Jeremiah Brent’s Guide to Keeping His NYC Apartment Tidy

The only thing New Yorkers complain about more than the price of their apartments is its size. One benefit of those tight quarters, you might think, is that it’s easier to clean. But it’s hard to keep any space neat and tidy when you’re sharing it with kids and dogs. Jeremiah Brent, a husband, and a father of two kids and a rescue dog, knows this all too well, but the interior designer and HGTV host has a secret weapon for keeping his home clean: the BISSELL® CrossWave® Cordless Max multi-surface wet/dry vac.

More time at home means more messes, so we figured it was the perfect time to ask Jeremiah about his go-to cleaning device. He shared which activities often lead to spills in their home, and how relying on one tool helps him clean them up as quickly as possible. Whether or not you live in New York City, these strategies will help you live in the moment, not the mess. 

Morning Messes

Mornings are rarely calm for parents of multiples. How can they be when you’re in charge of getting everyone fed and dressed and ready to take on the day? Things only get more hectic once breakfast is served. Kids aren’t exactly the tidiest of eaters, so whatever is on the menu will likely wind up on their face and the floor. Parents like Jeremiah often have to deal with the first mess of the day before they can even pour themselves a cup of coffee. 

“Smoothies and avocado toast are some of our family favorites, but they also lead to the most common messes,” Jeremiah explains. The CrossWave Cordless Max vacuums while it washes, meaning that Jeremiah doesn’t need to go back and forth for different cleaning supplies if a smoothie gets spilled during breakfast. He can spend more time enjoying the morning moments, and not the mess.

The device even has two tanks, keeping clean solution separate from the dirty water, ensuring that only clean water and solution is being used while the dirty water is never being put back on your floor. Any trace of the mess is gone in less than the time it takes to blend a smoothie.

“After taking Tucker for walks in the city, we keep him in the entryway until his paws are clean,” Jeremiah says, referring to his rescue dog. “But sometimes he’ll get into our house plants and track dirt throughout the home.” 

Dirt is simply a reality for dog owners, but you don’t need to do anything as extreme as tossing out your house plants. For Jeremiah, it’s a no-brainer situation for the CrossWave Cordless Max wet/dry vac. Because it’s cordless and works on any hard, sealed surface, Jeremiah can quickly remove any trail of dirt or mud that Tucker leaves behind. 

Movie Night Spills

Movie nights are a tradition in Jeremiah’s family, and it’s not a true movie night until the whole family is cozy on the couch with their favorite snack. Naturally, young kids, a bowl of popcorn and a glass of juice can be a sure recipe for an unexpected mess, which means the CrossWave Cordless Max will typically make a cameo before the end credits roll. 

It’s perfect for the role, since this device can refresh area rugs and tackle sticky messes on sealed hard floors. Even better, the cleaning process is done almost as soon as the mess is gone, thanks to the self-cleaning function. Simply plug it into the docking station, press self-clean, empty the dirty tank and head back to the couch. You’ll hardly even have to press pause on the movie.

Arts and Crafts Cleanup

“Virtual school with Poppy means a lot of at-home crafts and school projects: glitter, pompoms, crayons and paper remnants,” Jeremiah says. For every masterpiece that earns a place on the refrigerator, there’s a mess of scattered art supplies left behind. Jeremiah’s favorite cleaning device makes it a little easier to be the custodian of his kids’ virtual school. 

For one thing, Jeremiah doesn’t need to worry about maneuvering a cord around his kids and their crafts. Going cordless allows you to be more precise in your cleaning—and not interrupt the creative process as you remove the mess, meaning the finished projects will be the only visible evidence of arts and crafts time. That way your home will look more like a gallery than a working studio. 

Everything in Between

You know what can make your home dirtier than dogs and kids? Time. Just wait a couple of weeks and watch the dust start to accumulate. It’s a good thing that the CrossWave Cordless Max is just as effective at routine cleaning, and comes with a 36V lithium ion battery that can run cordless for up to 30 minutes.* That’s more than enough time to cover all the floors in a New York City apartment, especially when you don’t have to switch outlets or change supplies based on the flooring type in each room. 

Jeremiah, like every parent, wants to spend as much quality time with his family as possible. While there are only so many hours in the day, parents shouldn’t have to choose between a balanced lifestyle and immaculate home. That’s the point of getting a device to speed up your cleaning routine. It frees up more time for the lovable mess-makers in your home.

*May vary based on mode and usage