Cleaning a makeup sponge can seem easier said than done, and doing it the right way is also another topic to discuss. Many people have raised concerns about cleaning their beauty blenders only to find masses of disgusting foundations still lying deep in the sponge. So the real question is, do you know how to wash a beauty blender?
Having a tool is one, but knowing how to maintain it and clean it to serve its purpose is another. This article discusses some methods that will help you know how to wash a beauty blender to avoid dirt and bacteria from infesting your makeup sponge.
Note that even when you have correctly washed your beauty blender, you should let it dry before you store it or use it. A wet beauty blender will harbor mold and worsen the situation than before. Also, if you store your damp makeup sponge in a closed bag, you will only be encouraging bacteria to breed. If you have a wet and dirty beauty blender, leaving it on free air circulation to dry is best.
1. How To Clean A Beauty Blender With Soap And Water
This is the easiest method since it requires only soap and water. You can choose to use either liquid soap or bar soap. The first step is to get your makeup sponge wet; you can do this by soaking it into water or running it in water until it expands in size.
If you are using liquid soap, you can squeeze a small amount into the beauty blender and work on it by massaging thoroughly until the residue breaks in foundation foam. However, it is mostly advised to use dish soap since it is affordable and readily available.
On the other hand, if you are using bar soap, you will rub the wet sponge directly on it and work on the makeup sponge until it lathers. Next, gently squeeze and massage the beauty blender until you see excess foundation or dirt coming out. Finally, finish your cleaning process by rinsing the beauty blender. If your beauty blender was extremely dirty before you started washing it, you should soak it a little bit longer in soapy water before you rinse it off. However, if you are certain that you have squeezed off all the dirt, you can rinse your makeup sponge in running water as you keep on squeezing it so that no soap is left stuck inside. You can only stop rising when the squeezed water turns clear.
2. How To Clean A Beauty Blender Using Oil
If you are a sensitive person in cleaning your makeup tools, you probably know how to double cleansing works. When it comes to skincare, every detail matters and the principle that applies in using oil in cleaning your beauty blender is oil breaks down oil. Since most makeup foundations are specially formulated with oil, using oil to dissolve makeup is a great idea. Cleansing your makeup with a few drops of olive oil or coconut oil could be just what you need to up your cleaning game.
To achieve this, you start by massaging a few drops of olive oil into your makeup sponge until you start seeing the makeup coming off. You can up the procedure by dipping the s[onge into soapy water so that it double cleanses. Using soap in this stage is important as it removes any traces of remaining makeup that could have stuck inside. The soap also helps in rinsing off the oily residue. The gentle soaps to use can be a baby shampoo, or in cases where you can't afford the baby shampoo, you can use dish soap. Rinse off the soap until you attain clear water when you squeeze it out. Gently squeeze your beauty blender whenever you are wringing it out to avoid damaging it. Ensure you air dry it in a well-ventilated area before storing it.
3. How To Clean A Beauty Blender Using A Microwave
Did you know that you can clean your beauty blender with minimal effort? Yes, a microwave can help you clean your makeup sponges; think of it as throwing your clothes in the washing machine tub and coming to remove them when they are clean, which works the same. Another benefit of using the microwave method is that microwave energy is likely to destroy micro-organisms that may be present in the sponge. But there s a procedure that you must follow that does not involve you throwing your makeup sponges in the microwave and waiting for that miracle. Instead, let us discuss how it goes.
You can start by making soapy water in a microwave-safe cup; you can mix a few drops of dish soap or a baby shampoo if you have one. Ensure the soap mixture is the right amount to cover your makeup sponge fully. The next step is to wet your sponge by squeezing off excess moisture so that t is only pre-wet. You can then o ahead and fully submerge it into the soapy water.
Put your microwave-safe cup into the microwave and set the heat to about a minute. Give your cup thirty seconds for it to cool before you remove it out of the microwave. You will notice that all the soap has turned into a liquid makeup residue, and your once dirty sponge is clean once more. You can rinse the sponge with clean water to remove excess soapy residue, then air dry it in a well-ventilated area before storing it in a zipped-up makeup bag.
4. How To Clean Up Your Beauty Blender In A Soak
If you have a dirty sponge that you can not recall its original color, it is best to use the soak up method. In this method, you clean your beauty blender by soaking it up a little longer than usual.
You can soak your beauty blender in a liquid cleanser then follow it with a deep scrub. To start with this method, prepare your soap bath by mixing warm water with a liquid cleanser in a small bowl. Next, you can directly soak the beauty blender in a liquid cleanser. The warm water helps in killing bacteria in the dirty sponge. Go ahead and soak your dirty sponge in the mixture, then let it sit for about thirty minutes so that the makeup loosens and breaks up.
