Eva Mendes isn’t afraid to admit that she’s not a clean person. This means that sometimes the kitchen is “messy”. “It’s definitely a reflection of me feeling a little chaotic or scattered,” she tells SELF with a laugh.
Between caring for two young children and co-owning a sponge company, scrub style, Mendes is no stranger to the struggle of juggling enormous responsibilities. On extremely busy days (or weeks…), it can feel impossible to find the time and energy to tidy up. But she’s trying to keep up her efforts, even if her personal space doesn’t look pretty 24/7. “I’ve always felt like the kitchen, especially its condition, symbolized my inner state,” Mendes said. “So keeping things clean and somewhat organized is how I feel best.”
So how does she summon motivation? What household chores does she share with Ryan? And are there strategies to help her get by as a busy mom? I asked everything. And I’m glad her answer was so relatable.
How she came to see cleaning the kitchen as “fun”
“I’m Cuban. I’m first-generation and my mother, sisters, and aunts are all very involved in the home, especially the kitchen and cooking. So I grew up thinking of washing dishes as a positive thing that should be especially enjoyed.” I did.
“You can gain experience by turning up the volume of Latin music and then cleaning. I grew up with the scent of Pine Sol and Fabuloso, which every Latin American home has. Distinctive Smells There’s this cleaning solvent. Cleaning was a big part of my upbringing anyway.”
A ritual that actually makes washing dishes fun?
“I’m a bit of an insomniac. So no matter how tired I am, after I put the kids to bed, I’m like, my time. Then I wash the dishes. If I don’t listen to music, I listen to podcasts. But music is great to cheer me up, especially Cuban music. It can literally be anything, from the nostalgic to the new.
“Right now, when I’m doing the dishes at night, I do a podcast.” mel robbins podcast. She’s so inspirational. By the time she finishes using the kitchen, she’s like, “She learned something!” If she’s doing it during the day, she can listen to anything from Celia Cruz to her Doja Cat. Obviously, Doja Cat is only around while the kids are at school.
“But I dislike To take out the garbage. i don’t like it. I’ll do it when I have to, but that’s one thing I don’t want to do. I know that sounds very gender specific and I don’t want to fall into that stereotype, but it stinks. I’m super sensitive to smells. I haven’t worked through this with my therapist yet, but I’m sure it’s not that deep. ”
How did she get into the sponge business in the first place?
“During the pandemic, I was one of those people. [cleaning] To the extreme. Looks like they washed all the fruits and stuff.But I still needed to find perfection sponge.
