The HouseWire How We Write How-to Guides

How We Write How To Guides
Any users should know how household products work, how to keep them in good shape or even how to repair it.

That’s where we come in. Here at thehousewire, we write easy-to-read guides to help you with common household products and chores. While we do give product recommendations, we also want to make sure you can use the items once you’re home.

And we always make sure to write simply and clearly so that it’s easy to follow along.

The Research

Before we start writing, we always research – a lot!

First, we read the label or instructions on a product and what the manufacturer recommends. But that’s not all: this is just where we start, so we thoroughly understand the item and any potential problems.

Once we have a good foundation, we get information from the experts. That way, we can help you solve your issues with knowledge based on actual experience.

And whenever we can, we do the work ourselves. For example, in this article on cleaning grout, we followed the steps and took pictures to show you exactly how to do it. Therefore, you know you can depend on our guides.

All in all, we spend a lot of hours on each article.

At the beginning, we work for a long time doing research and then writing the guide. Next, we edit and review multiple times. And after all that, we make sure to keep updating the article if it needs it. So you know that everything we write is up-to-date and accurate.

The Writing: Accessible for Everyone

We want everyone to be able to read our articles without difficulty.

For this, we make sure we write in plain, everyday English. Even if you’re not a native speaker or you have a low reading level, we want you to feel comfortable reading our guides.

We also write in a reader-centered way. So, we write as if we were speaking directly to you, and we always have you in mind as we create the articles.

We try to be as clear as possible, use the active voice, and avoid useless extra words. Plus, we hate difficult, bureaucratic language or trying to sell you things, so we don’t write that way.

No Need to Be an Expert

You don’t need to be an expert to understand our articles. They’re for anyone who has a home they want to clean, including novices. Even if you’ve never touched a broom or washed a window, don’t worry! You don’t need to have previous experience.

We all start somewhere, and we’re here to walk you through the problem, step by step.

In addition to the instructions, we also make sure you know everything you need to know before you start. So, we give you material lists, warnings, tips, and notes so you feel confident.

For the materials, we try to choose items that are easy to find. And when we can, we give you links to places were you can buy them online.

In general, these links are so you can look at the product and get a sense of what you need. Often, it’s likely to be easier to find the item in a store near you.

For those of you who haven’t done a lot of cleaning before, we put in links to other articles that give you more detailed information on a certain topic. If you need some extra help, it’s right there; but if you already know something, you can just skip past it.

For those of you with a lot of experience, we make sure that the beginning of each step is quick and to the point. That way, you can skim the article and get on with the task.

Your Feedback Counts

We want to know if our guides are useful for you – because we write them for you!

The easiest way to let us know is to comment directly on the article you’re reading.

And if you think we could improve something, you can always email us at [email protected].