Spring is almost here and many homeowners are looking to clean their homes as pain-free as possible without breaking the bank. But in doing so, they may end up making some costly mistakes that can make a bad chore worse.

Here at Tiger Paws, we want to make sure that our customers are able to make the most out of cleaning their own homes in the most efficient way(s) possible. So without further ado, here are our top five cleaning tips to avoid headaches while you clean.

Dusting with a paper towel may be cheap and convenient, but depending on how much you value your furniture, it may not be worth it in the long-run. Because of its abrasive texture, paper towels can scratch up wooden surfaces, making it no bueno for dusting things like wooden dressers, wooden tables, wooden bookcases, and the likes.

A better strategy would be to dust wooden surfaces with a microfiber cloth. Because of its tiny, individual strands having so much surface area, the fabric is softer, and things (like dust) bond to it better. Consider adding furniture polish to the microfiber cloth. That way, not only do you not scratch the furniture, but you polish it in the process!

And why stop there? Microfiber’s tendency to not scratch also means it’s great for cleaning windows, mirrors, and chrome!

You may have heard of or even seen first-hand your mother or father use an old homemade remedy to clean a microwave by slicing a lemon in half, putting it into a bowl or cup of water, and microwaving it to loosen up the gross stuff in side. Well what if we told you that’s not all a lemon can do? Because of its acidic nature, lemons actually do a good job at breaking up various kinds of stains, bacteria, and grime.

For that reason, lemons are a surprisingly versatile cleaning tool. As it turns out, it can be used for many things, from cleaning your grout using a toothbrush and some lemon juice, to removing that garlic smell from your hands that just won’t go away after preparing dinner.

Many things can be cleaned with just a lemon and some water, baking soda, salt, and/or vinegar. Check out Networx’s site for a list of 24 uses and grab some lemons from the store today!

Because of the extreme temperatures of steam cleaners, and the fact that they only use water and heat, steam cleaners can be a powerful and eco-friendly alternative! It’s ideal for hard surfaces, upholsteries, curtains, clothes, and especially carpets! It’s also effective in eliminating lingering pests and nuisances, such as lingering viruses, bacteria, ticks and bed bugs!

Although steam cleaners can be a bit pricey at first, you can use them over and over again simply by refilling them at your sink or in your bathtub instead of restocking on various cleaning chemicals.

Just be sure to use proper caution and protection when cleaning with steam. If you want to steam clean your entire home but don’t have the time or the capability, or if you just don’t know where to begin, consider calling your local professionals to get the job done for you!

By the way, if you would like to learn more about which carpets are best to clean via steam cleaning, check out parts 1 and 2 of our “different carpet types and benefits of each” series.

The conclusion

Those are our top three recommended cleaning tools that you have to try this Spring! Be sure to check out other means of cleaning things inside and out, and keep on the lookout for other articles on cleaning in the future!

Also, if you want more information on cleaning your carpet in time for spring, check out our previous article on major carpet irritants to watch out for in spring 2019.