Okay, full disclosure: I am terrible about cleaning my makeup brushes. The internet says weekly. I'm lucky if it happens monthly. But when I do finally get around to it, I don't reach for a fancy brush shampoo or my regular hair shampoo anymore — I use plain, basic, ridiculously inexpensive castile soap, and it works better than anything else I've tried.
If you've been putting off cleaning your brushes because it feels like a whole production, this guide breaks it down into the fastest, easiest, most sustainable version I've found — plus a few natural swaps if you're out of your usual cleanser.
The Best Soap to Clean Makeup Brushes
I've bought the specialty brush cleaners before, and honestly, they never blew me away. What actually changed my brush-cleaning game was switching to unscented castile soap. It's a vegetable-based soap that started out in the Castile region of Spain, and the most well-known brand is Dr. Bronner's. It's gentle enough not to strip natural bristles, tough enough to break down foundation and SPF buildup, and one bottle lasts forever. I went with the unscented version since it's the most versatile — you can even add a drop of essential oil if you want a scent.
Buy Now on AmazonHow to Clean Makeup Brushes at Home
This is the exact process I use, and it takes maybe five minutes once your brushes are actually in your hand (getting to that point is the hard part, no judgment).
Wet the Bristles First
Hold each brush upright and let water run over the bristles, or cup water in your hand and dip the brush in. I stick to cool-to-lukewarm water — hot water can loosen the glue that holds the bristles in place over time.
Work In the Soap
Add a few drops of castile soap to your palm or onto a textured brush-cleaning mat, then swirl the bristles through it in gentle circles. A cleaning mat makes this step so much faster because the little ridges pull product out of the bristles without you having to scrub. For really dirty brushes, rinse and repeat the soap step once or twice more.
Buy Now on AmazonRinse Until the Water Runs Clear
Rinse the bristles and gently squeeze out the extra water — never twist or wring them. The color of the rinse water is basically a progress bar: keep repeating the soap-and-rinse cycle until it comes out clear instead of tinted.
The habit that actually matters more than the product you use is consistency, even if that means every two weeks instead of every week. Dirty brushes hold onto oil, dead skin, and old product, which can transfer straight back onto your face. Browse our personal care picks for more low-effort hygiene swaps.
How to Clean Makeup Brushes Fast
Some days a full wash isn't realistic, and that's fine — a fast spot-clean between deep cleans still keeps brushes usable and your skin happier. Spritz a bit of cleanser directly onto the bristles, swirl on a paper towel or clean cloth until the color lifts, then let the brush air dry for a few minutes before your next use.
How to Clean Makeup Brushes at Home With Micellar Water
Micellar water is my go-to for this quick version. The tiny cleansing molecules grab onto oil and pigment the same way they lift makeup off your face, so a few pumps onto a cloth is often enough to freshen up a foundation or concealer brush between real washes. It won't replace a deep clean, but it buys you a day or two.
Buy Now on AmazonHow to Clean Makeup Brushes Naturally
If you'd rather skip anything synthetic, you have options beyond castile soap, too. The goal is the same either way — lift the oil and product without irritating your skin or damaging the bristles.
How to Clean Makeup Brushes at Home Without a Brush Cleaner
You genuinely don't need a dedicated brush cleanser at all. A gentle, unscented bar soap or a mild baby shampoo diluted in warm water will do most of the same work as castile soap. The main thing to avoid is anything with heavy fragrance or exfoliating beads, since both can irritate skin once they transfer back onto your face.
How to Clean Makeup Brushes With Vinegar
A splash of white vinegar in your rinse water is a solid natural disinfecting boost, especially for brushes that haven't been washed in a while. Mix about a tablespoon of vinegar into a cup of water, swirl the bristles through after your regular soap rinse, then rinse once more with plain water so no smell lingers. It's a nice occasional deep-clean step, but I wouldn't use it every single wash since vinegar is acidic and can be a little rough on delicate natural bristles over time.
