There are ways to clean your makeup brushes without brush cleaner. In this post, we will go over the different ways you can clean makeup brushes with household items that you probably already have at home.

How To Clean Makeup Brushes With Dawn

Dawn dish soap is probably the most common soap that you have in your home. Because of its grease-fighting formula, this is one of the best things to use to clean makeup brushes. This method is ideal for beauty blenders too.

To clean your brushes, follow these steps:

Step 1: Fill a glass with warm water and add just a drop or two of Dawn. Using a clean spoon, stir the water together so the soap is distributed.

Step 2: Take one of your makeup brushes and dunk it into the water. Swirl your brush around and you should be able to see the makeup as it dislodges from the bristles. If there’s a lot of buildup on the brush, move the bristles against the inside of the glass to get everything out.

Step 3: After a few minutes, take the brush out and run it under water to wash out the soap. You can use your fingers to make sure all of the residual makeup is gone. Then, set it on a clean towel to dry.

How To Clean Makeup Brushes With Alcohol

Cleaning your brushes with rubbing alcohol not only cleans them but sanitizes them before you use them again. You’ll be able to get a deep clean and know that your brushes are truly ready for another round of makeup. This method can be used with any type of makeup brush, but ideally, powder brushes benefit the most.

Here are the steps to clean your brushes with alcohol:

Step 1: Put no more than 2 tablespoons of 70% rubbing alcohol into a glass. Make sure the glass is shorter than the brushes you’re trying to clean; that way, you’re not trying to squeeze your hand into the top of the glass.

Step 2: Place your brush inside the glass and swirl it around in the alcohol. You’ll start to see the makeup particles loosening from the brush as you do so.

Step 3: After a few seconds, take the brush out and wipe with a towel. Rinse with cold water and set the brush down to dry.

How To Clean Makeup Brushes With Baby Shampoo

Baby shampoo is often much milder than shampoo used by adults, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it doesn’t have the cleaning power.

Here’s how to clean your makeup brushes using baby shampoo:

Step 1: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, making sure that they’re totally clean before proceeding.

Step 2: Run your brushes under warm water to help dislodge any clumps.

Step 3: Place a bit of the baby shampoo into the palm of your hand.

Step 4: One by one, swirl your brushes in your shampooed hand. You should try and work the shampoo into a later for best results.

Step 5: Place your brushes back under warm water to wash off the shampoo, then allow them to dry on a towel.

How To Clean Makeup Brushes With A Silicone Mat

This particular cleaning method requires you to not just have a silicone mat, but also a brush cleaner. For this method, attempting any other liquids might not provide you with the desired outcome.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Lay your silicone mat on a flat surface, making sure that it’s been sanitized.

Step 2: Pour about a tablespoon of cleaner on the mat to start. You can always add more if you need to.

Step 3: Take one of your brushes and rub it against the mat with a little bit of pressure. Don’t press too hard or you’ll have bristles falling off.

Step 4: As if you were painting, swirl your brush through the cleaner and along the ridges and divots in your mat.

Step 5: Once it looks like your brush has most of its makeup off, you can rinse it with cool water and let it dry.

How To Clean Makeup Brushes With Vinegar

Vinegar is known for its cleaning properties, so it’s no secret that it can also be used to clean up makeup brushes. If you’re looking for a more natural way to clean your makeup brushes, this is the method for you.

Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Fill a glass with a mixture of two parts water and one part vinegar. You should use either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

Step 2: Dip your makeup brush in the liquid and swirl it against the bottom of the glass.

Step 3: After a few seconds, lift out your brush to check if it needs more time to be cleaned. If not, run your brush under cool water to get out any residue and let it dry on a towel.

How To Clean Makeup Brushes With Micellar Water

Micellar water can be used to clean the makeup off of your brushes just like it can clean makeup off of your face.

Here are the steps to use it:

Step 1: Get a glass and pour just enough micellar water into it to cover your makeup brushes’ bristles, but not so little that you’ll have a hard time gripping your brushes.

Step 2: Place your makeup brush into the water and swirl it around. You’ll notice that the makeup will color the water, depending on how dirty your brush is.

Step 3: Once you’ve gotten most of the makeup off, lips the brushes out of the water and wipe them off with a dry tissue. Replace the micellar water in order to make sure that your brushes are as clean as they can be.

How To Clean Makeup Brushes With Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is most commonly used as a disinfectant for cuts and scrapes. It’s also great to use as part of a cleaning solution for your makeup brushes since it is antibacterial and you’ll know that your brushes are as clean as they can be.

Here’s the best way to clean with hydrogen peroxide:

Step 1: In a clear glass, combine 2 tbsps of hydrogen peroxide, 2 tbsps of warm water, and a few drops of a mild shampoo. Your mixture should look bubbly.

Step 2: Place your brushes into the mixture for 10 minutes. You don’t need to swirl them around; just let them sit.

Step 3: Take out your brushes and rinse them with warm water. Then, let them dry on a towel.