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Home essentials covers the everyday products that keep a house running: cleaning products and equipment, toilet rolls and paper goods, laundry care, food containers and kitchenware, storage boxes and baskets, bins, and small household electricals such as irons, televisions and charging cables.

Cleaning and laundry

Pick cleaners by the surface and the job, and read the label for dilution, contact time and surfaces to avoid. Never mix bleach with other cleaning products: with an acid it gives off chlorine gas, and with ammonia it gives off chloramines. For all household chemicals, follow the manufacturer's instructions and safety data.

Kitchen and storage

• Food containers and kitchenware: items that are not obviously for food should be labelled as suitable for food contact or carry the glass and fork symbol, with any instructions for safe use, such as freezer, microwave or dishwasher limits.
• Storage boxes and baskets: measure the storage unit, cupboard or under-bed space first, then check the outside dimensions and capacity in litres, and whether lids clip shut or the boxes stack.
• Bins: choose pedal, swing or open bins by room, and match the liners to the bin's capacity.

Small electricals

Check the power rating of irons, steam generators and other appliances against the socket or extension lead they will use. Most extension leads and cable reels are rated at 13 amps, but some are lower, and the rating is marked on the lead or reel. Do not plug in appliances that together exceed that rating, and unwind a cable reel fully before drawing a heavy load from it.

For more detail, see the guides for cleaning and kitchen and dining.