shoe rack is ridiculously affordable, which is great for your bank account. But this bargain price also means that it’s not quite on the same aesthetic level as the prettier shoe racks on the market.

However, I’m a firm believer that shoe storage works best when it offers function over form, as attractive shoe racks often focus too much on looks and sacrifice usable space. But the Argos Home 2 Shelf Stackable Shoe Rack offers a compact design that’ll suit a smaller hallway, while also letting you expand it if needed.

That’s because this shoe rack features a stackable design for those who want to keep more than six pairs of shoes tidy this autumn. For example, if you wanted to stop 12 pairs of muddy shoes from cluttering up your hallway, you can buy two and slot them together using the dowels in the four vertical pieces of wood.

If you need even more space, you can buy a third or maybe even a fourth and simply slot them on top of each other to keep them secure. And making the most of vertical space is one of the techniques the pros swear by when organising a smaller room or hallway.

Plus, I wouldn’t say it was unattractive. The natural pine look is a neutral design choice that suits any hallway decor, and you can paint it if you're so inclined. This means it’s a very customisable way to autumn-proof your hallway, add extra storage to your entryway, or even add to the bottom of your wardrobe or tuck it into your under-the-stairs cupboard.

Don’t just take my word for it, either. This £7 Argos shoe rack is one of the retailer’s biggest sellers, and at the time of writing, the Argos Home 2 Shelf Stackable Shoe Rack has over 3,500 reviews with an average star rating of 4.2 out of 5.

One happy customer wrote, ‘I bought three of them. They're an absolute bargain,’ and another raved, ‘Great value simple shoe rack. Easy to assemble, sturdy enough. We have it in a rear porch for gardening shoes, walking boots, etc. It holds plenty of pairs.’

A small minority haven’t been as positive about the quality, though, so bear that in mind if you’re looking to organise your hallway this autumn.

It’s a great, affordable option for muddy shoes, as long as you appreciate that it is definitely on the cheaper side of the market. But if you're willing to splash a bit more cash, I have popped some alternatives below, too.

For just £7, though, I think the stackable Argos shoe rack is my winner!

I recently moved house, and although all major reno plans are on hold for a while, I decided to treat myself to some upgraded Christmas decorations as a little moving-in gift. But when a new tree, baubles, wreath, and other festive bits and bobs turned up at my doorstep this week, I quickly realised I hadn’t ordered something else: storage!

It’s easy to overlook how you store Christmas decorations, but many of these festive items are fragile and breakable. Not to mention, they spend most of their days in a cold, damp loft, where they’re susceptible to dirt and mould, which can drastically affect their look and lifespan. That’s why I’ve been on the hunt for some new storage that can protect them properly.

Ideally, I’d love to start by buying the bauble storage trolley that Ruth Langsford uses (which, if anyone is interested, is the very fancy Deluxe Rolling Bauble Chest, £279 at Balsam Hill), but my small budget just doesn’t stretch that far. So, I’ve found some more affordable alternatives, and I thought I’d share them with you, too.

I always love to be prepared, so buying these Christmas decoration storage solutions now will prevent any nasty surprises after Christmas. And I've just snapped up these whimsical festive storage baskets for everyday items, too.

It's getting to that time of year when if you spend a lot of time at home, but don't want your heating on constantly, it's worth investing in a heater to provide a boost in the room you're in, when you need it.

If, like me, you have a larger, open plan space, you'll need one of the best oil-filled radiators powerful enough to warm it up.

I've been putting the Vonhaus 2500W 11 Fin Oil Filled Radiator with Timer through it's paces in my home for the last couple of weeks, to see if it was up to the challenge of heating up my kitchen diner. This is what I thought of its set up and performance, and whether I think it could work in your home too.

In a nutshell

The Vonhaus 2500W 11 Fin Oil Filled Radiator with Timer is suitable for medium to large rooms, warming them evenly and with ease. With three different heat settings, 1000W, 1500W, and 2500W, as well as a thermostat dial, you can customise the heat output to your preferences. There is also a timer that you can use to turn it on or off at certain times.

It comes with wheels so you can easily move it around without needing to lift it's 10kg weight, and it has a built in cable tidy so you can keep it neat when it's not in use.

Available in black, grey and white, there is an option to best suit any interior scheme, and it has an RRP of £79.99.

How I tested

Specification

• Type of heater: Oil-filled radiator
• RRP: £79.99
• Weight: 10kg
• Dimensions: (W x H x D): 44.2 x 61.8 x 28cm
• Wattage: 2500W
• Running costs per hour: 26-66p/kWh
• Room size suitability: Up to 30m2
• Smart features? None
• Dual functionality? None
• Timer? Yes
• Remote control? No

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

The Vonhaus 11 fin oil-filled radiator with timer was delivered in a large yet narrow cardboard box. While the box was quite heavy, I did manage to move it single handedly into my living room from the doorway to unbox it.

While the outer box is all recyclable cardboard, there is polystyrene internal packaging inside that I wish had been recyclable cardboard instead, as well as a plastic bag.

In the box, you get the radiator itself, an instruction manual, two wheels, two wheel bases and two u-shaped bolts, which you will need to attach. I followed the instructions for fitting the wheels, but did find it a little more fiddly than I thought I would.

It was easy enough to attach the wheels to the wheel bases, but you will need to upturn the radiator, which is quite heavy, and it's not all that stable whichever way up you have it until you pop the wheels on. And so it was propped on my knee while I tried to fit the wheel bases to the radiator with the u-shaped bots, and that's where things got a bit tricky, especially when my curious puppy decided she wanted to help. While I managed it with two hands, I do think it would be better to have a second pair of hands to support the radiator at a suitable angle while the wheels are attached.

Once the wheels were fixed in place and I'd turned it right side up, about 20 minutes had passed. But with two pairs of human hands, I'd say this could be done in a couple of minutes tops.

Then it's just a matter of plugging it in and turning it on.

When it comes to looks, the radiator is largely plain and minimalist, but it does look a bit dated compared to other oil-filled radiators I've seen. But as this isn't an appliance I am likely to leave out year round in my home, I tend to view as more functional than aesthetic.

What’s it like to use?

I first tried the Vonhaus 2500W 11 fin oil-filled radiator in my medium sized living room, that is around the 18m2 mark. I was prepared to wait a little while for the oil-filled radiator to start producing heat (after all that's one of the main differences between electric heaters and oil-filled radiators), but I was pleased to notice that I could feel the room warming up after just 10 minutes.

Measuring the ambient temperature in the room, it rose from 16.8 to 17.8°C in those first ten minutes in the highest power mode, up to 20.2°C after 30 minutes and a very cosy 22.2°C after an hour. The heat seemed to be evenly distributed around the room, too.

When I turned it off, it continued to radiate heat for the best part of an hour too. Free heat!

