How to Clean Makeup Brushes
Deep clean and sanitize makeup brushes using gentle cleanser, protecting the ferrule glue from water damage and reshaping bristles for flat or inverted air drying.
This guide shows how to clean makeup brushes in 20-30 minutes. Start with prepare washing station and adjust water temperature; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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⚠️ Read this before you start
Makeup and beauty mishaps are real. Your eyes, skin, and hair are not a car door — the damage is often permanent.
- • Patch test 24 hours first. Put any new product on a small patch of skin (inner arm) a day before it goes near your face. Cosmetic allergies are common and can be severe.
- • Nothing goes IN your eye. Scratched corneas from mascara wands and liner pencils are the most common makeup injury. Never use a product near your eye that is not sold for the eye area.
- • Lash and wig adhesive only. Never super glue, nail glue, or any household adhesive on skin, lashes, or scalp. These cause chemical burns and have sealed eyes shut.
- • No product substitutes. Hair spray, spray adhesive, and construction glue are not cosmetics. People have been hospitalized following internet beauty hacks.
- • Sharp tools cut and infect. Dermaplaning blades, cuticle nippers, and tweezers need clean hands and clean tools. Do not share them.
- • Chemicals burn. Dye, bleach, relaxers, peels, and removers: follow the manufacturer’s timing exactly, ventilate the room, and never mix two products.
- • Old and shared makeup carries bacteria. Do not share eye or lip products, and replace mascara every three months.
- • If it stings, burns, swells, or your vision changes — stop. Rinse with cool water and get medical help. Do not push through it.
This coach is AI and it can be wrong. It cannot see your skin’s sensitivities, judge a product’s ingredients, or diagnose a reaction, and it is not a dermatologist, doctor, or licensed cosmetologist.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap See 20-second demo if you want to understand it first.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free help, or Voice-only if you do not want to use the camera.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Textured silicone brush cleaning mat
- ✓ Clean bath towel
- ✓ Paper towels
- ✓ Sink with running water
- ✓ Brush drying rack or flat tabletop edge
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Gentle brush shampoo or baby shampoo
- ✓ Lukewarm water
- ✓ Fractionated coconut oil or olive oil (optional for waterproof makeup)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Use only lukewarm or cool water; hot water melts the adhesive inside the metal ferrule holding the bristles.
- • Never submerge the metal ferrule or wooden handle in standing water to prevent rot and bristle shedding.
- • Ensure brushes dry completely in a well-ventilated area before storage to prevent mold and bacterial growth.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Prepare Washing Station and Adjust Water Temperature
Place the silicone cleaning mat in the bottom of the sink. Turn on the tap and adjust the water stream until it is lukewarm to the touch. Lay a clean, dry towel flat on the adjacent counter.
- • Silicone mat is anchored firmly in the sink basin.
- • Water runs in a steady, gentle stream at a moderate temperature without heavy steam.
- • Using hot water that produces steam, which softens ferrule glue.
- • Setting up too far from the sink, causing water to drip onto dry towels prematurely.
Wet Bristles Pointing Downward
Hold the makeup brush with the bristles pointing straight down into the sink. Pass only the hair section under the lukewarm stream, keeping the metal ferrule completely dry.
- • Bristles are fully saturated with water.
- • Metal ferrule and wooden handle remain dry and free of running water.
- • Pointing the brush head upward, letting water run down inside the ferrule.
- • Submerging the entire brush head into a cup of water.
Apply Cleanser and Swirl on Texture Mat
Dispense a pea-sized drop of brush shampoo directly onto the wet silicone mat or bristles. Swirl the brush tip across the textured ridges in gentle circular and back-and-forth motions until a rich lather forms and cosmetic pigment lifts.
- • Dense foam turns the color of the makeup product (foundation, bronzer, or shadow).
- • Bristles splay gently against the mat without the ferrule touching the surface.
- • Crushing the bristles flat against the mat with excessive downward force.
- • Using excessive soap, which becomes difficult to rinse out completely.
Rinse Bristles Under Running Water
Keep the brush angled downward under the gentle water stream while continuing to sweep it across the silicone mat. Continue rinsing until all soap bubbles disappear and the runoff water is entirely clear.
- • Water running off the brush tip is crystal clear with zero tinted makeup residue.
- • No lather or slippery soap residue remains in the hair when squeezed.
- • Stopping the rinse while milky, soapy water is still trapped in the center core of dense brushes.
- • Flipping the brush head up to rinse the base.
Squeeze Excess Water and Reshape Bristle Head
Gently press the bristles from the ferrule base toward the tip between your thumb and index finger to expel excess water. Use your fingers or a clean towel to mold the brush head back into its original factory shape (domed, tapered, or flat).
- • No water drips freely when the brush is held stationary.
- • Bristle head forms a neat, uniform contour with no stray hairs sticking out sideways.
- • Wringing or twisting the bristles like a washcloth.
- • Leaving the bristles splayed or flared outward to dry.
Position Brushes for Proper Air Drying
Lay the cleaned brushes flat on the towel-lined surface with the bristle heads hanging over the edge of the counter, or secure them upside down in a drying rack. Allow them to dry undisturbed in a well-ventilated room for 8 to 12 hours.
- • All brush heads are suspended freely in the air without touching the tabletop or towel.
- • Handles are positioned flat or tilted slightly downward toward the tips.
- • Placing wet brushes upright in a brush cup to dry.
- • Laying wet brush heads directly on a flat towel, causing flat spots and mildew.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Kayleigh Noelle — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Textured silicone brush cleaning mat? Palm of your hand or a textured silicone oven mitt
- No Gentle brush shampoo? Mild liquid baby shampoo or fragrance-free castile soap
- No Brush drying rack? Clean towel rolled at one end to tilt brush heads downward off a counter edge