Sources and methods
How every guide is researched, cited and checked, and the safety rules they all follow.
Sourced, not invented
Every instruction on this site is taken from a source we have read, and cited where it is used. We prefer, in roughly this order:
- Care-labelling and standards bodies, such as GINETEX (the international care-labelling association).
- University extension services and public bodies, such as the University of Georgia, Texas A&M AgriLife and Iowa State University extension services, the Canadian Conservation Institute, NHS inform and GOV.UK.
- Trade bodies, such as the American Cleaning Institute and the National Carpet Cleaners Association.
- Product makers' own directions for their products (for example Vanish, Persil, Dr. Beckmann, HG), used for how to use that product.
- Furniture, mattress and clothing makers' care advice (for example Plumbs, Silentnight, Emma, Levi's).
Where sources disagree, we say so or take the more cautious advice. Some extension sources are American; we convert quantities to metric and use UK product names, but we don't change the method.
Test first, every time
Fabrics, dyes and finishes vary. Every guide tells you to test on a hidden area before using a product, and to follow the care label. If the label says dry clean only, take it to a dry cleaner and tell them what the stain is.
Safety
- Never mix cleaning products, especially bleach and ammonia: the fumes are hazardous.
- Use gloves and good ventilation where a source says to, and keep products away from children and pets.
- For mould, follow public health advice on who should keep away and when to get a professional.
- Last-resort steps (chlorine bleach, solvents) are marked in red and limited to the fabrics the source allows.
Product links
Where a guide's "What you need" list names a product or tool, it may link to Amazon UK search results for that product name or type, tagged with our Amazon Associates ID. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links are marked as sponsored and open in a new tab.
What a guide recommends comes from the cited sources, not from commission. Commission never changes the advice: products are chosen by the method first, and things like water, towels and bowls get no link.
What we leave out
No prices, star ratings, statistics or quotes unless they come from a dated source. No "hacks" that we can't trace to a reliable source. When a topic can't be sourced well, we drop it: for example, we haven't published a guide to getting oil out of paper, because the conservation sources we found say to leave solvents, washing and bleaching to a trained conservator, and don't give a home method.
Checking and corrections
Each guide shows the date its sources were last checked. Before a release, every source link is checked by a script that tells real broken links apart from sites that block automated checks; broken ones are replaced or the claim is removed.