I also used it in my open plan kitchen diner, which is around 22m2, to see how it would perform in a larger space. It took a bit longer to feel the effects, but I clocked the ambient room temperature had risen by a degree in about 20 minutes, and I was able to feel the warmth from the radiator while I was about 5m away on the other side of the room. After an hour, the ambient temperature had risen by 2.5°C.

Moving the radiator from room to room was really easy. I found the wheels moved well on both hard floors and carpet, although I did find it easier to pull it over the rug in my living room, using the recessed handle above the controls, rather that pushing it.

While moving it around the same level in my home was a doddle, moving it up and downstairs is a bit more of a task. Weighing 10 kilos, and being quite sizable in dimension, it's doable, but it's not easy. If you have any mobility or dexterity concerns, I would suggest waiting for assistance before attempting to manoeuvre this up the stairs.

I did find that the handle and controls were warm to the touch once the radiator had been on for a while, but it was still possible to move it around. But to be on the safe side, I'd wait until it was fully cooled before trying to move it around.

In terms of controls, they are pretty basic. You have one dial that goes from 0 to 3. This is to select your heat output, from 1000W in position one, to 2500W in position 3, and position 0 turns it off.

A second dial, which sadly does not show any numerical measurement, is the adjustable thermostat. Turn it clockwise to raise the temperature and anti-clockwise to reduce it. While that's simple enough, I do wish there was a little more specificity so I could select an actual target temperature. However, adjusting the heat output and thermostat based on your comfort levels, it's easy enough to ensure a comfortable level of heat. There's no remote control included so you will need to do this via the onboard control panel.

While the general operation of the oil-filled radiator is straightforward, the same can't be said for the timer, which to me seems overly complex and old fashioned. It's comprised of two dials which represents a 24 hour clock, with 96 tiny plastic segments which each represents a 15 minute time window. These segments are so tiny, it's very difficult to set with any accuracy. Those with vision or dexterity issues may experience an added layer of difficulty with the timer. But if you're happy with being able to programme the radiator to turn on or off at more of a rough time, then the timer is worth using. If you are looking for a more rigid timescale, I'd be tempted to turn it on and off manually instead.

When it's off and cooled down, it's easy to push closer to the wall so it's out of the way. I like that there is an onboard cable tidy to protect the cable and avoid a trip hazard when it's not in use.

How much does it cost to run?

The running costs of this oil-filled radiator will depend on which setting you use and how long you use it for, but based on the October 2026 energy price cap figure of 2.32p/kWh of electricity, you can expect this heater to cost between 26 and 66p per hour to run.

Using the timer can help ensure it's not used longer than necessary

Cleaning and maintenance

One thing I love about oil-filled radiators is that they need very little maintenance, and this Vonhaus model is no exception.

To ensure your oil-filled radiator lasts, and works most efficiently, you'll need to give it a regular dust and try to avoid any dings or dents. The oil inside doesn't get used up, so it won't need refilling, but when it's not in use, it's wise to store it upright so the oil remains settled.

As with any appliance, you should check the cable is always in good condition too.

Who should buy this electric heater?

The Vonhaus 2500W 11 fin oil-filled radiator with timer will be ideal if you are looking for an affordable, high-powered radiator to complement your existing heating system.

However, if the timer is an important feature for you, then a digital oil-filled radiator like the Morphy Richards HeatFlux 2.5kW Digital Oil Filled Radiator with Remote Control or the app controlled Duux Edge will be easier to use. They both have Eco mode too, which sadly the Vonhaus doesn't. But as a consequence, both have higher price points than the more affordable Vonhaus model.

Want to heat a smaller space? The 2500W of the Vonhaus oil-filled radiator will be too powerful, and you'll be spending more to run in that you need to. Instead Vonhaus' 800W oil-filled radiator may be much more suitable. On the other hand, if you want to heat a large open plan space, the De'Longhi Dragon 4 can tackle spaces up to 50m2.

As a whole, my house is pretty chilly – a combination of it being built more than 100 years ago, original windows and doors and, I'm a little ashamed to admit, a lack of substantial insulation and draught proofing measures.

That said, not all the rooms feel as artic as one another – while the newer sections, such as the kitchen extension and my son's bedroom, feel pretty toasty most of the time, other spaces can become almost uninhabitable when outside temperatures drop – the entrance hallway being one of them.

This really bugs me – after all, this is the space that should set the tone for the rest of the house, somewhere to welcome in guests and to look forward to returning to. A few weeks ago I finally got round to draught-proofing the front door but I am keen to put further measures in place before the cold really begins to creep in. I asked the experts for their advice on the matter – here, I share their top tips.

1. Detect and deal with each and every draught

Having lived in this house for around 13 years now, it was only a couple of weeks ago that we finally got around to upping our draught-proofing game by addressing the very ill-fitting original front door. We added a letterbox cover, a brush seal to the bottom of the door, a pretty brass escutcheon and some weatherstripping.

It is too early to tell how much of a difference this will make but, according to Martyn Fowler, founder of Elite Renewables, we have made a strong start and he advises other homeowners to begin in the same place we did. 'The front door is always the first place I check for draughts. Run your hand around the frame, underneath the door and around the letterbox. You can normally feel where the cold air is getting in. Worn weatherstripping or an unsealed letterbox are simple fixes – just don’t block any ventilation that is there intentionally.'

Georges Cornah, owner of Warm4Less, has a couple of additional tips when it comes to draught-proofing the space. 'Laying a draught excluder at the bottom of the door will catch whatever draughts are left and you can buy these very cheaply. It’s also worth checking understairs cupboards – they can be a source of draughts that get forgotten about.'

Shop draught-proofing essentials

2. Switch the cold stone floor for something else

While the hallway flooring we chose is fairly practical, it is utterly freezing underfoot. The slate tiles are easy to clean and have proved really durable, and using dark grout was a smart move as it never seems to show signs of wear, unlike the pale grout we have used other rooms. All of that said, if I were choosing new hallway flooring, I think I'd definitely go for something more comfortable and snug.

'Your flooring definitely changes how warm the hallway feels underfoot,' picks up Martyn Fowler. 'People always notice their feet getting cold first. Tile and stone flooring can feel very cold in winter. If you’ve already got a hard floor, I wouldn’t necessarily replace it just for this. A good runner can make the space feel warmer without a major flooring job.'

Patrick Garner, a gas safe engineer at Heatable, suggests that in some cases swapping stone for something soft can be a wise move, although for maximum benefit, he also recommends upgrading floor insulation – something on my to-do list for when we remodel the hall next year. 'Adding carpet and a good underlay can really help, particularly when compared to tile or bare timber flooring, but if you’re really losing heat, adding insulation beneath a floor can make a bigger difference in older homes.'

3. Address the poorly-sized and badly-positioned radiators

The only source of heat in our hallway is the column radiator, which sits behind the row of hooks that holds a mountain of coats and jackets that someone really needs to sort through. Lack of proper hallway storage aside, what this means is that absolutely no heat manages to get from the radiator into the hallway – although the coats at the bottom of the mound are nice and toasty when you put them on.