How to Wash Makeup Sponges
Sponges and brushes aren't quite the same story. Because a sponge is porous, it holds onto way more product and bacteria per use than a brush does, so it honestly needs washing after almost every use, not just weekly. Wet the sponge, work a solid cleanser or a few drops of castile soap into it, and squeeze — don't scrub — until the water runs clear. A dedicated cleansing bar made for sponges works especially well here because it's gentle enough for daily use.
Buy Now on AmazonPros & Cons of Cleaning Brushes With Castile Soap
It's become my default, but it's worth knowing where it falls short too.
- Cheap, and one bottle lasts for months
- Gentle on natural and synthetic bristles
- Breaks down oil-based makeup effectively
- Unscented option won't irritate sensitive skin
- Sustainable, low-waste swap for single-use cleansers
- Works on brushes, sponges, and cleaning mats
- Needs a full rinse or it can feel slightly filmy
- Won't disinfect as strongly as dish soap or vinegar
- Bottle size can feel like overkill if you only own a few brushes
- Doesn't speed up drying time on dense, bristle-heavy brushes
How Often to Clean Makeup Brushes
This really depends on how often you use them. If you're reaching for the same brushes daily, aim to wash them at least once a week, and more often if you have oily skin, since oil breaks down faster and builds up bacteria quicker. If you only use certain brushes occasionally, every four to six uses is a reasonable rule of thumb.
The reason weekly comes up so often is simple math: every swipe, dab, and blend picks up a little more oil and dead skin from your face, and that sits in the bristles until you wash it out. See our full makeup category for brush sets and tools if yours are overdue for a refresh entirely.
Brush Cleaner Comparison: What Actually Works Best
Here's how the most common brush-cleaning options stack up against each other, in case you want to compare before committing to one.
| Cleanser | Category | Price | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap | Natural Soap | $16.99 | 4.7 / 5 | Everyday Brush & Sponge Washing |
| Sigma Spa Cleaning Mat | Cleaning Tool | $9.00 | 4.6 / 5 | Faster, Deeper Cleans |
| Garnier Micellar Water | Micellar Water | $8.99 | 4.6 / 5 | Fast Between-Wash Spot Cleaning |
| beautyblender Solid Cleanser | Sponge Cleanser | $18.00 | 4.5 / 5 | Daily Sponge Washing |
| Dish Soap (occasional use) | Household Soap | $3.50 | 4.2 / 5 | Deep-Cleaning Very Dirty Brushes |
How to Dry Makeup Brushes
Drying is the step people skip, and it's actually the one most likely to cause problems if you rush it. Towel-dry the handles only — never the bristle head, since a towel can pick up germs and transfer them right back onto damp bristles.
Lay brushes flat over the edge of a counter or sink so the bristle head hangs off, not touching anything. Never stand a wet brush upright with the handle down, because water can seep into the ferrule and cause mold to grow inside the handle, which you obviously won't see until it's a problem.
Let brushes dry completely — usually a few hours, longer for bigger, denser ones. Gently press the brush head against the back of your hand; if it feels even slightly damp, give it more time before using it again.
The color of your rinse water is the best indicator you'll ever get. Keep rinsing until it runs clear, and your brushes are actually clean — not just rinsed.
A quick note on hygiene beyond the brushes themselves: Allure's brush-hygiene reporting has repeatedly found that unwashed brushes can carry surprising amounts of bacteria, which is a good reminder that this isn't just an aesthetic habit — it affects your skin too.
Our Final Verdict
You don't need a drawer full of specialty products to keep your brushes clean. One bottle of unscented castile soap, five minutes, and a habit you can actually stick to will get you further than any fancy brush shampoo. Whether you wash weekly, monthly, or somewhere in between (no judgment here), the wet-soap-rinse-dry method is the one thing worth remembering.
And if you're already thinking about what else in your routine could use a gentler, more sustainable swap, our skin care picks are a good next stop.