By: Yolanda Vasquez, Empath, Pet Lover, Intuitive Guide, Life Coach, & President of Zenful Cleaning Solutions of South Florida

Do you dislike Laundry Duty? You are not alone.

Here are 10 Life-Changing Tips When You Are Overwhelmed With Laundry

I know it might seem slightly over-dramatic to imply that I have “life-changing” laundry tips to share, but I honestly think it’s possible based on the number of conversations I’ve had (in-person and over the phone) with people who hate doing the laundry with every fiber of their being. People feel so overwhelmed with this task, and there is so much procrastination and dread associated with this necessary household chore. It often makes me wonder if I’m doing something wrong because I DON’T have these same feelings!  

If doing laundry is one of your least favorite chores, today’s life-changing laundry tips are for YOU! 

Or if you just want us to take the lead you know where to reach us.

My 10 Life-Changing Laundry Tips

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1. Buy & Wash Less Clothing!

The more clothing you have, the more clothing you will need to wash, dry, fold, hang, put away, and store. 

If you have less clothing, you will have less chance of the laundry piling up because you’ll need to wash in order to have enough clean clothes. This is one of the reasons I truly only have 10 pairs of socks and underwear's! ;)

This might seem like an overly simple or maybe even impractical solution to your laundry woes, but I know from experience that it works!  

 

2. Purge High-Maintenance Clothing

I realize some jobs require more high-maintenance clothing… but, if at all possible, stick to low-maintenance clothing that doesn’t require special washing cycles, lots of ironing, or (worse) dry cleaning!

Obviously, with no special instructions, you can more quickly and easily plow through your piles of laundry. With more forgiving fabrics, your clothing will stay looking nicer with less work.  

3. Establish a Laundry Routine

Laundry is one of those things that quite literally is NEVER completely finished. Because of this, it’s easy to get sucked into “continual laundry mode” as I call it —always and forever starting another load of laundry (even if it’s not a full load). My advice would be to pick 2 or 3 times each week when you will do laundry, and then forbid yourself from thinking about laundry any other times throughout the week (outside of an emergency). 

It’s there, it’s dirty, you’ll get to it on your laundry day! 

For me, it works well to do laundry on Tuesday mornings and Friday evenings. 

4. Sort Smarter

For example: 

• Wash all the “upstairs laundry” at one time — and then bring it all upstairs to fold and put away
• Wash all the “main floor laundry” at one time — and fold and put it away
• I wash all the kitchen and bathroom linens at one time — using a little bleach since they are all white

This smarter method of sorting our laundry greatly expedites the time it takes for me to fold and put the laundry away. For some reason, this seems to be the most stressful and time-consuming part for so many people I talk to.

5. Create Designated Areas for Dirty Clothing

If you’re the parent who bemoans the fact that dirty laundry is scattered throughout the bathrooms and bedrooms, stop and first consider if there is actually a designated spot for the dirty laundry in your home. 

This does NOT need to be a fancy hamper; you do NOT need space in every room of your house. You DO need a space that is convenient for the other people in your home — otherwise, they won’t use it! 

Have 3 areas for dirty items in our house:

For example:  

1. a wicker hamper in our bedroom.
2. a cloth hamper with a removable bag in the kid’s bathroom upstairs (they change out of their clothing right before baths, so this works well)
3. a small plastic clothes basket in the laundry room (for kitchen and bath hand towels and washcloths)

I understand that having a place for the dirty items does NOT guarantee dirty items will magically end up in that space — but it’s a start!

6. Eliminate Lone Socks with a Mesh Bag

I’ve shared this tip before — but it saves me SO much time doing laundry that I need to mention it again…

I keep a mesh bag pinned to the kid’s laundry basket (see photo above). They put their socks in here for easy sorting and it assures none of our socks get lost, or worse, “stuck” in the washing machine. 

7. Put Clean Laundry Away Immediately

Again, this sounds overly simple, but the majority of people I talk with admit to leaving the laundry sit in the basket 

I once spoke for a women’s group on the topic of laundry — a full hour dedicated to the never-ending task. So many of the women were completely floored that I actually washed, dried, folded, hung, AND put away my laundry in the same time period. 

I promise, I do not have superpowers, and I don’t have a magical washer and dryer. I just stick with it until the job is fully finished because it feels easier and less overwhelming for me that way.

I can fold one load of laundry in 5-7 minutes and have it all put away within another few minutes. However, if I wait until the end of the day and have 4-8 loads waiting to be folded, THAT feels super overwhelming… not to mention how wrinkly and smashed the clothes will be after sitting in a pile all day.