Add to that the fact that the radiator stopped heating up at the end of last winter (we think due to a thermostat that needs replacing) and it is clear that we need to address the hallway heating pretty soon. I had been thinking about using an electric heater to supplement things but, having spoken to Martyn Fowler, I'm not sure that this is the best idea. 'If there’s already a radiator in the hallway I’d start there rather than adding another heater. Make sure it’s heating properly and that it isn’t boxed in or hidden behind furniture.

'Electric heaters wouldn’t be my first choice for an entrance hallway,' continues Martyn. 'You’re using relatively expensive electricity to heat a space that loses warmth every time somebody opens the front door. I’d spend that money on stopping the draughts first. If the hallway still needs more heat after that, then you can look at the heating properly.'

4. Consider adding a porch or lobby

For some time now we have been looking a some more substantial front porch ideas for our house to replace the open design we currently have. While the existing porch is original to the house, the idea of an enclosed style structure, perhaps oak-framed, really appeals and would add another layer of protection between inside and out too.

'A porch can work really well because you’re basically creating an airlock between the house and outside,' picks up Martyn Fowler. 'When you open the outer door, you’re not immediately letting cold outside air into the main hallway.'

That said, this is a far greater undertaking (and cost) than some of the cheaper upgrades to keep the house warm in winter that I've been looking into – something Martyn is keen to point out to others. 'I wouldn’t build a porch purely because the hallway feels draughty. Check the existing front door, seals and insulation first. There’s usually a much simpler problem that can be fixed for a fraction of the cost.'

5. Install thermal curtains and blinds

And, finally, this is yet another job I have been meaning to get around to doing but haven't just yet – installing thermal curtains inside the front door, and fitting a lined blind to the hallway window.

When we bought the house it had been changed very little since it was built and there was a thick, heavy velvet curtain at the front door which was deemed 'creepy' by the children and was quickly taken down – after which it quickly became apparent how big a role it was playing in keeping out draughts.

While I had always thought of this as a rather old fashioned idea, having had a look at the thermal window treatment ideas on offer I am now quite excited about how it could add a really cosy vibe to the hallway decor as a whole.

Shop thermal curtains and blinds

FAQs

Is it worth using an electric heater in a cold hallway?

It seems that the answer to this very much depends on the hallway in question, as well as the type of electric heaters you are considering.

On the one hand, in hallways like mine, with no porch, little insulation and where the staircase leads directly off to the second storey, there is often little benefit to traditional fan heaters, as Patrick Garner explains. 'I wouldn’t recommend using a portable electric heater, as it will cost you more in the long term.'

However, Georges Cornah says that infrared heaters can be a wise investment. 'Hallways are a tricky part of the house to heat because you pass through rather than sit in them, and every time you open the front door, the warmth rushes out.

'Infrared heaters are brilliant for hallways. They heat objects instead of a big volume of air that gets lost through draughts like traditional convection heating,' explains Georges. 'Infrared heat warms the walls, the floors, furniture, and people. It works exactly like the sun – even though the air might be cold, the sun still feels warm on your face. Another benefit is that you can install infrared heaters on the ceiling to maximise wall space in what can often be a narrow part of your home.'

If you are really keen to delay turning on your heating this winter yet don't want to be left shivering, there are plenty of ways of keeping a house warm without central heating to try out before flicking the on switch.

Laundry hampers are a practical household buy that I usually want to find ways to hide rather than show off. Let's face it, an overflowing laundry basket doesn't add anything to a bedroom or bathroom scheme! However, Next's latest design has completely changed my mind.

The Next Pink stripe hamper is one of the most stylish laundry hampers I ever did see. In fact, at first glance, I'm not sure I'd even guess it was one.

With its structured shape, pink and white stripe upholstery and pretty brass-effect handle on the lid, it looks far more like a chic upholstered stool or a decorative storage solution than somewhere to stash dirty socks. It's the perfect home buy, and here's why.

Stripes have been everywhere in interiors recently, and I love how Next has used them to turn something as ordinary as a laundry hamper into a feature you might actually want on display, which is especially useful if you have a lack of storage space to contend with in a bedroom or bathroom.

The upholstered finish makes it feel much more like a piece of furniture, while the brass-effect handle is a small detail that seems to make it look considerably more expensive.

And it isn't all style over substance either. At 55cm high and 35cm wide and deep, it gives you a decent amount og space for clothes without taking up an enormous amount of floor space, which is useful if you have a small bathroom or bedroom. It's also surprisingly lightweight, so you could carry it up and down stairs easily.

What really sold it to me was that there's no reason you have to use it for laundry. It looks so much like an upholstered storage stool that I could see it working in any room as a secret clutter buster.

It could be filled with throws and blankets in the living room, used to stash toys in a playroom or to hide random clutter when you've got someone popping over in 10 minutes. I've actually been using it in my daughter's bedroom, where her cuddly toy collection is out of control.

There's also a striped laundry bag option that's a little more budget-friendly if you prefer a flexible style, but for me, the structured hamper is the standout. Its furniture-like design means you could move it around the house and give it a completely different purpose.

At £65, it's not the most budget-friendly hamper you can buy. I'd probably opt for something a little more affordable if you think you'll most likely hide it in a cupboard. If, like me, though, you love a bit of practical, pretty-looking storage that contributes to the room rather than detracting from it, the price feels a little more worth it.

Shop pretty laundry basket alternatives

Whether you want to use it to conceal a week's worth of washing, your child's toy collection, blankets in the landing or random living room storage idea for clutter, this is the laundry hamper I am happy to have hiding in plain sight.

I put it off as long as I could, but I’ve finally given in and brought my coats down from the loft. And just like I couldn't ignore the colder mornings and torrential downpours, there’s no denying my hallway is now paying the price. So, to keep things tidy, I’m snapping up the Argos Home Hallway Wall Shelf & Coat Rack with Storage Boxes (£52 at Argos, or £41.60 with code COSY20)

Yes, right now I’m on a mission to autumn-proof my narrow hallway, as muddy shoes, wet coats, and messy bags have left my entryway feeling (and looking) worse for wear. And although I’ve already enlisted shoe storage ideas for smaller spaces to organise my muddy shoes, my coats still don’t have a proper home.

That’s why I’ve decided it’s time to stop flinging my jackets and coats over the bannister and invest in a proper storage solution that’ll keep coats tidy and give them space to dry. Not only does this Argos coat rack fit the bill, but it also comes with bonus storage every small hallway needs.

As far as coat racks go, the Argos Hallway Wall Shelf & Coat Rack is definitely one of the prettier options on the market. Especially when you consider that old-school freestanding coat racks aren’t always feasible in a small hallway with limited floor space, and drill-in coat hooks rarely offer anything besides practicality.

