How to Clean Makeup and Beauty Tools

How to Clean Makeup and Beauty Tools

Cleaning make up tools is crucial to maintain hygiene and to prevent infections. Your hair styling tools, makeup brushes, and beauty accessories make you look beautiful, but they too can get doggy if they are not maintained and cleaned properly.

We love to look our best, but using dirty makeup products and beauty tools can harm you.

There so many reasons to maintain your tools, from extending the life of your beauty tools to keeping your skin healthy and free from acne.

Nobody would want to get bacteria borne infection on their face because of dirty makeup brushes.

Do you want to know how to sanitize makeup tools or disinfect makeup tools?

Learn to clean makeup tools, hair tools, and makeup brushes step by step.

Here is Everything You Need to Clean Makeup Tools

Home remedies to clean makeup brushes

clean makeup brushes

Learning how to sanitize makeup brushes is very important.

Unless you have an extra pair of brushes, take out some time to clean your brushes when you are not in a hurry.

  • Wet your makeup brushes with cool plain water. Only wet the bristle part of the brush to avoid weakening the adhesive responsible for holding the brush bristles to the handle.
  • Take a little amount of mild or baby shampoo on your palm and swish the brush around to get coated with the shampoo and ensure it gets in the center part of the bristles.
  • Using plain water, rinse the brush, and prevent the handle from getting wet.
  • Gently using very minimal pressure, squeeze the water out of the bristles and lay them flat on a surface. Keep the brushes on a clean towel and let them air-dry overnight.

Ultrasonic Facial Brushes

Even though when you use your ultrasonic facial brush, it is never alone but is always used with a cleanser. However, it still needs to be cleaned at least once a week thoroughly. 

  • First, you have to unscrew the brush head.
  • Put a few drops of liquid antibacterial soap on the bristles of an old toothbrush and then scrub the bristles of Ultrasonic facial brush.
  • Using warm water, clean it properly, and then using a soft cloth and soap clean the handle.
  • Let the brush head air dry overnight and keep it separated from the handle.

How to clean eyelash curler

clean make up tools: eyelash curler


Eyeliner, mascara residue, and growing bacteria can cover the surface of the eyelash curler. This does not sound good to your eye health.

The eyelash curler should be clean once weekly, especially if you have sensitive eyes and daily if you have any kind of eye infection.         

  • For cleaning your eyelash curler, wet a cotton ball or pad using hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol and wipe down the surface area that comes in direct contact with the eyes.
  • Keep the cotton pad moving to clean the parts of an eyelash curler. When it looks clean, for one last time, dip a clean cotton pad in rubbing alcohol and wipe the curler.
  • Rinse the curler with plain water because the alcohol dries down of the plastic and rubber components. 
  • Keep it on a clean towel and allow to air dry.

Makeup Pencil Sharpeners

Eyebrow, eyeliner, and lip liner pencil become blunt and require constant sharpening.

Each of these pencils comes in the contact of our body fluids before they go into the sharpener.

To prevent any cross-contamination, it is important to clean the sharpener every day after use.

  • You need to dip an old toothbrush into hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol and then carefully get around the edges of the sharpener.
  • Rinse the sharpener using cool water and let it air dry.

How to sterilize tweezers?

Tweezers are the most used beauty tool, and in almost every use, they come in contact with our body fluids.

To prevent Chances of inflammation, it is recommended that tweezers should be cleaned after every single use.

  • To clean the tweezer, wash the tool using warm water and antibacterial hand soap.
  • Dip the tips of tweezer in hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.
  • Keep it on a clean towel and let it air dry.

Manicure and Pedicure Tools

You might have heard many horror stories about infections caused by pedicure and manicure tools because they were dirty, infected, and contaminated with boy fluids.

Proper cleaning of manicure and pedicure tools is very important.

Always dispose off single-use items like cotton pads and wooden sticks after every use.

How to clean nail clippers? Metal beauty tools should always be washed with antibacterial soap and warm water using an old toothbrush to clean hard to reach areas and then clean the edges property with hydrogen peroxide or isopropyl alcohol after every use. 