8. Don’t Fold 🙂

This seems to save time AND keep our closets looking nicer. Plus, it’s easier for the kids to hang than to fold — so they can do some of it themselves! 

Also, don’t fold things like PJ’s, underwear, leggings, tights, etc. etc. Just dump them in bins or drawers and move on. 

9. Use Laundry Balls In Place of Detergent and Fabric Softener

I’ve been using wool dryer balls for YEARS and YEARS in lieu of traditional fabric softener (I’ve used the same exact balls the entire time). 

I also started using these laundry balls in place of laundry detergent almost 2 years ago.

I’m certain I have saved hundreds of dollars, reduced our chemical use, and never have to worry about running out of fabric softeners on laundry day! 

Plus, Fabric Softener at times stains our clothes, and what really helps the clothing smell nice are the dryer sheets. *Just my two cents* 

        10. Ask for help and make it fun.

Laundry is definitely a job children (and spouses) can easily help with — or even take over completely! 

When my boys were young I would have them match up socks, and who the one who matched the most would win a prize. :)

It honestly is a huge help for me to have the others in our house pitching in with the laundry efforts. If you play your cards right, you might be able to completely hand off the laundry responsibilities in no time. :) 

Like I mentioned above, I know my use of the words “life-changing” are slightly dramatic. However, I know so many people who are completely stressed out by their laundry situation that I believe their lives would be completely changed if they adopted many of my tips above 

It won’t happen overnight, but I’m confident this never-ending chore will feel significantly less overwhelming by implementing these 

10 life-changing laundry tips! 

 

The Gift of Clean- Valentine' Day!

                                                                                By: Yolanda Vasquez, Intuitive Guide, Life Coach, & 

President of Zenful Cleaning Solutions of South Florida

The Gift of Clean Valentine's Day Special!

Looking to make a grand gesture that your spouse or partner will appreciate this Valentine’s Day? How about the gift of a clean, tidy, and organized home? We at Zenful take great pride in doing just that. We are offering a 15% discount to all February 2022 bookings!

February Celebrates "Spouse's Month Appreciation". It's a time to enjoy and appreciate your better half. Show your spouse the love! You can use this day as a prelude or warm up to Valentine's Day, if you'd like. But

it's not really a gift giving event. Rather, use it as a time to show your spouse that you care and appreciate all of the things that he/she does for you and for the household. In other words, take a minute to be thankful for what you've got.

Over the long years of a relationship, it's easy to take for granted the many things your spouse does. He/she is always there. They do so many big and little things as routine activities and events. Take today to notice those things, and to say thanks. As for the "enjoyment" part of the day...we will leave that up to you to enjoy your spouse however the two of you desire.

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By: Yolanda Vasquez, Intuitive Guide, Life Coach, & 

President of Zenful Cleaning Solutions of South Florida

5 Tips to Help Seniors Declutter

If you’ve lived in your home for many years, you may be considering downsizing or moving. The very thought can be overwhelming. Where to start? What to keep? What to toss? It’s that time of year when we start thinking about upcoming resolutions and vow to stick with them.

Our friends at Zenful Cleaning specialize in helping seniors and their families transition from one home to another with care, attentiveness and trust. If you have resolved to declutter in 2021 or 2022, their team recommends the following strategy to help you get organized.

Photo courtesy of Organize Senior Moves

1. Start in the areas where you live; your kitchen, family room and bedroom. 

2. Separate things into items that you keep, those that will be donated, items for trash, family/friends, etc. Consider having either designated areas for these things, or boxes, in which to place them. 

3. Empty and organize every cabinet, closet and drawer. Examine the contents carefully to determine what you actually use and need. Refer back to step #2 as you go along. 

4. Once your primary areas of the home have been thoroughly, you are permitted to begin work in other areas of the home.  Lather, rinse, repeat. 

5. Allow yourself time to perform each of these steps.  You are not expected to get this all done in a day or even a weekend, especially if this is done properly and effectively.  You are expected to go about living your daily life.

Zenful Cleaning also has great advice to help you stay focused along with things you don’t want to do when do when decluttering. Just feel free to reach out! :) There are many benefits to having an organized, decluttered home even if you are not planning on downsizing. And, should you decide to downsize, it will be less stressful if you’re home is already free of extra items and clutter. Armed with these tips, you can successfully declutter your home. Here’s to a wonderful 2022. 