But this one strikes a happy medium: cosy yet convenient, with a wall-mounted design that helps you create order in a small room by using vertical space. This means you’re not encroaching on the walkway, but still adding storage that becomes even more important during the autumn and winter months.

The three double hooks technically offer space for six coats or bags - more than enough for every member of the family to have one each - but there’s nothing stopping you from layering them and adding more if you need to.

Just remember that if you want to keep the coats dry and prevent damp in your home, it’s best to organise your coat hooks properly and give them some breathing space.

But the pièce de résistance, in my eyes, is that this coat rack also comes with oodles of extra storage space, thanks to the three included storage boxes and the shelf above. This means you can store everything from your car keys to your post, hats, scarves, and other essentials, and use the top shelf for the all-important decor.

In my home, these storage boxes will work perfectly to store my dog’s leads, harnesses and poo bags so they don’t clutter up the rest of the house - and they’re always right by the door so I can grab my coat and doggy essentials just as I’m leaving.

And since many of the best storage baskets cost up to £30 individually, having them included with this coat rack is music to my ears. Plus, the beauty of a rack with hooks like this is that you can also use it in various rooms of the house.

Admittedly, its natural place is in the hallway, but you could also use it to hang towels and dressing gowns to organise a bathroom, or even in a bedroom for extra storage.

But if you need hallway storage and this isn’t quite what you’re after, I’ve popped some alternatives below, too.

So, don't let your coats clutter your hallway this autumn!

Forgive me for being a little crass, but do your neighbours stink? And I mean, really stink?

If you’re nodding your head, do you know what legal rights you have if bad smells are coming from your neighbour’s property, do you know what legal rights you have?

There are many home and garden features that cause neighbour disputes. From overhanging gutters to fallen fences, there are plenty of physical things that can cause friction between neighbours. But what if the issue is a little more sensitive?

Bad smells are never pleasant, and if they’re coming from your neighbour's home, it can feel inescapable, too. So, I spoke to legal experts about when smells become a nuisance, and what you can do if said bad smells are affecting your day-to-day life.

Can you complain about bad smells coming from your neighbour's property?

I’ll admit I’m unfortunately speaking from experience. Having lived in a flat where one of my neighbours was particularly stinky, I was never sure if I could complain or not. Despite the fact that I was practically holding my breath every time I walked past their door, it felt rude to say anything - and I wasn’t sure if it was the sort of thing that warranted a complaint anyway.

However, it turns out you can complain to your landlord or even council about bad smells. But there are a few considerations to take into account.

‘The specific ‘smell’ category of statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 applies only to industrial, trade or business premises, not private homes. The council can still act under other categories that do apply to homes: fumes or gases emitted from a private dwelling; premises in a state prejudicial to health or a nuisance; accumulations or deposits that are prejudicial to health or a nuisance; and animals kept in a place or manner that is prejudicial to health or a nuisance,’ explains Yulia Barnes, managing partner of Barnes Law.

‘If your neighbour is a tenant, complaining to their landlord can be very effective. Most tenancy agreements contain nuisance clauses, giving the landlord leverage to require the problem to be addressed. Social housing landlords also have their own anti-social behaviour procedures. Where a rented home has serious damp, mould or sanitation problems, the council can also inspect it and take enforcement action against the landlord under the Housing Act 2004. When you complain, explain what steps you have already taken, such as speaking to your neighbour, and share your smell diary.

‘If the council decides not to act, you can bring a statutory nuisance complaint directly to the magistrates' court yourself, or make a civil claim in private nuisance for an injunction or damages. Take legal advice before starting either route.’

What smells can you complain about?

There’s no list of the sort of stink you can complain about, but there are some scents that are worthy of complaint. You should also be keeping a diary if you notice poor smells, recording what they smelt like and when you smelt them.

‘The council can potentially take action if the smell is considered a statutory nuisance. This may apply to persistent or serious odours caused by things such as waste, animals, smoke, or poor conditions. The council can investigate the complaint and, if necessary, require the person responsible to take steps to reduce or stop the smell,’ says Jack Malnick, founder of Sell House Fast.

It has to be considered a statutory nuisance for the council to uphold your complaint. But renters can complain to their landlord about other smells.

‘If you own or rent your home, you may be able to bring your own civil claim for private nuisance. The test is whether the smell substantially and unreasonably interferes with your use or enjoyment of your home, considering the character of the area and the frequency and intensity of the smell. A fleeting whiff is unlikely to qualify; a persistent, overpowering odour that stops you opening windows or enjoying your garden may well do so,’ says Yulia.

‘Cooking smells will rarely meet either threshold unless extreme and persistent. One exception is where a home is used to run a food business, such as an unregistered commercial kitchen. The property may then count as business premises, bringing the smell within the council's statutory nuisance powers.’

How to speak your neighbour about bad smells

Of course, the last thing you want to do is fall out with your neighbour, and before you lodge a complaint, the right course of action is to have an open conversation about the smells. I know this can be awkward, so I asked our experts exactly how we should go about this conversation.

‘As with all neighbour problems, the best way to resolve them is to start by speaking to your neighbour in person, politely and calmly. The owner may not be aware of any issue due to what people often call ‘nose blindness’, or they could be working their way to sorting it, so it is best to approach the conversation politely,’ says Jack.

Julia also says it’s worth trying to work out what the bad smells are, such as bad drains, before speaking to your neighbour.

If the smell seems to come from drains, bear in mind that shared sewers are usually the responsibility of your local water company, which you can contact directly,’ she says.

‘If talking does not help, contact your council's environmental health team. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, councils must take reasonably practicable steps to investigate statutory nuisance complaints from people living in their area. Also check your lease or title deeds for nuisance clauses or covenants. If you share a landlord with your neighbour, you will usually need to ask the landlord or management company to enforce these terms, and some leases require you to cover the costs.

‘Freehold covenants can sometimes be enforced between neighbours, but only where you have the benefit of the covenant, so take advice. If the smell affects your health, see your GP and keep a record of symptoms.’

Bad smells are both awkward to talk about and unpleasant to encounter. But if you stay calm and speak to your neighbours, it should be easy to resolve.

Whenever the temperature starts to dip, my focus always goes to how I can ensure my energy bills remain as low as possible.

Sometimes that means digging out an electric heater or a heated blanket to warm myself up while I'm working from home, rather than popping my central heating on longer than necessary, and heating parts of my home that I don't tend to use during the day.

As part of my mission to save energy while I work from home, I tried the Stoov Big Hug3, a heated seat pad, on my home office chair (and beyond) to see whether it was my solution to staying warm throughout the day, without reaching for my thermostat.

In a nutshell

Stoov's Big Hug3 is a cordless heated chair cover that uses infrared heating technology to warm the body rather than the air.

Ideal for those working from home, the Big Hug3 is designed to cover the chair seat and back, offering three different heat levels to keep you toasty. Available in two different sizes and colourways (a dark grey and a beige), as well as different fabrics, including a very cosy woolly texture.