Synthetic or plastic material like nail brushes or toe separators should be wiped using rubbing alcohol to clean them properly.

Abrasive nail file surface and buffers should be cleaned using nail brushes.

The tools should be kept overnight to air dry completely and then store then in a clean container.

You should never keep dirty and infected tools in an airtight container or plastic bags because it can affect bacterial promoter growth

PRO TIP

Clean make up tools and other accessories can uplift the mood and prevents infections and acne.

Curling and Flat Irons

flat and curling irons


Hair products like a hair spray can build up on flat irons and curling wands.

Because of the heat it bakes the product on the surface, which can cause damage.

You cannot dunk these appliances in water, and scraping the gunk harshly can damage the tool surface.

  • The appliances should be cool, remember to unplug them.
  • Wet a cotton ball or pad with rubbing alcohol and wipe over the sticky surfaces. Keep doing this for a few minutes. You may need a lot of cotton pads to clean the tool surface properly. 
  • Wipe the hair tool clean using a damp cloth and wipe dry using a soft, dry cloth.
  • The curling irons can be cleaned using a mixture of one teaspoon water and one teaspoon baking soda. Apply the paste over the dirty areas of the iron using sift cloth and then scrub lightly. Wipe any leftover residue using a cloth dipped in plain water and then pat dry using a soft, dry cloth.

Hair Brushes, Combs, and other Hair Accessories

Combs and hairbrushes can collect a lot of oil and dirt, hair, and dead skin on the surface.

If you do not take care of your hairbrushes and clean them regularly, that gunk will be transferred back to the hair and will make them look dull and flat.

Plastic and Metal

  • To clean the brushes first step is to remove the hair from the brushes or comb using tweezers or your fingers.
  • Then dampen the comb or brush with water and a little bit of shampoo. Using your hands, run the shampoo into the bristles, or comb teeth.
  • Fill a mug with warm water, and let the brushes and comb soak for 10-15 minutes. Then using an old toothbrush loosen any left residue that is remaining.
  • Rinse the comb and brushes using warm water and keep them on a clean towel to air dry.

Natural Boar Bristle, Cushioned, and Wooden Handled

  • Skip the step of soaking brushes in warm water because this can damage the parts of a hairbrush. Instead, you can clean the brushes using shampoo and water and scrub using an old toothbrush. Rinse the brushes using plain water and let them air dry.

Do not forget to clean metal barrettes and plastic, clips, and headbands. You can clean them the same way.

Use a little bit of rubbing alcohol and wipe the hairspray residue using a cotton pad.

For Fabric bows and headbands, follow label direction to clean or use spot clean methods using plain water and mild detergent.

Let the items air dry and then spray a bit of fabric sizing or spray starch. Then reshape them gently with your fingers.

Shower Loofahs and Poofs

Your body feels cleans after a shower or a bath, but ever wonder where does all the dirt and oil off your body goes?

In your bath poof and loofah, yes, that is right. It is where all the trapped moisture encourages the growth of bacteria.

  • After bath rinse your loofah and bath poof well.
  • Shake the water out and let them hang to air dry if possible, hang them outside the shower.
  • Clean the loofah and shower poof using water solution and diluted bleach for at least 5 minutes.
  • A shower poof can be tossed into the washing machine along with bath towels.

If you have sores or cuts on the skin, never use a poof or loofah.

You should keep replacing the loofah or poof regularly to prevent any mildew growth and molds.

Mirrors

You might not really consider the mirror as your beauty tool, but it will be a scary world without any mirrors.

When the mirror is large or a small handheld one or the one with extra lighting, to keep them clean and crystal clear.

  • You can now make your own glass cleaner by mixing one part water and one part ammonia in a spray bottle. Always remember to label the container.
  • You can use a commercial brand sparingly or a homemade cleaner and then wipe down the mirror with lint-free cloth or microfiber.
  • To remove tough hair spray stains on windows and mirrors, wipe the area with a clean cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol and then pat dry using a lint-free cloth.

Final Thoughts

So these are some very easy steps to clean makeup tools. Cleaning makeup tools aids in preventing infections and other skin related problems. So it is advised to clean make up tools regularly.

Shubhrata Choudhary