Fixing Our Mistakes

Everyone who writes gets things wrong sometimes. A cleaning method that suits one surface may not suit another, a service changes its name, a step gets left out of a guide. What matters is what happens next. This page explains how we put things right.

What counts as a mistake

• Factual errors, such as a wrong name, an inaccurate description or a step in the wrong order.
• Missing safety notes, especially where a method involves chemicals, electrics, water or heat.
• Outdated information, where something was true when written but has since changed.
• Unclear writing that could reasonably lead a reader to do something unwise.
• Broken links and pages that no longer lead anywhere useful.

How to tell us

Send a short message through the Reach Us page with the address of the article and a description of the problem. If you can, explain how you know; for example, a product label, a manufacturer's manual or your own experience trying the method. You do not need to be certain, and we are grateful for doubts as well as definite corrections.

Where your report goes next

1. We read it promptly and note which article it concerns.
2. We check it against reliable sources such as manufacturer guidance and official information.
3. We decide on the change. Where a reader could be put at risk, the fix takes priority over everything else.
4. We update the article and, for anything beyond a typo, add a short note saying what changed.
5. We reply to you to let you know the outcome, even when we conclude that the original was correct.

Corrections and updates are different

A correction fixes something that was wrong. An update adds new information or reflects a change that happened after publication. Both are worth knowing about, so we label them differently in our notes. Small spelling and grammar fixes are made quietly, as they do not change the meaning.

Older articles

Our archive covers many years and topics, from gadgets and hobbies to food and travel. Some older pieces were written in a different style or reflect how things worked at the time. We are reviewing them gradually, giving priority to anything practical where an outdated detail could cause trouble. New articles, such as our guide to cleaning a washing machine, are written with safety notes from the outset.

What we will not change

We do not alter articles simply because a company would prefer different wording. Corrections are made because something is wrong, never because someone is unhappy that it is right.

To learn more about how articles are written in the first place, see The Team and the Idea.