As well as the variety of options for the Big Hug3 itself, you can choose different battery options depending on how much you plan to use your chair cover, from Base which offers the lowest run time and is best if you only plan on using your BigHug3 for short periods. Flex offers the middle run time, while Pro offers the longest and was the one I chose, which offers between 2-5 hours run time.

It's part of a range of cordless infrared heating products, which also includes cushions, blankets and electric hot water bottles.

Specification

• Sizes available: 45x115cm | 47x135cm
• RRP: from £119.99
• Type: Chair pad
• Wattage: n/a
• Temperature settings: 3
• Auto shut-off timer: Yes
• Dual controls: No
• Machine washable: Yes at 30°C

Unboxing, set up and first impressions

The Stoov Big Hug arrived in a surprisingly compact cardboard box, with the brand's mission clearly stated 'We warm people, not the planet.' Its largely card packaging, with the exception of the bag the cover itself comes in which is made from 100% recycled plastic.

In the box you get the cover, a battery pack, a charging cable and plug, as well as a Getting Started Guide.

Unrolling the Big Hug, I instantly liked the soft material and luxe beige and burgundy colourway. There's also a cable to securely attach it to a chair, which I thought was a very nice touch, although in practicality, this didn't actually work that well on my style office chair, which has arms. Fortunately, it's not essential in order to use it.

A huge bonus for me is that it's cordless – I already have multiple cables streaming across the corner of my desk, and I was very thankful not to have yet another. Not being constrained by proximity to a plug socket gives a whole sense of freedom about when and where I can use it.

When it comes to other features, I especially liked that the charging cable and battery pack match the burgundy accent on the Big Hug3 – all thoughtful design elements which I feel warrant the £100+ price tag.

There's really not much involved in terms of set up. All I needed to do was connect the battery and slot it into the handy pocket, which took less than a minute, and then plug the charger into the smart label and leave it for a couple of hours to charge.

What's it like to use?

The Stoov Big Hug3 is really simple to operate via the smart label, the burgundy tag that is located on the edge of the cover, about half way down the back. There's a small, discreet switch that you need to flick first (there's a little green sticker to look out for that will tell you it's on). Then you just long press the Stoov logo, and you'll see a light come up. That shows it's on the lowest heat setting. Press it again, for the two lights and the middle heat setting, and again for the third light and highest heat setting.

After laying it on my office chair, I popped it on the highest power setting, which should heat up to a very toasty 58°C. The warmth is nice, not as hot as I was expecting, but it's very pleasant and it effectively warms the body, without creating a stuffy environment that I find can happen if I use an electric heater for too long.

I was expecting the whole pad to warm up, but rather than that, there are two distinct heat zones, one on the back and one on the seat, with a narrow heat zone connecting the two. Initially, I was a bit disappointed by this, but as I was using it, it didn't actually feel that problematic. I could feel warmth exactly where I wanted it and where my body had the most contact with the Big Hug3. However, while that works for a heated chair pad, it means this wouldn't be my first choice to double up as a heated blanket. The dimensions and thicker material don't drape as well over the body, and are far better to sit on rather than be covered with.

On the highest heat setting I got just under two hours heat time, but even after the heat turned off, the woolly texture was so cosy, I felt really quick snuggly still. On the lower heat setting, I got closer to five hours before it needed recharging.

It also held its shape well, with no wrinkles forming, even by the end of a long work day.

While there were a lot of positives, I did have one main gripe with the user experience of the Big Hug3. Despite the back of the BigHug3 being almost 10cm longer than my chair back, whenever I leaned forward on my chair, the weight of the battery pack would cause it to slump down, which was rather frustrating after the third or fourth time. In hindsight, I should have opted for the BigHug XL, which is longer than the Big Hug, and would be better suited to my higher back (67cm) chair. However, when I used the Big Hug on a lower backed chair, this definitely wasn't a problem, I could drape enough of the non-heated part over the back so that the weight of the battery actually helped keep it in place.

I also tried it as a heat pad while sitting on the sofa. While the weight of the battery did cause it to slump down, I found that if I popped a pillow behind my back, and tucked the battery pack behind it, I could keep it in place, still benefit from the heat zones, and it was remarkably comfortable.

When it comes to charging, Stoov advises to charge it via the smart label, which I did, but this does mean that you need a decent amount of counter space to sit the rolled up Big Hug as it charges. I would position it with the smart label facing outwards so I could easily tell the charging progress (the heat level lights flash until you have three solid lights that mean it is fully charged).

Whenever it's not in use, I love how neatly it rolls up – it takes up a fraction of the space of one of my sherpa fleece blankets I tend to use in winter.

Running costs

While you will need to charge it regularly, the Stoov Big Hug3 is cordless so it doesn't run directly off electricity, and depending on the battery you choose and the heat setting, you can get up to five hours of use on a single charge.

Maintenance and cleaning

Apart from regular charging, there's not much the Stoov Big Hug3 needs in terms of maintenance. Should you spill anything on the cover, the good news is it can be washed, but you need to make sure you remove the heating element from the inside first.

I found this quite easy to do. There is a large zip on the back where the base and the back meet, and there is another mat on the inside, which houses the heating element. I found it easiest to slip the base out of the woolly cover first, then detach the smart label (which is attached to the outer cover with Velcro), and finally remove the battery connector through a whole in the fabric at the base of the fabric pocket before sliding the rest of the heating element mat out.

Once the two are completely separated, you can wash the outer cover in the washing machine, according to the care instructions.

I found it just as easy to slip it back together again.

Who should buy the Stoov BigHug3?

If you work from home, have a lower back desk chair (say that comes up to just below your shoulder blades) and don't want to be limited by proximity to a plug socket, then the Stoov Big Hug3 may be exactly what you're looking for. Not only is it comfortable and effective, but it holds it shape well and it both looks and feels cosy and luxurious.

If, like me, you have a higher back office chair, or want to use it on the sofa, I'd definitely recommend the XL version instead, to avoid having it slump down whenever you move.

However, if you want something more blanket like to keep you warm on chilly evenings, I think a heated throw, like the Dreamland Luxury Heated Throw, would be a better option. You will need to be near a plug-socket, but that may be more doable as you chill on the sofa.

Looking to heat a room itself? That's where an electric heater will be most useful for a quick burst of heat when you need it. The Dreo Atom 316 is the best we've tried and it's small enough to fit neatly on a desk. For more prolonged heating, one of the best oil-filled radiators will be more economical to run.

Over the past week, there's been a real shift in temperature, and if, like me, you are waking up to windows that are soaking wet, it's a sign that condensation season is upon us.

I test some of the best dehumidifiers, and I've started blasting mine already to help clear my steamy single-glazed windows. According to experts, that sudden increase in condensation at this time of year doesn't necessarily mean there is anything wrong with your windows. In most cases, it's the result of autumn's colder nights colliding with the moisture we naturally produce inside our homes.