The Mental Health Benefits of Cleaning, Organizing, & Decluttering Your Space

 

By: Yolanda Vasquez, Intuitive Guide, Life Coach, & 

President of Zenful Cleaning Solutions of South Florida

The Mental Health Benefits of Cleaning, Organizing, & Decluttering Your Space

Being stuck in one place quarantining due to the COVID-19 pandemic can be very stressful, uncomfortable, and anxiety-provoking. It is completely valid and normal to feel lazy, unmotivated, sad, or have a rollercoaster of emotions during this period. The most important thing is to focus on what you have control over. On this note, numerous mental health benefits are associated with cleaning and organizing your space, and this article will outline some of the most important ones.

Gain Control of Your Environment

It may feel as if you have no control over your life right now, with the health crisis confining you many ways. However, it is very empowering and uplifting to take advantage of what you do have control over, including your environment. It is more crucial now––since you are likely spending most of your time in one enclosed place––than ever to organize and clean your space. The process of doing this, even simply just getting rid of clutter that is in the way, can be very liberating.

Find Calm

Cleaning and organizing are strongly associated with decreasing stress and anxiety. Often a cluttered or messy area can be seen as “unfinished business,” whether consciously or unconsciously, and this can add unnecessary stress. The process of wiping down your desk counter, washing your sheets, making your bed, going through clutter, taking out the trash, washing the dishes and feeling the warm water, dusting the shelves, vacuuming, and other hands-on cleaning-related activities can lead to a very blissful, meditative state. Studies have actually found that clean sheets and making your bed are associated with a better night’s sleep, which comes with its own list of considerable mental health benefits.

Once you have cleaned and organized, you may even choose to light a scented candle or place your favorite incense in the room to fill your environment with tranquility.

Uplift Your Mood

Once you have cleaned and organized your space, you may feel like everything is once again “new,” and this adds a sense of excitement. Going through the process can also lead to a great level of satisfaction and feeling the positive energy associated with being productive. A feeling of peace may wash over you, as once you declutter your physical area, you declutter your mind.

Heighten Your Focus and Attention Span

Studies have proven that clutter can make it significantly more difficult to focus on a particular task, especially if it overwhelms your visual field. Decluttering and organizing can directly lead to improving your attention span and focus: a refreshed mental space.

Find Inspiration

Upon cleaning, you may find lost or old items that you previously cherished. Allow time to reflect on these findings and enjoy them. You may find yourself feeling inspired to pick up an old hobby or start a project. Cleaning and organizing can spark your creativity, and upon embracing this, the possibilities of where it will take you are endless.

It’s easy to undermine the power of organizing and decluttering; however, especially while we are all confined to sheltering-in-place, remember the wide-ranging mental health benefits, and embrace your own feat of spring cleaning.

10 Easy Ways To Cleanse Your Home Of Negative Energy

 

By: Yolanda Vasquez, Life Coach, & 

President of Zenful Cleaning Solutions of South Florida

10 Easy Ways To Cleanse 

Your Home Of Negative Energy

Everything is made of energy, and it's very easy for that energy to build up and bring you down. You're likely already clearing your home of physical clutter—so why not tend to its energetic clutter?

 Getting in the habit of removing the negative, chaotic energy that surrounds you could make your space feel lighter, brighter, and more creative. Here’s how it's done:

 Times when it's essential to clear your home's energy:

 When you're in a funk or having a bad day: 

 Negative energy in your home may be feeding those feelings.

• If you were just sick: Along with the stress of feeling under the weather, the physical condition carries negative energy into the space around you.
• Following a breakup or loss: Clearing during heartache or grief can help you to process pain and move forward.
• After arguing with your partner: You said some things. They said some things. Now that the disagreement is over, it's time to clear the air—literally.
• During any major life transition (think a new job, partnership, or pets/ babies arriving): Clearing out the old creates space for the new energy these things bring.
• When you're feeling stuck: If you want to improve your life and haven't made progress, it might be time to question whether your home is keeping you stuck in the past. 

10 easy ways to remove the negative energy in your home.

1. Set a new intention for your home. 

Form follows thought. Before you do anything else, set a specific intention for your home. What do you want your space to help you release? How do you want your home to feel?

For example, you could say: "My intention is to cleanse negative energy from my home so I am focused and productive" or "My intention is to release my ex's energy and feel peaceful again." Speak your intention out loud to set the shifts in motion.

2. Try burning dried herbs.

People all over the world have long burned certain fragrant herbs to clear negative energy. This list of 10 herbs can be burned for their cleansing smoke.

