Eva Mendes, actor, explains over the telephone that cleaning is a tradition. If you are Hispanic, you will understand the morning ritual she is referring to: Every weekend at dawn, you start your day with meringue, salsa music, or bachata as your mother or aunt calls you to get out of bed and clean the house. Mendes said that even today, her mother greets her mother with a kiss on her cheek, tells she she needs to eat more, then heads to her kitchen to wash the dishes.
“I don’t know if it’s cultural, but in my family, my good Cuban family, that’s what we do,” the actor tells Glamour. “We all congregate in the kitchen no matter how small your kitchen is.” During 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was making its way throughout the country, Mendes threw herself even further into cleaning as a coping mechanism. “I have a clean kitchen, I have like a clear mind. It is definitely linked to how I feel about my mental well-being.”
Remember how nobody really knew how? Much moreDid you have to clean your apartment during lockdown? Did you have to clean your groceries? Did you have to get home, wash your hands, and shower if you were outside? It was a frightening time and Mendes found her way deeper into a dish-washing rabbithole as she sought out the best products to clean her house and keep her family’s safety. Mendes discovered Skura Style, which started with a unique anti-microbial sponge that changed color, and knew it was special. Mendes reached out to co-founders Linda Sawyer, and Allison Matz to arrange a Zoom call to discuss how much she loved the product.
Mendes initially thought she would help spread the word and make a few Instagram posts, but the trio soon realized that they were more alike than different. For one, they were all type-A clean freaks. The rest is history: Mendes is now co-owner and brand ambassador.
“When I found the Skura sponge and had the product in my hand, I became obsessed with it,” Mendes says. “I decided to contact the owners because I read about their really sweet childhood story—they’ve been best friends since they were second grade—and one Zoom led to another and a year of going back and forth. I went from obsessed customer until like a partner in the company.”
Below Eva Mendes shares her cleaning secrets, her husband Ryan Gosling’s favorite meal, and the products she can’t do without.
The only cleaning product I use in my home
It is so easy and my mom has passed it on to me: vinegar, baking soda. You can clean almost anything with these two. It’s the combination that you can use for any purpose, whether it be alone or in combination.
My favorite thing to hear while tidying up is
It’s a nostalgic experience to listen to Cuban music such as Xiomara Almaro and Celia Cruz. It’s super old school music and super vintage music. It was that kind of music my mom used to play when I was a child. It is an emotional experience for me. My mom would blast Cuban music on Saturdays and Sundays, and I would get up to listen.
How I spend “me” time
I really enjoy arranging flowers for the whole house. It feels silly to say I love music, but I do have music for my many moods, and it depends how I want to self-care at the moment—whether it’s a dance attack or classical Beethoven or opera. It can go from Doja Cat all the way to Maria Callas. I love going to museums with my friends. Again, cleaning is what I love, especially if it’s something I can do alone. It can be very meditative.
Whether or no I’m team chancleta
My mother was against barefoot in our home growing up. Although she was part of the chancla culture (a Spanish term that refers to flip-flops), I prefer to be barefoot. I also do that annoying thing where people have to take off their shoes when I come in. I prefer a house without shoes so I’m going with no shoes. But my mother, she stills goes, “Ay nina, ponte unas chancletas aqui, por favor—” (which translates to, “Girl, please put on a pair of flip-flops…”) It’s a debate with her. She is the only one allowed to wear her little chapeautas.
Ryan Gosling, my husband, makes my favorite meal
He made a great shakshouka about a month ago that my kids and I keep asking him to make. It was absolutely delicious. He also bakes. He’ll make a beautiful shakshouka and then bake us a pie.
Whom do I call for advice on cleaning?
My mom is my best friend when it comes cleaning. My mom still gets phone calls from me like, “Mami, algo pasó aquí en la alfombra.” Like, “I got this crazy weird stain, and I don’t know how to get it out.” Usually her answer is: Let it sit with a little bit of vinegar, a tiny bit of baking soda, and go back to it later.
My favorite summer trend
Isabel Marant is a great choice. I have a good combination of Stella McCartney, Zara and Isabel Marant for what I will do this summer. I usually don’t have planned looks, but rather it’s whatever I’m into at the moment when I end up going shopping—which I’m not much of a shopper. I feel an emotional attachment when I go shopping. Then I’ll wear the clothes out.
My skincare essentials
I love wearing gloves while I’m cleaning—mostly because I use scalding hot water—and I love really getting deep into the nooks and crannies while cleaning. True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil is a product I love to use as my gloves. It’s a face oil that I use a few times per day as my moisturizer. However, I also use it on my hands before I put on my gloves to moisturize my hands while I clean.
This is the music I have been listening to lately.
I love Camila Cabello and “Bam Bam.” Although I have never met her, I love her music and the way she expresses herself. I also love that she is a real girl. For some reason, I feel this sort of Big Sister protectiveness about her. I think she is just so beautiful. She’s got some fun dance songs. Camila Cabello is a great choice for mom when she’s feeling down. It makes the house feel happier.
Ana Escalante works as the editorial assistant for Glamour.
Source: Glamour