'Bedroom windows are often one of the first places you'll notice condensation in autumn because they're exposed to the colder overnight temperatures while the room is still picking up moisture as you sleep,' explains Allan Reid, uPVC specialist and founder of Art Windows and Doors.

So I asked three experts to delve into what you can do to stop condensation forming on windows.

Why your windows become wet in the morning

Condensation forms when warm, moisture-laden air comes into contact with the cold surface. As temperatures fall overnight, your window glass becomes one of the coldest surfaces in your bedroom, making it an obvious place for excess moisture to gather.

'As nights become colder, the temperature of the window glass falls,' explains Chris Michael, Meaco's co-founder and air treatment expert. 'Moisture in the room condenses on this colder surface, so windows can suddenly become wet even without an increase in indoor moisture.'

In autumn, the problem gets even worse when windows stay closed for longer, the heating goes back on, we're drying our laundry indoors again and sleeping in your bedroom adds to the moisture in the air.

'We release moisture in our breath and skin throughout the night, while the window glass cools,' Chris explains. 'Over several hours, this can leave water running down the glass and collecting on the sill by morning.'

Chris estimates that one person can produce around half a pint of moisture overnight! So in a bedroom shared by two people, with the windows and door firmly closed, you can see why humidity can quickly increase.

Pamela Petty, Director at Ebac, agrees that shutting the door to a bedroom overnight can make the problem so much worse. She recommends keeping the door open or even slightly ajar, which can improve air circulation and stop moisture from becoming concentrated in one room.

What you can do about condensation forming on your windows

The first thing I'd do is remove the visible water first thing because leaving it sitting on the glass, seals and sill creates damp conditions that mould thrives in.

'If you're waking up with soaking windows, don't just wipe the glass and forget about it,' warns Allan. 'Give the room a proper airing in the morning and make sure the windowsill and frame are completely dry, particularly around the corners where water can sit unnoticed.'

Opening your curtains and blinds fully in the morning is really important too. Thick curtains and blinds can create a pocket of cold, stagnant air against the window, so Allan recommends keeping them slightly away from the glass overnight.

Pamela similarly suggests leaving particularly heavy or full-length curtains open by a few centimetres overnight to encourage airflow around the glass.

Your window's trickle vents are also worth checking, as 'they can be easy to forget about, but they're there to provide a steady flow of air, without having to leave the window wide open,' explains Allan.

He also suggests checking that they're open and haven't been blocked with dust or paint.

The products I use to tackle wet windows

These are just a few of the products I always use in autumn that can make a huge difference. Some tackle the water you're seeing, and others help to prevent it from appearing in the first place.

When you should worry about condensation

According to the experts, occasional condensation on a particularly cold morning is common, but windows that are soaking wet every single day deserve more attention.

'Condensation on windows is a visible sign of moisture that may also be affecting walls, furnishings and areas you cannot see, such as behind furniture and inside wardrobes,' warns Chris.

So relying on wiping the windows each morning probably isn't going to cut it. Check behind furniture, around window seals and in the corners of the room for mould, damp patches or musty smells.

If you're running a dehumidifier, Chris recommends aiming for around 50-55% relative humidity. A model with a built-in humidistat can monitor this for you, switching on when humidity rises and stopping once its target is reached.

However, a dehumidifier shouldn't be used to disguise an underlying building problem. If condensation is persistent alongside damp patches, recurring mould or a musty smell, Chris recommends investigating other potential causes, including leaking pipes, blocked gutters or gaps around windows.

So there you have it! Don't panic if your windows have suddenly started dripping every morning, but don't ignore them either. A window vac can deal with the immediate puddles, and choosing a good dehumidifier can help you tackle the excess moisture at the source.

And if you combine these with a few small changes to your daily routine, that should all help to minimise all that moisture!

Most of us have skirting boards in our homes. While these decorative additions protect walls, cover gaps around flooring, prevent draughts, and generally finish a room, they’re a nightmare to clean. And when they have a curved, ridged or beaded profile, they’re a magnet for dust.

That’s why cleaning my skirting boards is one of the cleaning tasks I hate the most - especially in my higgledy-piggledy 1980s house, where each room has a different skirting board design. Try as I might with a regular duster, there are just too many nooks and crannies for the dust to get caught. It also seems to just fling the dust back into the room, making it impossible to get rid of the dust completely.

But in an effort to properly remove the dust from my skirting boards and streamline my cleaning schedule, I decided to go on the hunt for regular duster alternatives that would leave them dust-free once and for all - and I definitely found it. Two, in fact.

The test products

Testing the vacuum dusting tool

Although it’s my job to test the best cleaning products and tools, I try to keep my own cleaning caddy as streamlined as possible. After all, it's easy to get sucked in by new, exciting products when you already have something that does the job at home.

This is true of the best vacuum cleaners, which often come with dusting tool attachments that can be used in handheld form. These are designed specifically for smaller dusting tasks, and it just so happens that the vacuum I use at home - the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum - comes with one of these. So, I decided to test this first.

I popped Shark’s ‘20cm duster crevice tool’ onto the handheld portion of the vacuum and used it on the skirting board in my living room first, which is a simple curved design. I could tell that the soft bristles would protect the wood from any scuffs or scratches, and I hoped that the suction power from the vacuum would suck up the dust that settles on them.

Visually, they definitely looked less dusty, and the tool was incredibly quick and easy to use - especially as the longer tool meant that I didn’t have to bend down too far. But when I tried to repeat the same success on the skirting boards in my bedroom (which have a much more detailed, intricate design), the results weren’t as impressive.

Sure, I did appreciate that this was a very faff-free option. I didn’t vacuum enough dust to have to empty the dust bin, and I could move from room to room without interruption. However, it was difficult to get the bristles into the deeper crevices and gaps, and I could still see a lot of dust settled in these ridges when I had finished.

So, while I’d definitely grab my vacuum and its dusting tool for a quick once-over on skirting boards with simple designs, I was confident that I could still find better.

Testing the Flash Dust Magnet

Old-school cleaning products definitely still have their place in everyday cleaning routines, and I’ve been cleaning with a feather duster ever since my nan introduced me to them.

The Flash Dust Magnet is a modern take on this old-school tool, and I’ve heard great things about it. So, I decided to order a starter kit and try dusting my skirting boards with it. And I must admit that I was very impressed.

I quickly realised why Flash called it a Dust Magnet: it really did attract dust like a magnet, and the state of the fibres afterwards proved my skirting boards were dirtier than they looked to the naked eye.

With so many individual fibres, the Dust Magnet also reached all the different skirting board designs in my home, getting into every nook and cranny to pick up dust. Plus, I felt confident that I was removing the dust from my house entirely when I threw the dusting head away. This is ideal for maintaining a dust-free home year-round.

