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Sanitation - Do you submerge your brushes?
I noticed on the other thread someone mentioned submerging their brushes to clean them. Is this common practice and what does this do to the brush over time? What are you using to submerge them? Dec 30 07 02:54 am Link I run them, hair downwards, under the sink, dip the brush into a cup of baby shampoo - massage the shampoo into the brush, and then rinse all the soap out of the brush. Then I lay them flat to dry. Dec 30 07 02:09 pm Link I use Cinema Secrets Brush cleaner when I need them clean asap - and I submerge the smaller brushes in the solution, and I spray the bigger ones with a spray bottle. As for cleaning with water and shampoo, I just run it under the faucet and/or dip it in water and try not to let it go "up" in the handle. Dec 30 07 03:56 pm Link i keep a lot of empty glass sample containers from skincare lines around.. they're small and since they're glass it's easy to wipe clean. that's what i use to clean all my brushes between people on the job. i fill it up with brush cleaner, and then i literally stick the brush in and rinse it clean like you would with a mop. when it loses its effectiveness i dump the old cleaner out and put fresh ones in as i need it. large brushes like powder and blush brush i spray them through inside and out and clean it until no more color is being deposit on the paper towel. everynight after work i come home i wash my brushes with a deep cleansing shampoo.. right now someone gave me a bottle of aveda hair detox so that's what i have right now. i put a lot of shampoo in with a bit of water and make a concentrated soap bath and wash the brushes this way. it's faster than soaping them individually and cuts my cleaning time in half. Dec 30 07 04:32 pm Link I do what Liz does only with "Pink Soap" brand cleaner with a picture of Mona Lisa on the front. Dec 30 07 08:11 pm Link I am no where near as careful as you guys are. I always feel like I've too many brushes and not enough time! I fill the sink with water, toss 'em in and wash the natural brushes with shampoo then rinse. I add conditioner and let 'em sit on the side of the sink while I wash my taklon brushes with hand soap. I empty the sink, rinse all the brushes well, squeeze out most of the water with a hand towel then lay flat to dry. I've done this almost every night for over 20 years. Some of my brush handles are 'clouded' and some are missin' their finish but believe it or not, many of my brushes have been with me for 7 years or more.  Dec 30 07 09:35 pm Link I hate cleaning with brush cleaner (the smell yuck) and I have more than enough brushes to last a day's work so I always clean on the job after I'm done working. Never take them home really. I fill the sink with tepid water, submerge all my used brushes and run them over some disinfectant bar soap. I work them into a lather one by one, and rinse them out. Fill the sink again with clean water and rinse again. Synthetics I sometimes have to do again with dish washing liquid to get out all the residual foundation and lipgloss that the disinfectant doesn't get out. I press out the water between a towel and twirl the big ones between my palms to spin out the excess water. Then I put them on a clean towel resting the handles on another rolled up towel to get an angle, so the water can run down and not into the handle. A trick Tania told me about! ;-) When I'm in a hurry I will use a blow dryer on the powder and blush brushes, on a low heat and high speed. Makes them ultra fluffy too. I never use conditioner on them because I find they don't pick up product as well the next day. I've done this for over 15 years now. Like Diana's some of the handles get worn but the hair is still going strong. I've had a lot of my brushes since day one and most of them look good as new. Dec 31 07 06:54 am Link Diana wrote: right there with you but for only 1o years... OK< gottal goo notw.. the sleepign pill is reallu kickin in.... dang gkinazzz!! Dec 31 07 06:56 am Link I shampoo them. Usually with shampoo (Johnson's Baby Shampoo), but sometimes with anti-bacterial soap. I just wet them, shampoo, and rinse - like they were little heads. Nothing special really involved in the process. I just make sure to lay them flat to dry so the water doesn't get into the ferrule. Though I've heard it said washing them this way will ruin them, make them shed, etc. I've never had a problem, in 12+ years of doing it this way. Dec 31 07 10:26 am Link I wash them in a cup w/ a mild Shampoo or mild facial cleanser (right now I'm using up some Purity, which I don't like as much for my face but as it removes makeup it does a good job of cleansing brushes). Some brushes need a little extra. I try not to soak long as that can cause the bristles to shed. Rinse and lay flat to dry. Never let them dry standing up as that can/ will get water in the ferrule. For quick cleansing I use Sephora Makeup Brush cleansing wipes (on the go), but the bath is a more thorough cleansing, though the wipes are anti-bacterial/ sanitize the brushes when needed. Dec 31 07 10:59 am Link David Klasfeld wrote: I dont know why I find this so funny but I do Dec 31 07 12:00 pm Link I probably shouldn't but I stumbled acrossed using ultra Palmolive Oxy Plus and it is really really good at cleaning the brushes. Especially the foundation brushes. OMG it works great! Dec 31 07 12:18 pm Link Lottie wrote:
Dec 31 07 12:50 pm Link I've been known to throw mine into an ultrasonic cleaner when there's particularly stuborn build up in the heal of the brush. Dec 31 07 01:22 pm Link HS - The Makeup Maven wrote: Haha I do the exact same thing. Dec 31 07 03:13 pm Link Thanks everyone for your input and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I usually use CS cleaner after each use in a spray bottle and then once I am home I use palmolive or baby shampoo to wash them. I have a small container with a mix of shampoo and water dip the brush and then swish it around on my palm to lather it and massage it in. then I rinse it under fairly warm running tap water till i can no longer see the soap. I lay it angled downwards on paper towels till dry. I think I will try doing the submerging thing now if you all have done it for years with out much damage. I need to get the brushes done faster. I am always afraid that water will get into the ferrule and the brush head with fall off  Only one way to find out Dec 31 07 04:14 pm Link Diana wrote: I second this method. Jan 01 08 03:50 am Link i use warm water & conditioning shampoo first to get the bristles really clean and supple, then follow up with a dip in alcohol to disinfect, rinse with cold water, blot then lay them flat on a clean towel to dry overnight. Jan 01 08 04:46 am Link Saffronh - Seema Haider wrote: Go ahead, it'll be fine. As long as you don't soak them for too long. It takes me just a few minutes to soap up all my brushes, not nearly long enough to do any damage. Just make sure to stick with the drying at an angle method. That way no water will stay in the ferrule and the brushes won't start to shed or anything. I always press the hair between towels to get most of the water out and then twirl them around between my palms really quickly. That way the brush gets back into shap nicely too. Jan 02 08 03:51 am Link So I submerged my brushes and washed them...one casuality  One of my badger Crown brushes lopped off it's head. Sad, sad.. Oh well the rest are fine though hehe It was much faster doing it this way then individually washing one brush at a time. This way they were at least somewhat clean before I "shampooed" their little heads LOL Jan 02 08 11:57 pm Link Saffronh - Seema Haider wrote: No kidding!!?? I had one (yes 1) casualty in over 15 years with a Shu powder brush I had had for years and that's IT. Jan 03 08 03:20 am Link Sanitize them with 70% iso alcohol. To get emollients and cream off you'll need 99%. I hardly ever use brush cleaner b/c the alcohol is cheaper. I also use conditioner on the non-synthetic brushes once a week. Don't forget the handle btw. Just get a little spritzer spray bottle with 70% and wipe down. Jan 03 08 02:16 pm Link Yes OP, soaking them is good. Every time I get home from work, I put the brushes on a glass with water and shampoo or Dr. Bromer's soap and let them soaking for 20 min. before rinsing. Rinse them well under the water until water comes out completely clear, and then I put them on the glass again, with water and conditioner and let them for 10 min before the final rinse. Squeeze the water out, and lay them flat over a towel. I love how nice they smell afterwards, and how soft they are. Jan 03 08 02:57 pm Link Lottie wrote: What a funny coincidence - that tickled me too David - Guess I'm just silly cause I almost instantly pictured them with little faces giggling while getting their hair washed. Jan 03 08 03:26 pm Link I would think submerging them would be bad for the brush life. When I was in painting classes, they told us never to submerge brushes for long periods of time (i.e. overnight, ect). Jan 03 08 03:28 pm Link Aren't we supposed to submerge the bristles for 15 minutes in brush cleaner for the cleaning (and anti-bacterial properties) to be effective? Anyway, since I never seem to have enough lip or concealer brushes, brush cleaner solvent. Then at home, shampoo with Dr. Bronner's peppermint or eucalyptus or lavender liquid soap. Jan 03 08 08:24 pm Link Eleanor Sabaduquia