Behind The Scenes At "Good Housekeeping"

When it comes to buying products, many consumers look for the Good Housekeeping "Seal of Approval." So how does something get the seal? The Early Show's consumer correspondent, Susan Koeppen, paid a visit to the Good Housekeeping Research Institute to find out.

At the institute, they test everything from popcorn to pillows.

For example, the institute has a lingerie lab. Bras and panties may fit fabulously on the catwalk or fresh out of the package, but researchers are trying to find out how well they hold up in the real world.

"What we're testing here is the elasticity of bras and panties, which are very important," explains tester Kathleen Huddy.

In the stretch test, discount brands bombed. All the elastic was shot. And that won't cut it at Good Housekeeping's institute in New York City, where thousands of products are tested every year, from waterproof boots, to vacuum cleaners, to cell phones that are repeatedly dropped to check their durability.

"Cell phones, radios, cordless phones, whatever you can think of, we drop," says tester Stacy Genovese. She says most of them do work after being dropped.

Good Housekeeping even has a food lab where recipes and ingredients are tested. Each recipe is made at least three times to make sure it'll work in almost any kitchen.

As tester Susan Westmoreland explains, each time the recipe is prepared, it is taste tested. "We try to bite judiciously, but we have to taste. It's part of the job," she says.

In the cleaning lab, testers make messes all day. "We want to simulate the dirty dishes, the dirty laundry, the stains, the spills that drop on the floor, and see how well we can get them up with the products we're testing," tester Carolyn Forte tells Koeppen.

So what's the best way to clean a floor? Forte says disposable mops are a good way to go. "You're not reusing or rinsing out a dirty mop, you're not down on your hands and knees, so it's certainly a lot more convenient," she says.

In the cosmetics lab, they have real people volunteer their faces to test the latest creams. One machine first analyzes your skin's every nook and cranny.

A "before" picture is taken so the results can be compared. "Then we have you use the product, and then take an 'after' photo to see if the lines or winkles are still there," explains tester Nicole Larsen.

Quite "a few" products live up to the claims, says Larsen.

During her tour, Koeppen also got the cold, hard facts when checking out the coat lab, where outer wear is put to the test. Koeppen was put into the climatology room for five minutes, which she says was more like a meat locker, with the temperature set at 30 degrees.

Her mission? To see how long a wool coat would keep her warm.

It is a lot of work, rating all these products. Only a small percentage get the coveted "Seal of Approval."

One lesson learned? Koeppen says wool keeps you the warmest, with down fillings as the runner up.