But while I can’t complain about the Flash Dust Magnet's dusting power, having to throw each head in the bin after use (and sometimes after each room if they were particularly dusty) is a major niggle for me. It’s very wasteful - and expensive - and from what I can see online, there’s no way to recycle them.

In an age where we’re becoming more eco-conscious, this seems like a massive oversight and something I’m not sure I’d want to continue to do - even if its ability to dust my skirting boards is hard to beat. So, let’s hope that Flash finds a way for us to recycle them in the future.

Testing the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster

Last on my testing lineup was the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster, which I’m already very familiar with, as it also won the shutter-cleaning test I ran last year. It’s also a huge fan favourite across the Ideal Home team, with many of us using this clever cleaning tool regularly.

This affordable product is based on the idea that damp dusting is always better than dry dusting, as moisture helps the dust cling to the tool, making it easier to dispose of. When you dust with something dry (like a regular microfibre duster), it tends to wipe dust around and keep it in the home.

As I knew it works well on flat surfaces, I went into this testing process with high hopes… and I wasn’t disappointed. With one wipe, the moist cleaning sponge picked up all the visible dust on my skirting boards, and the ribbed design let me move it around and press it into the intricate ridges of my fancier skirting.

In fact, the Damp Duster was always absolutely filthy after each swipe, which shows that hidden dust can linger even when you can’t see it.

This method was slightly more time-consuming, though, as I had to make my way to a sink to rinse the Damp Duster every few minutes. While slightly irritating, it was also very satisfying as I could quite literally watch the dust drain down the plughole. So, this is a sacrifice I’d make for dust-free skirting boards.

The final verdict

What this test showed me is that 1) I need to dust my skirting boards more often, 2) there’s always more dust than it seems, and 3) sometimes two products can offer similar results while still having a few negative quirks.

And while I wouldn’t be against using my vacuum’s dusting tool to clean my skirting boards quickly (especially if I didn't fancy bending down all the time), it’s definitely not my top choice for a deeper, more detailed dust.

The Flash Dust Magnet and the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster were by far the better dusters, especially on skirting boards of different shapes, sizes and designs.

In terms of cleaning power, they both offer the ability to capture and remove the dust - either by throwing it in the bin or flushing it down the sink - which is a great way to ensure you’re not simply wiping the dust around or forcing it into the air to float back down later. During testing, I found they produced very similar visible results, too.

They both have their downsides, though. The Flash Dust Magnet is wasteful and expensive to buy upfront and to replace the dust heads, and the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster takes a bit longer to use because you have to go to and from the sink every few minutes.

Personally, though, the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster is my winner as I always prefer the eco-friendly option - and at just £3 I think it’s a bargain cleaning tool that gets the job done well time and time again.

Do you have any skirting board dusting hacks you swear by?

If you feel like September came and went in the blink of an eye, and you didn't manage to tick anything off your decluttering checklist, then don't worry: knowing what things to declutter in October will get you firmly on track.

October is a great month to try one of the best decluttering methods and get organised. Whether you think it's too early to start thinking about the C- word or not, it's a good time to get ahead and purge our homes of anything we don't need before things start to get super-busy.

And according to top decluttering experts, there are four key things to declutter in October. Focusing on these areas will set us up for the colder months ahead, and all the cosy nights we have to look forward to. Heed the experts' advice, and you'll be able to enjoy a calm and clutter-free home this autumn.

1. Halloween decorations

With so many great options available now, Halloween decorations have become one of the easiest things to accumulate over the years. If you're the sort of person who likes to go all out in spooky season, now is the perfect time to have a quick sort-through and decide which ones are worth keeping.

'Take a look at what you have and consider whether there are decorations you haven’t used for a couple of years, are broken or no longer suit your taste,' advises Shannon Murphy, founder of Simpl Living Co. 'If you have decorations in good condition that you no longer want, donating them now means they still have time to be sold to someone looking for some second-hand.'

2. Wardrobes

As we put away our summer clothes and bring out the cosy knits, October is the perfect time to streamline our wardrobes. Shannon recommends reflecting on what we didn't reach for over the warmer months, and asking ourselves whether it's worth storing these items for another year.

'Are there items you didn’t feel comfortable in, didn’t like the fit of or simply never reached for? Perhaps some pieces have become damaged or no longer suit your lifestyle,' she prompts. 'Now is the ideal time to let them go, while the season is still fresh in your mind and you can clearly remember what you enjoyed wearing and what you didn’t.'

There are some fab techniques that can give you a hand here, from the 90/90 decluttering rule to Project 333. I'd also recommend the SKUBB Storage Case, £9 from IKEA, for storing out-of-season clothes – it's helped a lot with keeping my garments organised.

3. The baking cupboard

As the weather gets chillier and we retreat indoors, October is the perfect time to do some baking (Bake Off being back on our screens helps). Which means it's also a good time to organise and declutter our baking supplies.

'Check use-by dates, get rid of anything you know you won't use (including those ingredients you bought for one particular recipe and haven't touched since) and see what's hiding at the back,' advises pro organiser Rebecca Crayford. 'Arrange everything so it's easy to see what you've got too. It's easy to end up with several half-used packets of the same thing simply because you couldn't see the first one.'

And if you are looking for a baking upgrade, Stacey Solomon recommends easy-release cake tins, like this 3-pack for £27.25 on Amazon.

4. The medicine drawer

One of the not-so-fun things about this time of year is how easy it becomes to pick up colds, coughs, and the flu. Make your life easier by organising your at-home medicines – you'll thank yourself if anyone does get ill this season.

'Take everything out, check expiry dates and see what you've actually got before buying anything else,' Rebecca says. 'I recommend putting similar things together so you can find what you need easily, and take any unwanted or out-of-date medicines to your local chemist for safe disposal rather than putting them in the bin or flushing them away.'

Storage essentials for a calmer home

Knowing what things to declutter in October is a real game-changer for getting the most out of the cosy months. You're getting your home prepped and organised ahead of one of the busiest times of year – and your future self will thank you for it.

Any cat owner will agree that cats are fairly adventurous creatures. And paired with often blatant disregard for your wishes, this means no surface is off-limits in your home - including your kitchen counters.

Celebrities are no exception to this rule, including Paul Hollywood who, in a recent Instagram post, showed how his cat also liked to explore his kitchen counters and sink. When designing your kitchen ideas or choosing a kitchen colour scheme, the last thing on your mind is whether your moggy will like it, too.

And if your cat does love your kitchen layout, should we be stopping them? I asked experts whether we should be letting our feline friends up on our kitchen worktops, and this is what they said.

In a video where Paul gave fans a tutorial for his chocolate orange banana bread, it was his cat that stole the attention of viewers. Up on the counter, playing near the sink, it was all any commenter seemed to talk about. And the comments were pretty divided.

‘Okay, even Paul Hollywood’s cats hop on the counter. 😅 Cat parents will get it,’ said one.

‘Big fan but so unsanitary for me. Sorry, not sorry,’ said another.