You can work your sponge down the mixture to break down excess makeup build-up. Once the makeup sponge has lathered fully, start massaging it by giving it a few squeezes to let the soapy solution sip through it. You can add soap on the areas that remain a little dirty to get a perfect clean. Once you notice the sponge oozing out the old makeup, it is time to run it under clean water to rinse off the excess soap. You can continue squeezing it while rinsing clean under running water until it's clean. The final rinse should give you a clean residue. Dry the beauty blender completely before storing or using it.
5. Cleaning Your Beauty Blender Using A Washing Machine
If you are an aspiring makeup artist, you probably have multiple dirty sponges you use in your makeup practice. You will be glad to know that it will not take your time to clean your sponges one by one, and you can clean multiple sponges at once using a washing machine. This method is super easy; it requires you to toss the makeup sponges into the washing machine, and voila! Clean beauty blenders. The good thing is that it is not a time-consuming process and cleans your beauty blender properly.
To start, grab all your dirty beauty blenders and place them in a net lingerie bag so that they don't toss all over in the washing machine while they are washing. Go ahead and toss the lingerie bag in the empty washing machine. The next step is to run the wash; you can add a liquid blendercleanser or a mild shampoo before running the washing machine. Ensure to run the machine on gentle mode and with an extra rinse cycle to deep clean. When the cycle is done, remove the lingerie bag from the washer and place the bag in a properly ventilated area to hang dry.
6. How To Clean A Beauty Blender With A Pad
You can clean your beauty blender, but you will have done zero work without the right friction. Ensure you are not harsh on squeezing and rubbing your beauty blender to avoid destroying it. You can clean your dirty sponge by simply not putting a lot of pressure on it and scrubbing it on a texturized silicone pad.
The texturized silicone pad gives you a soft surface to deep clean your beauty blender without snagging or tearing it. Here is how you go about it, wet your sponge under warm running water and squeeze it until it is wet and it has gained mass. Then, you can go ahead and squeeze in some liquid cleansing soap or rub in a bar of soap on the texturized silicone pad until it looks saturated. Ensure you use a mild soap such as baby shampoo or a dish soap since they are mild on every skin type. Next, run your sponge along with the nobs of the silicone pad while applying pressure until the makeup stains disappear. Do not wrinkle or pull the beauty blender while on this stage. After you are done, rinse off the sponge under running water and do not stop rinsing until the water runs clear. Lastly, set your sponge aside and let it dry where there is plenty of air circulation. If you store it while it is still wet, you risk developing mildew or mold.
7. How To Deep Clean A Beautyblender
You will probably have to clean a beauty blender deep if there are stains even after cleaning it using the above methods. The tough stains may be due to overly using your beauty blender in a day or forgetting to clean it for more than a week.
You will know if you need to deep clean your beauty blender by looking at it. If the rinse-off water runs clear, there is no need for deep cleaning, but if it is still dirty or the sponge dries with stains, it's time to deep clean.
To deep clean, your sponge holds it over running water for a minute until it expands in size. If you don't have running water, you can let it sit in a bowl of water for ten minutes before proceeding to the next step. Next, apply a gentle liquid cleanser to the beauty blender or liquid baby shampoo.
Next is to rub the sponge against your palm in small circular motions for about thirty seconds. The scrubbing process should be more intense than the gentle massage you do in your regular cleaning routine. However, it should still be gentle enough not to distort the shape of the beauty blender. You should notice some cosmetic residue being drawn out of the surface while you scrub.
The suds of your palm can even get tinted by the color of your foundation. Rinse the sponge under running water as you continue scrubbing until the suds are gone. Rinse the sponge for several minutes to ensure that all soap.
To confirm that you have cleaned your makeup sponge thoroughly, rinse in running water again and squeeze it on your palm to see if any suds of cosmetic is coming out. If the water coming out is clear and clean, it means you did a good job in cleaning your makeup sponge.
You can go ahead and test the sponge to see if it's clean by applying some cleanser on it and rubbing it against your palm. If the result is a white lather, it is clean, but if it lathers to gray or beige, it is not. Now dry your sponge over clean, dry paper towels, and then air dry.
Frequently Asked Questions On How To Wash Beauty Blender
1. How Frequent Should One Wash A Beauty Blender?
It would be best to clean your beauty blender regularly once you use it. Cleaning a beauty blender is essential to keep off bacteria and micro-organisms that may later give you skin infections or lead to acne. You can clean it lightly after every use or deep clean it once a week.
