Tutorial: Brush Cleaning; the Thrifty Way

Brush cleaning is necessary to remove the oil and bacteria from your brushes. This is important because the brushes won't work properly if dirty, and you don't want to be depositing bacteria on to the skin.

MAC brushes are expensive but a worthwhile investment if you take the time to properly maintain them. I try to clean mine about once a week, or after a particular makeup application has totally coated the brush. IE: Blushcreme on my MAC 187.

It's important to clean your brushes both immediately before and after doing a makeup application on another person.

I developed my brush cleaning technique simply because no stores where I lived sold brush cleaner. That's probably changed now, but my way works and will cost you virtually nothing- since you should already have everything required.

A clean sink area and counters pace is easiest, but if I'm watching TV sometimes I'll use cups of water (about 3), paper towels, baby wipes and improvise.


Assuming you are washing at the sink, you will need:

• Dish soap (removes the grease/oil), or a gentle baby shampoo (the perks of being a mom!)
• a hair conditioner, within reason. I wouldn't use one tinted for, say, red hair. Can't go wrong with a basic moisturizing one. It has to rinse clean! You don't want a greasy brush.Today I used Aveeno Nourish Plus Moisture. 
• A towel to lay the brushes on
• Some paper towel if you like (I don't use it for a sink wash)

I've got a double sink so this couldn't be more simple. You might want to designate a bowl or something to toss your soapy brushes into. I throw mine on the dish rack.

First I run warm water. I wet my brushes under the stream of water and work them gently to make sure they're saturated. Then I put them down someplace (dish rack, bowl, clean side of sink, etc) and squirt a glob of dish soap or baby shampoo into my hand. I then take a brush and swirl it through the soap almost like buffing a foundation onto the skin. I put the soapy brush back on the dish rack and grab another. Repeat the swirling. Sometimes you'll need to add a little more shampoo as it'll get used up or turn a gross black colour. With smaller brushes you can swirl two or three of them at a time.

So you're done lathering up your brushes. Now rinse the soap off of your hands and work the brush in your hands, under flowing water to remove the soap. Again, be reasonably gentle with the brushes. You'll want to be thorough in rinsing them, but you're going to condition next so if you miss a bit of soap you'll have another chance. Once rinsed, back on the dish rack they go.

Now you'll squirt a bit of conditioner into your palm and work the brushes through it in the same way. Once you've applied conditioner to all of your brushes, switch the water from warm to cool. Rinse your brushes completely in the cool water. When finished, simply "re-shape" them if needed, and lay them flat to dry.

I usually clean my brushes at night because certain brushes can take about 12 hours to dry. I was sick last night and didn't have to chance to do them until this morning, so I won't be able to wear makeup today. So much for my planned FOTD!


-H. Cat