Simply place your dried herb of choice in a fire-safe container and light until you see a flame. Blow it out. The orange embers will continue to burn. Fan the embers while spreading smoke thoroughly into every crevice of each room. Note: If you have asthma or are sensitive to smoke, skip this one and clear your space using plants instead.

 3. Strategically place your crystals.

 Crystals are gifts from the earth that carry various beneficial vibrational properties. Two stones to place around your home to clear negative energy are black tourmaline and hematite.

 4. Make noise as you walk through your space.

 The sound of drums, gongs, and even clapping hands can help break up negative energy. For an at-home sound ritual, start at your front door and move clockwise through the inner perimeter of your home, playing an instrument (or clapping) toward the walls, until you've made a full loop.

 5. Burn incense.

 Palo Santo is a type of fragrant wood that's native to South America and can be burned as incense. It is thought to be a vigorous energy cleanser; just light one end of a stick and spread the smoke as you would with your dried herbs.

 6. Cleanse your house with salt.

 Salt has been used for sterilizing everything from cutting boards to wounds (ouch!), and it clears negative energy too. Here are some ways you can utilize it throughout your home:

• Dissolve sea salt in a spray bottle filled with water and mist the air of every room.
• Place a thin line of sea salt in front of your home's entrance or around the perimeter of your property.
• Include a small dish of salt on your altar.
• Dissolve salt in water used to clean surfaces and floors.
• Use Himalayan salt lamps.

 7. Give the whole place a fresh, lemony scent.

 

There's a reason so many cleaning products are lemon-scented. The smell of lemon is naturally invigorating and uplifting. Here are some unexpected ways to use it at home:

• Simmer lemon peels in water and let the steam scent your space.
• Leave small dishes filled with fresh lemon slices around your home.
• Put lemon essential oils in your diffuser.

 

8. Fill your space with the smell of plants.

 

Lemon isn't the only scent that can give your space a quick boost: Sage, lavender, and frankincense essential oils can also be great at dissolving negativity. 

You can either place them in your diffuser or fill a clean spray bottle with equal parts witch hazel and distilled water, add 20-30 drops of essential oil of choice, shake, and mist your living space. Or opt for fresh scents instead and place fragrant plants like peace lilies, aloe vera, or English ivy in vases around your home.

 

9. Harness the power of imagination.

 

Imagine a glowing, golden light inside your heart space. As you breathe in deeply, expand that light until it's outside of your body. Now spread that light into your living space, with the intention that all of the energetic congestion clears out.

 

10. Clear out your clutter.

 

Physical dirt and clutter can make a space feel unwelcoming. Keeping a clean, clutter-free home means negative energy won't have a place to congregate. Last but not least, open your windows! Allowing fresh air in also lets negative energy out. 

 

The bottom line.

Make energetically cleansing your space a regular part of your routine using any one of these practices and within a short time, you will feel lighter, brighter, and better able to take inspired action in your life.

Let's Detoxify Your Home

 

By: Yolanda Vasquez President of Zenful Cleaning Solutions of South Florida

Zenful Cleaning Services has got your back! 

Are you ready to Detox your home? Well lets get to it. ;)  

The fact that we live in a world full of chemicals, pesticides, and other harmful substances can't be denied. Sure, we strive to eat good food and use natural cleaners, but what do we do about the unclean air and the unhealthy things that have already made their way into our homes and bodies?

Perhaps you live in the city with a lot of pollution or you have furniture and carpeting that may be off-gassing extra toxins into your home; what can be done about these?

Worrying about such things makes me want to head for the hills and build my own log cabin in the woods. This is not always feasible (although perhaps it can be in our long-term plans), so it's important to find other ways to cope.

Thankfully our bodies were created with natural detoxification systems and there is a lot we can do to enhance those systems.

Today we will look at a few simple ways to detoxify your home and body so you can feel comfortable and healthy in your home and world.

My goal here is not to provide extreme detoxification practices, but rather simple steps to help you gently detoxify on a daily basis.

1.) Plants

Scientific studies show that plants really do reduce toxins in the air. It's not just an old wives tale.

Pollutants such as formaldehyde, ammonia, and benzene are all absorbed by the humble plant (as are a number of less common contaminants). This is great news for those of us who spend a good deal of time indoors!

