Proper regular cleaning of your makeup brushes is more important than you may realize. Did you know that bacteria like Staphylococcus, E. coli and a multitude of viruses and fungi live naturally on your skin? Buildup of any of these on makeup brushes can cause acne, dermatitis, impetigo and herpes simplex. I could keep going but you get the point!
Truthfully, the tools we use every day on our bodies can be just as dirty, if not more so than our toilets.
Let that sink in for a second.
Keeping this in mind, it’s important that you clean your makeup brushes and sponges regularly. This may sound daunting, but it’s actually pretty easy when you make it part of your regular routine. You might even want to do it daily after applying your makeup. This is especially true if you struggle with acne, skin infections, cold sores, or if your kids play with your makeup.
We don’t claim to be doctors here in the #cleaningarmy but we do know a thing or two about disinfection. I was a professional makeup artist in a past life, so in pursuit of helping you stay clean, organized, and healthy, allow me to share my combined knowledge.
When you buy through our links, we may earn a small commission.
Terminology
Here are some terms that may be new to you.
Bristles are the “hair” of the brushes. Most brands have switched over to synthetic fiber bristles versus natural animal hair bristles. Both natural and synthetic bristles can be cleaned the same way.
Ferrules are the metal portion that holds the bristles in place, and are typically nickel-plated brass or aluminum.
Handles tend to be birch or bamboo, coated in varnish, paint, resin or plastic.
Over time, any and all of these will break down. But with proper maintenance and care, they can last a very long time. My personal brushes have lasted over 20 years. You will always get what you pay for, so these are not the type of items to purchase at the dollar store. Buy quality stuff and take care of it – that’s our mantra. (Canada) (USA)
What you need:
- Dawn® dish soap
- Isopropyl Alcohol
- Silicon makeup cleaning pad (Optional) (Canada) (USA)
- A small bowl
You may have noticed how much we LOVE Dawn® dish soap in the #cleaningarmy, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we use it for our makeup brushes too. Dawn is gentle enough not to damage the delicate bristles and is safe for skin contact.
Weekly/Biweekly Cleaning:

- Fill a small bowl with warm water and a few drops of blue Dawn® dish soap. Swirl your brush bristles in the solution, taking care to not get the handle and ferrule soaking wet. Gently massage the bristles with a silicon pad or your hand and watch the gunk magically release. (Alternatively, you can put a drop of blue Dawn® dish soap in the palm of your hand or the pad and massage the bristles mixed with warm tap water.)
- Rinse the bristles carefully until the water runs clear.
- Blot or brush out any excess water with a towel. Lay or stand (link) your brushes to dry.
- Once they are fully dry, fluff them up with your hand to reshape the bristles.
The thing I love so much about this process is that it’s fast and easy. You might even want to keep a mini bottle of blue Dawn® dish soap in your bathroom cupboard. Then, all you have to do is squirt a couple of drops and clean. Not only can this method be used for brushes and sponges, but it’s also effective for cleaning beauty blenders and reusable makeup remover pads too.

Disinfecting:
The Dawn dish soap will only remove the make-up and oil build-up. Disinfecting is the final step in long term maintenance and good hygiene for your brushes, but most importantly your skin. Soaking your brushes in 70% alcohol is needed to kill bacteria and viruses. 70% is the perfect mixture of isopropanol and purified water. Here’s the simple step-by-step:
- Fill a small bowl with isopropyl alcohol. Soak smaller brush bristles for 10 mins. Larger brushes should only be soaked for a couple minutes. Make sure to not soak the ferrule or handle as the adhesives will break down over time.
- Remove excess alcohol and reshape the bristles.
- Lay or stand (Canada) (USA) your brushes to dry.
- Once they are fully dry, fluff them up with your hand to reshape the bristles.
Pro Tip: Daily misting of your bristles before applying makeup using 70% alcohol is an easy effective way to disinfect. The spray alcohol dries fast so your bristles won’t be wet. You can also spray all your pressed and cream powders.
Now you have the knowledge to get your glam on, confident that you are keeping your skin healthy. Don’t let our cleaning content fool you, we love getting dolled up too.
Welcome to Basic Training, You Dirty Bastard
Being clean and organized extends beyond the four walls of your bathroom and includes cleaning and maintaining your kitchen, bedroom, living room, and all of the small and large spaces in between.
Want to know how to approach each of these rooms so that you have a home that sparkles and shines? Check out our Basic Training interactive course that walks you through the exact techniques we use to clean our clients’ homes.
For a list of our favorite products, click here.
- Katie W @GoCleanCo
We're big on Instagram.
Follow @GoCleanCo for seriously satisfying videos and top-secret tips. Don’t be shy, come say hi.
