How I Clean My Brushes

Washing my brushes is one task I definitely don't look forward to doing but the end result is amazing. The feel of clean brushes is so satisfying. The unwanted side effect of prune-like hands, not so much. But washing your brushes is very important for hygienic reasons and also helps with better application of products.

For a deep clean, I either use Johnson's Baby Shampoo or Dr Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap, depending on what's nearest to me. They are both gentle soaps which get rid of the makeup effectively and leave the brushes feeling squeaky clean. Even though they both do the same thing, I slightly prefer the baby shampoo as I feel it leaves the brushes a little softer. I run the brushes upside down under warm water, never turn the brush up while it's wet as the water will break down the glue holding the bristles together. The I put some liquid in my hand, swirl the brush around my fingers to help clean the brushes better, emulating what those cleaning mits would do. I would get one of those if your wanting to avoid prune hands! Then I rinse it under the water, make sure all the soap is out. Then I rest it on a towel with one end rolled up so the brush is on a downwards slope.

For a quick spot clean, I use the MAC Brush Cleaner or the Sephora Brush Cleaner. I find that both are great at getting the makeup off quickly, and the brushes dry very quickly. Even though spot cleaning is great, you do need to give your brushes a big clean as well because spot cleaning won't effectively remove all the makeup and bacteria.

What are your tips for washing brushes?

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