Some of the best plants for cleaning indoor air include:

• Ferns
• English Ivy
• Palms
• Ficus
• Peace Lily
• Chrysanthemums
• Spider Plants
• 
  

2.) Keep dust to a minimum

As a busy mom, I do find it difficult to keep up with dusting! Sigh. But the fact is, dust contains an array of toxins that are in easy-to-breathe form.  Yuck.

Mop wood floors on a regular basis (as regularly as you can, anyway) and wipe down furniture with a microfiber cloth.

3.) Eat lots of fresh vegetables (preferably organic)

Vegetables are an excellent source of antioxidants. The antioxidants found in vegetables have the job of removing an over-abundance of free radicals from the body.

Usually, the brighter and darker the vegetable's color, the higher amount of antioxidants it contains. Organic and locally grown vegetables are generally the richest sources of antioxidants.

Asparagus, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, carrots, and artichokes are all rich in antioxidants.

Bitter greens such as arugula, endive, dandelion greens and spinach increase bile flow which helps detoxify the liver (Source)Garlic is known to cleanse the blood. Add it freely to soups, stews, sauces, and even kale chips!

As a general rule, eating a wide variety (and decent amount) or vegetables on a daily basis is helpful in boosting your body's natural detoxification processes. Just another reason to eat more veggies!

4. Drink detoxifying beverages

A number of healthy beverages boost liver function, which in turn improves our body's ability to detoxify harmful substances.

Some of the most effective (and simple) detoxifying beverages are:

*Lemon water

• Begin the day by sipping on a glass of lemon water to kick-start your body's natural detoxifying processes. Simply mix the juice of half a lemon with 8 ounces of water and you're good to go.For more information see: Why You Should Drink Lemon Water First Thing in the Morning

• Probiotic beverages (such as Kefir and Kombucha)
  Also known as fermented beverages, drinks like Kombucha and Kefir help create a healthy inner ecosystem and detoxify the body.
  
  These drinks are relatively easy to make at home but are also readily available in many health food stores as well as some mainstream grocery stores.
• Dandelion Tea
  An herbal tea brewed from the leaves and/or roots of the dandelion plant is an effective detoxifier. (Don't worry, you can buy it in tea bag form!)
  In her book, 20, 000 Secrets of Tea, Victoria Zak explains it well:“Chronic conditions are treated with dandelion root. It removes pesticides, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, and toxins that collect in your joints. In turn, this helps prevent arthritic inflammations from toxins in joints, and cell damage from free radicals.”

  Buy dandelion tea at the health food store or make your own by pouring one cup of hot water over 1 teaspoon of dried dandelion leaves/roots. Leave for at least five minutes before straining out the herbs. Then drink.

  My favorite dandelion tea is this Roasted Dandelion Root from Traditional Medicinals.

Also, try these...

1. Open your windows on a daily basis. Recycling the air is so important!
2. Get rid of artificial air fresheners. Essential oils diffused into the air are a great alternative that smell wonderful.
3. Are you drinking enough water? Get a water filter system for your drinking water. 
4. Use a shower head water filter that will take out the chlorine and other harmful chemicals.
5. Use untreated fabrics as much as possible. Stain-resistant furniture's have volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde. The same is true for flame-retardant clothing, such as children pajamas. Look for tight-fitting pajamas that are not flame-retardant for your children.
6. If you dry clean your clothes, let them air out outside for a few hours before bringing them into the house.
7. Change your filters for your furnace and air conditioner often, and if possible upgrade to an allergy reduction filter.
8. Stop using dryer sheets. Wool dyer balls are an excellent, natural alternative.
9. Be on the look out for mold. Beware of areas in the home that may have too much moisture in the air and seek to control it. Use a dehumidifier for any area that you aren’t able to keep the relative humidity below 60%.
10. Add Himalayan Salt Lamps to as many rooms in your home as you can.
11. Use organic sheets and bedding, especially for babies and kids.
12. Use potted plants to help purify the air.
13. Use non-VOC paint.
14. Allow new products, such as stuffed furniture that may contain toxins, to off gas outside or in the garage for a few days before bringing into the house.
15. Use organic mattresses. If you can’t (they are very expensive), cover your regular mattresses with an organic mattress cover.
16. Clean your surfaces with antibacterial cloths, such as e-cloths and water.
17. Dust and vacuum often, as “dust bunnies” are found to be magnets for chemicals.
18. Seek out natural pest control methods rather than harsh, chemical-based pest control products.
19. Turn your phone to airplane mode when you sleep, especially if it’s in the same room with you.
20. Regularly vacuum your mattress and furniture.
21. Replace your pillows every five years.