Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling's relationship has been a topic of interest for years, and now, the actress is opening up about the unexpected way they bonded when they first started dating.

Mendes, 51, revealed in a recent interview with New Beauty that she and Gosling, 44, discovered a shared passion for cleanliness, which quickly became a "bonding experience" for the couple.

“I always thought it was a Cuban thing that we love to clean, and we love a clean kitchen,” Mendes said. “Some of my best memories from when I was little are of my mom cleaning the house over the weekend. She’d be playing a record super loudly, and it would wake me up. There was the smell of Pine-Sol and the sounds of her singing to El Puma.”

When Mendes began dating Gosling in 2011, she discovered that the actor had a similar love for cleanliness. “He would come over. He just loved it. When my family was around, we would literally take over the kitchen. It had to be clean.”

Added Mendes, “It was a bonding experience.”

Mendes also spoke about her Skura Style x Eva Mendes Collection, a lifestyle brand she co-owns. “I have my own packaging, which I’m just nuts for. It was so fun designing that.”

As for summer plans with daughters Esmeralda Amada, 10, and Amada Lee, 7, whom she shares with Gosling, Mendes indicated she’s just happy to be by their side. “Summer is their time to be kids, and I'm really taking it in... I just want to be with them. Whatever I'm doing, as long as I'm with them and Ryan, of course, that's where I'm happiest."”

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Source: People