Ideal Home can reveal that Paul himself is not a fan of his cats using jumping up on his worktops. In an Interview with Ideal Home’s Kitchen Editor, Holly Cockburn, he explained it was one of his pet peeves in a kitchen.

‘I am constantly putting them back down on the floor because they're constantly jumping up on the side. I can't stand it. I'm just down, down. So, yeah, cats on the side, and I'm guilty of it, and when I see them, they get down,’ he said.

Paul has good reason to dislike this habit. In short, it can contribute to bad hygiene, which in any kitchen is less than ideal.

'While Paul Hollywood’s cat made a charming guest appearance on his kitchen side, feline paws on kitchen surfaces are a firm 'no' from a hygiene perspective. With cats using litter trays, their paws can carry bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella and transferring these onto surfaces where human food is prepared poses a health risk. However, understanding why your cat scales the worktop in the first place makes it much easier to redirect them safely,’ says Dr Suzanne Moyes, in-house vet at Burgess Pet Care.

But unfortunately for cat owners, your kitchen counters are very attractive to cats.

‘Height-seeking behaviour is completely natural. Being up high makes cats feel safe, provides extra vertical territory, and lets them survey their 'realm', or in Paul's case, the bakes on the kitchen side! Worktops are also loaded with enticing smells, making them prime real estate for a curious pet,’ adds Dr Suzanne.

What to do if your cats keep getting on your kitchen worktops

‘To keep kitchen surfaces clean and safe for all in the home, pet owners should first try removing all feline temptation. Keep counters completely clear of food scraps, crumbs and standing water in sinks, making the space as uninteresting as possible to a curious cat,’ says Nicola Bryden, a vet at the online veterinary pharmacy VetMedi.co.uk.

‘Cats love high vantage points because height gives them a sense of security and allows them to observe their surroundings. To keep your kitchen counters from being their favoured spot - and to maintain a clean and hygienic kitchen - provide an alternative high perch away from cooking areas. You can set up a cat tree, window perch or even a high stool nearby so they can watch you cook at eye level without stepping onto food prep areas.’

As well as keeping your counters ‘boring’ and unattractive to your cats, you also need to ensure you clean your kitchen regularly, sanitising your surfaces before and after you cook or prepare food. It’s also worth moving litter trays away from your kitchen.

It’s always nice to know that celebrities are human beings, too, and that cats really do humble the best of us. However, in this case, you do need to stick to your guns and keep your cats off your kitchen worktops.

With the weather taking a turn for the chillier, you might not even be thinking about your home's cooling needs right now.

However, as someone who writes about all things heating and cooling in the home for a living, I know that there are some excellent reasons why now is absolutely the right time to get one of the best portable air conditioners.

These home appliances have functionality that is useful well beyond the summer months, so if you want to get maximum benefits from the investment portable ACs require, then you should be shopping for them right now.

1. Some portable ACs offer a dehumidification function

Most portable air conditioners do a lot more than cool your home. And with the wet autumn weather setting in, you could find you use it more than you think over the colder months.

If you don't already have one of the best dehumidifiers, then a portable air conditioner with added dehumidifying functionality means you can meet two needs with a single appliance. Not only is this handy from a space-saving point of view, but it also gives you year-round use out of what could be a largely seasonal appliance. For those who like to consider home appliance investment on a cost-per-use basis, this will be incredibly useful.

You can also find some great offer at this time of year, like this Belaco 9000 BTU portable air conditioner with £200 on Amazon.

2. Some portable ACs can be used as heaters

While not as commonplace as a dehumidifying function, some portable air conditioners can also be used to warm your home in winter, taking the cost per use down even further.

Meaco's MeacoCool MC Series, which we rate very highly here at Ideal Home, includes models that offer both cooling and heating making it an ideal one-and-done appliance for all your home temperature and air quality woes.

Meaco's newest range of portable air conditioners, Cirro, also includes models that offer heating as well as cooling. This range was launched in June and sold out almost instantly. While the cooling-only versions aren't due back in stock until April 2027, the cooling and heating combos are due back in stock later this month.

3. You'll avoid stock issues

I don't think any of us with forget the sweatfest that was summer 2026 any time soon. But with numerous extreme heatwaves taking hold from as early as May, we saw unprecedented demand for cooling products, especially portable air conditioners, as desperate households across the UK and beyond flocked to grab whatever they could to gain some relief from the roasting days and exceptionally balmy nights.

While the temperatures of 2026 might have been record breaking, we have seen portable air conditioners sell out over the last couple of years, and those who miss out either have to suffer through the sweltering temperatures, or they find themselves lumped with a sub-par product that they probably paid over the odds for.

So I can't stress this enough – please, please don't wait for the next heatwave before you invest in a portable air conditioner. Look for one with functionality you can use over autumn and winter, and you'll have it ready for when the hot weather returns next year.

Last year, I hosted Christmas at home, which is no small feat in a tiny two-bed terrace. But any small-home dweller with an aversion to clutter and a stubborn streak will know the biggest problems can often be solved with the simplest storage solutions. That’s why I bought the Storivo Shoe Organiser Box (£15.99 at Amazon).

I initially raved about this shoe organiser box in early December last year, before I'd used it to host up to 15 people in my home over the festive period. But since using it over Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and almost every day since, I can confidently say that it’s some of the best money I’ve ever spent. And it’s received so many compliments over the past year.

Thankfully, I’m passing the hosting reins onto someone else this Christmas. But that’s not the only thing I’ve passed on, as almost everyone who visited my home last year has since invested in the Storivo Shoe Organiser Box to tackle shoe clutter themselves. Especially now it’s even cheaper!

Unlike many other shoe storage ideas for small spaces, this clever solution uses a foldable box design instead of a shoe rack or cabinet, which are often bulky and permanent. This space-savvy design lets you use it as a temporary solution to keep shoes tidy when you have guests.

It's a simple design, but it works. And this Amazon shoe box has 16 slots for a pair of average-sized shoes (I found larger sizes and chunkier trainers needed one slot each), plus a zippable lid and side handles, so you can move it quickly if you want to keep the hallway tidy.

In fact, once all my guests had arrived and safely stored their shoes last Christmas, I zipped the whole thing up and stashed it in a cupboard to keep as much usable socialising space as possible.

And although I initially folded it down after the festive period, I quickly realised how much I missed it and brought it back out. So, it works as a more permanent shoe storage solution too.

I’d be lying if I said that this was a pretty shoe storage option, but when it comes to keeping my home clutter-free - especially when I’m autumn-proofing my tiny hallway - I always err on the side of practical rather than pretty.

After all, the main objective in any small space is to stay on top of the mess so it doesn’t overpower the tinier footprint. And so I don't trip over piles of shoes every day.

The good news is that other shoe storage alternatives are available if you don't like the look of this Amazon shoe box, though. They'll all curb the clutter this Christmas, and some are even more affordable.