Girls can never do without various makeup brushes in their daily makeup routines. After these brushes wholeheartedly serve us, they also require careful cleaning and care! Otherwise, even the best brush will lose its original texture over time. Especially for high-end animal hair brushes, they require double the attention in maintenance.

Daily cleaning and deep cleaning are completely different concepts. After each use, the brush should be cleaned to remove residual powder to prevent bacteria growth. This is considered daily cleaning, which generally does not involve water washing or air drying. Deep cleaning involves wetting the brush and using specialized cleansers. It is not recommended to deep clean animal hair brushes frequently, especially for valuable brushes made from squirrel hair and similar materials. It is important to reduce the frequency of deep cleaning for such brushes.

How to clean makeup brushes? The following table provides a simple overview of cleaning methods and frequencies. The easiest and most effective way can be easily done at home.

how to clean makeup brushes at home

Daily Cleaning

For synthetic fiber brushes, they are very durable and can withstand rough handling. For daily cleaning after each use, I usually use a brush cleaning spray. It doesn’t matter whether the spray contains alcohol or not, no special considerations are required. Generally, if the spray contains alcohol, it evaporates faster and dries quickly! The specific steps are as follows:

  • Spray the cleaning spray directly on the brush or onto a tissue.
  • Rub the brush back and forth on the tissue a few times, transferring the color from the brush bristles onto the tissue.

how to clean makeup brushes at home

For brushes made of regular wool, weasel hair, horsehair, or similar materials, they require a bit more care. After each use, you can choose to use a microfiber cleaning cloth, a dry cleaning sponge, or even a loofah. Rubbing the brush against any of these materials can effectively remove most of the residual powder. This method is sufficient for simple daily cleaning.

For valuable gray squirrel hair brushes, many famous brush manufacturers in Japan recommend minimizing their cleaning. Deep cleaning them 3-4 times a year is sufficient. However, if you use them frequently, deep cleaning once every 1-2 months should also be acceptable. Their soft bristles have weak powder adherence, so after each use, you can gently wipe the brush on a tissue or give it a light shake to remove most of the residual powder. For example, as shown in the image below.

how to clean makeup brushes at home

If you can’t tolerate it for a long time, you can use body powder for dry cleaning. The procedure involves dipping the makeup brush into translucent powder or body powder and continuously swirling and rubbing it on a tissue until the color disappears. Then, use a fine-tooth comb to gently comb through the bristles.

how to clean makeup brushes at home

Deep Cleaning

When performing a deep cleaning of our brushes, it is necessary to wet the bristles. It is crucial not to use hot water and try to avoid water seeping into the metal components as it may cause rusting and reduce the brush’s lifespan. It is important to avoid excessive rubbing and vigorous drying for expensive animal hair makeup brushes to prevent bristle damage and deformation. Please refer to the illustration below for specific cleaning methods.

how to clean makeup brushes at home

After washing everything, blot the water with a napkin, with the tip of the pen facing down, put on a protective air-drying cover, and let it dry.

how to clean makeup brushes at home

how to clean makeup brushes at home

Two important points to note:

When cleaning, avoid allowing liquid to enter the metal ferrule that holds the bristles. This can reduce the lifespan of the brush because the bristles are secured in the ferrule using adhesive. If liquid seeps in and compromises the adhesive, the bristles may start shedding.

After washing the makeup brushes, place them in a cool and well-ventilated area to dry. Avoid exposing them to direct sunlight or using a heater for drying, as this can cause damage to the bristles.

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