The Easiest Best Way to Clean Makeup Brushes

Wearing makeup comes with a lot of tools that you need to manage. These tools are designed to help you get the makeup on the right way and to get the look that you desire. As time goes on though, the makeup tools could get debris and other items stuck inside, which can make them less efficient and can cause an infection or other issues when it gets near your face. Finding the best way to clean your makeup brushes can help prevent this issue.

The best way to clean your makeup brushes is to choose the right cleanser, like a gentle shampoo or hand soap, lather and swirl until the bristles run clean, and then give it time to dry before you put it back away at the end of the day. If you clean the bristles often, you will only need to spend a few minutes every few weeks getting this done.

Your makeup brushes need to be cleaned on a routine basis to help them last as long as you need. Let’s take a look at some of the steps that you can take to clean off your makeup brushes.

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

There are a lot of benefits to taking care of your makeup brushes. You will find that these brushes are going to last a lot longer when you choose to clean them off regularly and they will not cause an infection when they are near your eyes. Leaving them without a good cleaning for a long time can cause damage and is not good for the tools or for you.

Your makeup brushes need to be cleaned on a routine basis to keep them fresh and looking great. Most agree that doing this every few weeks is the best option. Some of the steps that you can use to help clean your makeup brushes include:

Choose the Cleanser

You need to pick out the right brush cleanser to get all the gunk off these brushes. There are brush cleansers that are designed specifically for your makeup brushes, with some being in a liquid and others as a bar of soap. You can still clean your brushes if you do not have these cleansers on hand using products in your home.

Daily facial cleanser, hand soap, or a gentle shampoo can do a great job as well. All of these are strong enough to break down some of the makeup that is on the brush while still being gentle enough that they will not ruin the brush too.

Lather and Swirl

Once you have picked out the cleanser that you would like to use, it is time to get to the cleaning. You need to set up by the sink and run some lukewarm water. You can then wet the dirty brushes, pointing the brush to let the bristles face down. This is an important step because it prevents water from seeping into the handle and loosening the bristles over time.

Once the bristles are wet, you can squeeze on a small amount of cleanser to your hand. Swirl the bristles using your hand to get the cleanser on there while loosening up the debris at the same time. Once there are a lot of suds on the brush and the cleanser is turning colors, it is time to rinse off the brush in the lukewarm water.

Repeat these steps as many times as it takes for the brush to run clear when you put it under the water. Depending on how long it has been since you washed the makeup brush, it can take quite a few times to get the brush to run clear. Do it thoroughly to really make sure all the makeup comes off.

Rinse and Dry

When you are done rinsing the brush and the water starts to run clear, you should gently brush it against a towel or a microfiber cloth if you have one. A textured paper towel can do the trick too if you need it. This is a good way to test the cleanliness of the brush and see if there is anything that is left behind in it. When you are sure that the brush is clean, you can lay the brushes down on a towel to dry completely.

When you go to store your makeup brushes, make sure that you do not store them in an upright position. This can be tempting, but when you store the brushes this way, you will allow water to leak into the metal part that is beneath the bristles and this can lead to mold. Let them lay down until they are completely dry to keep them clean and safe.

How Often Should I Clean My Makeup Tools?

Cleaning your makeup tools can protect your skin and helps the tool last a long time. There may not be a hard rule to cleaning these off, but if you use them often, then you need to make sure to clean them off as well.

For those who choose to use their makeup tools once a day, it may be a good idea to clean them off a minimum of every other week, though once a week is better. This makes it a fast task to get done and prevents anything getting stuck inside. Any time that you see the brush is filling up with gunk and makeup, it is a good idea for you to clean them off.

Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

Your makeup brush can easily hold onto debris and a lot of gunk if you do not take good care of it. Since the brush will go near your eyes, you will need to set up a good routine to clean these off so the gunk doesn’t cause an infection or other problems. With some of the simple steps above, you will be able to easily clean all of your makeup brushes and keep them around for a long time.

Betsy Cline

Betsy Cline has been a professional house cleaner for 15 years and also a mother of 4 amazing kids (who make lots of messes). She is the founder of How to Clean It and loves to share tips and advice for cleaning up anything life throws at you.

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