We always talk about healthy makeup habits like disposing of old products but what about the humble makeup bag? A study by Amreen Bashir and Peter Lambert shows that 9 out of 10 makeup bags had deadly superbugs like E.coli and staphylococci. Scary right?
Makeup bags hold everything together and travels with you to work and on holidays. They have seen some real highs and lows, and not to mention, leaks and blotches. So, it’s about time the humble makeup bag gets its much-awaited makeover. This article will tell you how to clean your makeup bag based on what the bag is made of. We also mention how to clean makeup brushes because they are a little tricky to disinfect.
We know you need your makeup bag and brushes to be up and running just like you. This is why all our tips and tricks are simple to follow.
Cleaning The Makeup Bag – Know The Fabric
First things first, you need to know the fabric. The type of material does affect how you clean your bag. For instance, a bag made of cloth needs milder detergent to prevent the dyes from fading out. Here are some precautions you must take on the following materials:
1. Cloth – We have to be delicate around cloth dyes and avoid anything too harsh. Natural cleaners like vinegar and baking soda might elevate the product without bleeding the dyes. Cloth bags are usually washing machine-safe so, as long as you have the right product you can clean them hassle-free.
2. Plastic – Plastic kits, even kits that have a little plastic are not safe to put in the washing machine. You can clean these by using a toothbrush and makeup remover pads around the plastic parts. You can also wash the cloth parts by hand.
3. Leather – With leather, you must find leather-specific cleaning products. Homemade cleaners like baking soda and vinegar tend to react adversely on both pure and faux leather.
How To Deep Clean Your Makeup Bag?
Step 1: Dispose before deep cleaning
Although this technically doesn’t come under cleaning, what’s the point of a squeaky clean makeup bag if you fill it with expired makeup, or leaking containers? So before you even start with the clean up process, empty out your makeup bag. If the inside of your bag is covered with smudges, check your products.
Does anything leak? If yes, you need to get rid of it. Trust me, leaking products turn your makeup bag into a breeding ground for germs. And let’s not forget, they are an eyesore on an otherwise clean bag. It’s best to get rid of them and re-stock them with new products that don’t leak and are within the date range.
Step 2: Turn the bag upside down
The outside of the fabric can look worn out, but it’s the inside that matters. After all, that’s the part touching your makeup. It needs to be clean. Brush the seams with your hands because that’s where all the dust and debris get stored.
Although optional, this is a good time to check the seams at this point. Check for loose threads because cleaning and scrubbing can make loose seams undone. Check and tie a knot on loose threads (if required) and cut off the excess.
Step 3: And the cleaning begins!
This is where you should pay close attention to the type of fabric. If your pouch is dirty, I would suggest soaking it with detergent first. You can skip this step if you are using a plastic bag. If you have a leather/acrylic bag, use leather and acrylic-specific cleaners to protect the material.
If you have a few stains you can add liquid detergent to the stained spots, let it soak, and clean it with a toothbrush after a few minutes. This gets all the stains out. After you do this, you can pop your bag in the washing machine to remove any remaining stains. Only put the bag in the dryer if it is a cloth bag. Nylon bags sometimes cannot handle the heat in the dryer. Usually, this is enough to get your makeup bag as good as new.
For plastic bags, you don’t have to use any detergent. Simply use a makeup remover pad and wipe the insides and the outsides.
Step 4: Drying and restock
Make sure your bag is completely dry before you turn the bag to the right side and store the products back in. Additionally, ensure that your products are also clean and dry. Moisture becomes a breeding ground for germs and bacteria.
Cleaning Makeup Brushes
An unclean brush can cause pimple outbreaks and other mild to severe skin conditions, so cleaning them is crucial. In fact, you should deep clean your brushes more frequently than your bag. Here’s how you can clean your makeup brush:
Step 1: Use A Makeup Remover
Start by removing the excess product on your brush. Lay the makeup remover pad flat on the counter and swirl your brushes on it until they are clean. If you are cleaning many brushes at once, you may need to change your makeup remover pad multiple times.
Step 2: Soap and Warm Water Wash
Dab your brushes with a gentle soap and run it under the hot water. Wash out the soap from the brushes with your fingers and keep the brushes angled downward. The bristles on the brushes are held together by glue and soaking it in water might weaken the adhesive.
Makeup brush cleaners are also excellent for this step. They fill up just enough to submerge the bristles without coming in contact with the glue. You can add a mild face wash and use the machine like a washing machine for brushes and makeup blenders.
Step 3: Air Dry
Do not wring the brushes or squeeze too hard. Just let them air dry. A stand that keeps your bristles pointed downward is perfect for drying. It prevents the water from trickling onto the glue. Only store the brushes back into the bag once it is completely dry.
Conclusion
We hope this article explains how to clean your makeup bag and brushes. We provided some simple solutions so that you don’t have to disrupt your daily routine to get your products back in shape.
