Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #88251 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

Customer Reviews

Highly recommended apparently...
From the Publisher
The professionals at the Good Housekeeping Institute present practical, easy-to-understand, and simple-to-implement advice on every aspect of maintaining and managing a home. The Institute's directors have researched and tested all the time, money, and energy-saving tricks in the book, from choosing a vacuum to removing wallpaper, from getting rid of stains to keeping your family safe, and much more. Throughout, homeowners will find vital hints and tips, color-coded by category for quick reference, plus checklists, charts, and step-by-step illustrations ranging from the anatomy of a door lock to maintaining a beautiful lawn.

From The Critics
Publishers Weekly
This extensive, phenomenally organized volume lives up to its title: with this household handbook, there's no need for another. The book even manages to make such dry subjects as loading a dishwasher and installing lock sets reader-friendly and reasonably interesting. The chapters-beginning with cleaning and going through laundry and clothes care, food and the kitchen, decorating, storage and home office solutions, maintenance and repairs, home finances, and safety-are logically subdivided to help readers find topics quickly. They feature frequent boxes containing helpful suggestions ("keep a sponge mop just for rinsing floors; it is almost impossible to get all the cleaning solution out of a mop"), time savers ("paint large areas more quickly with the help of a power roller"), dollar stretchers, safety tips and advice on how to shop for specific items. Diagrams, checklists and focused sidebars (such as how to hang pictures, in the home decorating chapter) round out the detailed coverage. Neat freaks will pore over this work as if it were a suspense novel; the rest of the population will be glad to take its easy-to-follow advice as needed. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal
As expected, the Good Housekeeping Institute-perhaps the most trusted authority on outfitting and running a household-provides a cogent, practical reference on just that. Like typical household manuals, it includes chapters on cleaning, clothing care, food, decorating, storage, repairs, finances, and safety. There is much information on choosing things that are durable and easy to care for so that a home can be pleasant and gracious instead of high-maintenance. Similar in tone and style to Better Homes and Gardens Making a Home, this volume includes sections on sewing basics and addresses new challenges like identity theft. Although not as detailed as Cheryl Mendelson's Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House, this book has a design and visual appeal that make it more browsable and less intimidating. Color-coded sidebars provide comments on safety, environmental issues, and dollar stretchers, as well as tips on when to call professionals. Uncluttered, detailed drawings are used to show the anatomy of various household systems, illustrate repair techniques, or suggest decorating options. Highly recommended for all public libraries.-