Eva Longoria may be known for hit shows like ‘Desperate Housewives’, directing movies and walking the glittering red carpets. But, despite the glamour, there's one unexpected passion she has — cleaning.
The actress recently teamed up with home care brand BISSELL to launch its newest and most powerful cordless stick vacuum — the PowerClean DualBrush. And while this may seem like a strange combo (do Hollywood actresses really do their own cleaning?), it turns out Eva does enjoy getting her hands dirty.
Here she sits down with us to tell all about her cleaning routine secrets, organizing tips, and the one chore we all hate but she loves to do.
How did your collaboration with Bissell come about?
Eva: "I think they were stalking me because I am a vacuum connoisseur and a hard judge on vacuums, as I love cleaning. Specifically, vacuuming my home, which is multi-surfaced with carpet, rugs, hardwood floors, and some tile. And so I'm always looking for a total cleanup for all types of messes. Plus, I have animals in my house, and I have a child who leaves a trail of crumbs anywhere he goes. I have so many family members, plus I'm a chef, so I'm constantly making a mess in the kitchen.
I also like life hacks that really help me clean up a mess. So when they sent me this all-in-one, Bissell PowerClean Dual Brush, this was exactly what I was looking for to tackle my home. My house is a bit chaotic, but it's very lived in — and I like it like that."
Do you have a set cleaning day in your home?
Eva: "It naturally falls on Sundays, because the week often gets hectic with school. I’ll give the whole house a pass with the vacuum cleaner and end up with loads of laundry to sort. I’ll also do all my food prep for the week and Santi’s prep for the week.
I'm a big spring cleaner, and I do love a deep clean monthly, where I’ll empty the closet or even the fridge. I just don't like clutter."
What is your favorite and least favorite chore?
Eva: "I love washing the dishes by hand — but I don't like drying. So either I leave it to dry or, if my husband's around, I'll wrangle him into that. I don't really use a dishwasher, but only if I have a big dinner party, then I'll probably use the dishwasher."
Which smart home devices have been a game-changer for you?
Eva: "I’m old school and prefer to do things myself. I would say probably the most technology we have in the house is our home alarm system and security camera, which has been great because I can watch my house anywhere in the world
I do like a robot vacuum, but that's just for maintenance. So on a Sunday, I just set it to clean the house — it’s tough as I have pets, so there's hair everywhere".
Do you have a favorite room to clean?
Eva: "I love cleaning and organizing my closet. A good tip is to take inventory, and I need to know what's in my closet and what's going out. I do it weekly, and I'm always changing it — following Marie Kondo’s philosophy. So if I haven't worn this sweater in three years, I probably should thank it for its presence in my life and let it go!
I get gifted a lot of clothes and really try to be respectful with the amount that I don’t use. So I’ll either donate or send them back — my sisters love when I do a closet clean-out.
And my least favorite room to clean is the kitchen. It’s just that I cook so much, the last thing I want to do is clean afterwards."
What are the similarities and differences between directing a movie and directing the household?
Eva: "It's pretty much the same thing, but directing a movie is easier. You have a lot of collaborators who are all rowing in the same direction, while maybe not in the same household!
But I do think women make amazing directors because we are natural multitaskers. We are juggling motherhood, marriage, and caretaking. Since we are managing a lot, a movie set is exactly like that."