gocleanco
Jun 1
Your toilet isn’t wrecked! We gotchu. #cleaning
gocleanco
May 31
I’m in the hot seat answering your burning questions on @downy Rinse & Refresh! I’ve been using the new @downy Rinse & Refresh for a while now, and this stuff is so good at making your fabrics fresh on the daily. Odors get trapped in fabric because we have a residue (like minerals, hard water, or body oils) coating the fabrics. @downy Rinse & Refresh breaks down the residues and helps eliminate the odors. You put it in the fabric softener dispenser cup and wash with your regular detergent (I use Tide in case you are new around here). Plus, it is safe for all washable fabrics. I just used it on my musty towels and it blew my mind! What have you tried Rinse & Refresh on? Tell me in the comments! #ad #downypartner #odorisnttheend
gocleanco
May 23
Petition to have all toilet seats removable from now until the end of time. Sign below ⬇️ #cleaningtips
gocleanco
May 21
Needed this to live on the feed forever cause you folks ask me about it everyday. This is the @malibucpro hard water treatment I use on my hair. If you have super hard water, it sticks to your hair just like your shower doors. It makes your hair coated and feel like straw—your shampoo doesn’t work as well and your hair feels limp and lifeless. It’s super to easy to use, you can do it at home and it’s safe for highlighted/colour treated hair. Linked it up in both our Amazon storefronts and on stories. @hairhouseyeg 💁🏼♀️ #hairtutorial
gocleanco
May 12
Dawn Platinum means serious business. Did you know that 3 bottles of the leading non-concentrated dish liquid equals ONE bottle of Dawn Platinum? @dawndishwash has a powerful formula to help you get through more dishes with less product, which will save you some moola plus you can use it outside of the kitchen! Dawn Platinum cleans windows and BBQ grills, tire rims…anywhere you need to fight a greasy mess, you can reach for Dawn Platinum. We love Dawn Ultra around here, but Dawn Platinum is even more concentrated so it’s the best grease-cutting you can get. You know it works on dishes but where else are you using Dawn, outside of the kitchen sink? Share your best stories below so I can test them out! #ad #dawnpartner
gocleanco
May 9
If you give a Mom a coffee…😵💫 ☕️ Don’t overdo it this week leading up to your big “day off”. #happymothersday
gocleanco
May 3
April in nutshell. #springcleaning
gocleanco
Apr 28
dump scare > jump scare 🫣
gocleanco
Apr 27
DING 🛎️ DING 🛎️ DING 🛎️ If you guessed: Spray Tan Residue, you win 5 gold ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and bragging rights to your friends. #dontdothisathome
gocleanco
Apr 26
You each get one guess: GO! #springcleaning
gocleanco
Apr 17
Check out my IG Live on Wednesday—I'll be chatting with P&G dishwashing scientist, Morgan Eberhard, to answer all your burning questions about the new Cascade Platinum Plus. Remember…the dishwasher pod that blew all your minds a couple weeks ago?! It’s the solution we have all been waiting for; cabinet-ready dishes without pre-rinsing or the need to dry them out of the dishwasher. My DM’s were DEEP when I showed you Cascade Platinum Plus in action and tbh, I didn’t think loading the dishwasher could get so many people steamed up! Drop your questions below so we can answer them on the live with Morgan. She knows her stuff —she’s a legit 👩🏼🔬 folks. #sponsored #cascadeplatinumplus #cascadepartner
gocleanco
Apr 15
Happy National Laundry Day! Not sure why we need a national day for laundry since we do it everyday but hey hey I’m always in the mood to hug a box of tide so here we are! Anyways, in celebration of Laundry Day, we have a blog post all about my new washer and dryer to answer your pressing questions. It will live on the blog so you can go back and check when (touch wood) your machine kicks the bucket. Link is in our bio to read! #laundryday
gocleanco
Apr 13
Nothing like a few before and afters to get your asses motivated! Remember you can start one drawer a day and build from there if you don’t know where to start. Also, try to rope in some friends to help you—6 hands are better than one! Pick a designated day each week for about a month and get everyone together and tackle projects around your homes together. It’s way more fun to clean/organize someone else’s house. Trust me, I made a business out of it. 😉 #springcleaning
gocleanco
Apr 12
Vacuum round up and break down of how they made it into our Amazon Storefront in stories today! We are also planning a Vacuum Fight Club…so drop your favs or the ones you want to see us test in the comments and I’ll hook us up.
gocleanco
Apr 2
#sponsored Did you know that household bleach is derived from sodium chloride - common table salt? During household use, it breaks down to mostly salt and water. Did you also know that you can use Clorox® Disinfecting Concentrated Bleach to keep your flowers beautiful longer? Wearing gloves, add ¼ tsp. of Clorox® Disinfecting Concentrated Bleach to every 1.27 L of water you use in the flower vase and stir well to mix. Make sure to trim off the end of each flower stem before arranging it, to increase absorption. Check your flowers weekly and refresh the water as needed. Just mix up a fresh batch of Clorox® Disinfecting Concentrated Bleach and water solution. #yeahbleachdoesthat @clorox_canada
gocleanco
Apr 1
Wanted to catch y’all before you had breakfast. #cleaningmotivation
gocleanco
Mar 30
Some products you just have to see to believe. 🤯 Cascade Platinum Plus is a brand new product (you might have seen it on the shelves already) that is changing the GAME for your dishwashing routine. For years we’ve been doing work that really should be our dishwasher’s job! Spoiler alert: it’s not your dishwasher, it’s your dish detergent. TBH I was skeptical when @mycascade told me not to rinse and to let the dishes SIT OVERNIGHT BEFORE WASHING THEM but here we are. #sponsored #cascadepartner
gocleanco
Mar 29
It’s the final week of the Spring Cleaning Challenge! How y’all doing? Thrown in the towel yet?! 🫣 This round was fast and dirty (in the best way possible) and I’m telling ya—it feels like a fever dream 😮💨 😵💫 I’ll be recovering on my heating pad come Monday. #springcleaning
gocleanco
Mar 25
Spring cleaning isn’t over until we clean the windows. Sparkling windows make all the difference, you can actually see outside and let the sunshine in! I have a Spring Cleaning offer with @oceansalesltd up in my stories, it is a package deal with the AquaBLADE and the Carbon Tuff Cloths. Check it out! #sponsored
gocleanco
Mar 23
Carpet Cleaner Fight Club 👊🏻 coming at you 3.23.23 get your 🍿 and pull up a 🪑 *Carpets were harmed in the making of this video* #springcleaning