wrote: Never heard of the 15 minute rule - just leaving the bristles splayed like that for too long damages them (splaying in general is bad anyways), and submerging them that long can soften the glue and pull the hair out of the ferrule. What about soaking our hands in alcohol sanitizer for 15 minutes? Ow. Jan 03 08 11:07 pm Link Aeni Domme wrote: FYI, I usually do 20 min into soap/shampoo and then 10 min into conditioner as I already said earlier in the post, and never harmed anything. Actually, I have had a few times that I forgot about it and left them submerged overnight. Still no problem with that, all my brushes are in perfect condition. Jan 04 08 12:30 am Link Well as far as I had known before you should not submerge your brushes, and now that i tried it I think I may have to stick with that. I may try just putting them in a glass like Shimmers mentioned. I also use Alcohol etc to sanitize them including spraying the entire length of the handles or using lysol wipes on them (handles only not the bristles) to kill an germs. Jan 04 08 01:17 am Link I would be careful with fully submerging brushes, especially if you are using a really strong brush cleaner. I find that the best bet is to dip and then wipe and repeat until the brush is clean and when it comes to things like foundation brushes or lipgloss/lipstick- I tend to clean then as best I can with brush cleaner, use a little cleansing oil and wash them as soon as I get home. Maybe I am just hard on my things or I just have poor luck with brush quality, but my brushes will fall apart if I left them overnight in brush cleaner- not to mention loose their shape. Jan 04 08 01:22 am Link Over night soaking?? Nooooooo NEVER ever!! Not in brush cleaner, water or alcohol, EVER!. I just fill the sink with tepid water, put them all in there and immediately start soaping them up, and put them on the counter top. Once I'm done soaping I start rinsing immediately under running tepid water until the water comes out clear. On the rare occassions I need to clean in between clients, I dip and twirl the small ones in a small bottle of cleaner and wipe them on a towel. For the larger brushes I just pour a strip of brush cleaner on a clean towel and wipe the brushes on the towel until they come out clean. If I need to, I flip the towel over and start again on a clean spot with fresh cleaner. But nothing beats soap and water. I really don't feel my brushes are squeaky clean any other way. Jan 04 08 06:37 am Link PAINT THINNER.... does a very good job:) Jan 04 08 06:41 am Link MirrorImage Photography wrote: Ha. Ha. Then people wonder why we are wary of photographers over here. Go have fun in OT. Jan 04 08 06:47 am Link (Super old thread, I know, but I just got through reading it and don't want to start a separate thread on the same topic.) A lot of you mention submerging in alcohol or cleaner *between* models when doing separate faces consecutively. Doesn't that mean that your brush is going to be wet for the next application and doesn't that cause problems in how the makeup goes on? What I've typically seen MUAs do on my shoots in the past is use a spritzer bottle, which doesn't totally soak the brush, but then I've always wondered how that actually gets the brushes clean enough as it may not hit all the bristles... (Sorry if this is a dumb n00b question...) Sep 16 10 05:00 pm Link Stephanie Maulding wrote: my self.. yes I submerge the bristles of the brush in 99% alcohol or a brush cleaner, and then wipe the brush on a towel till its less soaked and slightly damp, a good brush cleaner has enough alcohol in it to dry quickly so it shouldn't be wet when the next face is in your chair.. I use a spritzer bottle for the larger powder brushes as these brushes take far longer to dry. I saturate the brush and then wipe it clean until no colour comes out on the tissue.. and then i spray it again and re-wipe it .. Sep 16 10 06:01 pm Link I just tried out a new concoction yesterday and washed my brushes in olive oil and dish soap, and it worked very nicely. Someone on here mentioned cleaning their brushes like you wash hair, so I just might try out. Brushing some coconut oil in first, then baby shampoo, rinse, conditioner, rinse and dry. Is it ok to condition your brushes? Sep 16 10 06:38 pm Link double post! Sep 16 10 06:38 pm Link Rebecca Liceaga wrote: So long as this thread is going, I gotta say Mona Lisa Pink Soap FTW! Sep 16 10 06:56 pm Link For stubborn foundation/lipstick, I massage a bit of EVOO into the brushes to break down the product, then shampoo with Sunlight dish soap & rinse as normal. Sep 16 10 07:07 pm Link Deadly Design Make-up wrote: Oh of course! Thank you, that's the part my brain wasn't connecting. Sep 16 10 07:53 pm Link |
