Here's a confession: I don't clean my makeup brushes. I know, I know — it is quite a contradicting statement to admit as a beauty writer. But after my nine to five, I don't want to spend another five to nine (at least, what it feels like) cleaning my beauty tools.
The reality is, though, cleaning your makeup brushes is just as important as cleansing your face. "If you invest time in cleaning and moisturizing your face daily, but you apply makeup with dirty brushes that have built-up makeup, oil and bacteria, you’re undoing all that hard work," explains makeup artist Sara Kuhl. On top of that, "there are tons of risks of using dirty makeup brushes, including breakouts and irritation, bristle breakdown, poor blending capability, unwanted color mixing or splotchy makeup."
That’s why I took it upon myself to test and find the most effective and convenient makeup brush cleaner. Over the past two weeks, I reviewed five different makeup brush cleaners and rated each based on their ease of use, ability to clean, ease of storing and versatility. Plus, I determined which one out of the five saved me the most time cleaning and drying, ultimately leading to the best overall.
Keep reading to discover how I tested and ranked the best makeup brush cleaners.
Best overall makeup brush cleaner
Ease of use: 4.8/5 | Ability to clean: 4.5/5 | Ease of storing: 5/5 | Versatility: 4/5 | Overall rating: 4.8/5
Editor's note: Our Best overall pick is currently out of stock. But you can still shop other editor-loved makeup brush cleaners below.
Norate's makeup brush cleaner was the very last device I tested, and turned out to be the best from the lot. The makeup cleaner was also one of few in this list that was capable of cleaning all of my beauty tools, including some of the most challenging to clean (in my experience), like an eye shadow brush, a beauty sponge and a dense foundation brush.
During my rounds of testing, I sought for the brush cleaner that would be the most convenient in my everyday. It must be beginner-friendly, compact enough for at-home storage (as well as travel) and able to remove makeup quickly. The Norate makeup brush cleaner managed to check all of those boxes and more. It's small, but not too small; it's also easy to use, since it just requires you to plug it in (and it's entirely waterproof). My brushes and beauty sponge were thoroughly cleaned almost instantaneously.
You also don't have to do much work, which is a huge perk when you're cleaning multiple tools. Once plugged in, the Norate cleaner spins around like a miniature carousal, which helps the device efficiently clean your tools in just a few seconds.
On top of the silicone bed (where you place your tools), there are small ridges that are tough on liquids and powders — but super gentle on bristles. All you need to do is dip your tool in a little bit of water and place a dab of soap on the silicone bed to get a good clean. After my tools air dried (which took about eight hours), the integrity of my fluffy and dense brushes were kept in tact.
Best of all, Norate's makeup cleaner has powerful suction cups at the bottom. Although it can slip slightly if placed at an angle, the device can be stuck onto any surface you plan on using, making it the perfect device to wash your brushes anywhere.
More makeup brush cleaners to shop, tested by the author
Best for fluffy brushes:
Ease of use: 3.8/5 | Ability to clean: 4/5 | Ease of storing: 4/5 | Versatility: 3.5/5 | Overall rating: 3.8/5
Editor’s note: The Plum Beauty Makeup Brush Cleaner is currently out of stock. But you can still shop other editor-loved makeup brush cleaners below.
The idea of this makeup brush cleaner is incredibly innovative. Rather than waiting for your brushes to air dry, the device washes your tools and dries them after.
Here's how it works: The device itself acts like a handle and can hold onto a brush while you spin/clean it inside a cup of soapy water. When I wanted to dry my brush, I placed the duo in a dry bowl to avoid any water splashing. In about 40-60 seconds, my brush was completely dry. This saved the pain of waiting for my brushes to dry overnight.
While the makeup cleaner is impressive, it does come with some flaws. There's an attachment you can connect to the bottom of the device for a small and narrow brush handle — and without it, the brush may fall out as you spin it. In other words, you're limited to only so many brushes you can clean. (If you don't adhere the attachment, you'll be able to fit medium- and large-sized brushes).
A vibration also occurs as the device is spinning your brush dry or clean. It is an intense vibration, and after awhile, my hand began feeling a bit uncomfortable. The device is effective, but those with sensitive hands might want to use it with caution. It's also best for fluffy brushes rather than more dense ones with thicker makeup; the blush powder slipped right off, as seen below.
Best for hands-free cleaning:
Ease of use: 3.8/5 | Ability to clean: 3.5/5 | Ease of storing: 3/5 | Versatility: 3/5 | Overall rating: 3.3/5
The other devices in this list may not require you to do much manual scrubbing, but the Cisbelw makeup brush cleaner doesn’t require you to do much at all.
To clean your tools, the device has a silicone top with varying holes to stick the brush handles through. You can use the top to air dry your tools or to clean them. In my experience, the piece only managed to fit my smaller brush handles.
As you sit back and watch your brushes get cleaned, the device has a unique water flow that delicately cleanses away any buildup. Although this clean isn’t as intense as other devices, the gentle wash does help preserve your brush bristles better.
While there is a separate rigid silicone bed to manually clean other brush sizes, I feel like it defeats its whole purpose. The machine is also a tad large, so you might want to stick to using it at home.
Best for a mess-free clean:
Ease of use: 4.3/5 | Ability to clean: 4/5 | Ease of storing: 5/5 | Versatility: 4/5 | Overall rating: 4.3/5
Alyfini's cleaning machine is the smallest out of the bunch. While it may be tiny, the curved shape means you don't need a separate bowl to clean your brushes. It effectively contains all of the dirty water in one space. However, that means you need to use the device near a sink to dump out the water after each use, but it does save the heavy clean up other cleaners require.
Compared to our overall winner, this device doesn't spin nearly as quick, but it has a good enough speed to cleanse away grime off sponges (just be sure to hold onto it well). The ridges weren't as gentle, but the hairs on my brushes looked just as fluffed as they did before use.
Best for drying:
Ease of use: 4.8/5 | Ability to clean: 4.6/5 | Ease of storing: 3.5/5 | Versatility: 5/5 | Overall rating: 4.5/5
According to the brand, this brush-cleaning tool is compatible with 95% of brushes on the market. I used five different brushes of varying sizes while testing, and I can confirm that the statement is true.
The kit includes eight silicone connectors of different sizes that are designed to attach your brush handle to the device. These connectors are even flexible enough to fit wide handles, but be sure they're completely dry before using.
Similar to other cleaners we've tested, this machine spins your brush around to thoroughly clean and dry it. However, the kit comes with its own bowl for you to place soapy water in.
The spinning feature wasn't as intensive as other tools (meaning, it wasn't uncomfortable to use, and was at a slightly slower speed), but it got the job done. The most notable feature about this device was how quickly it dried my tools. In just under 20 seconds of spinning, my brushes were entirely dry. I even noticed they looked a bit fluffier than before.
My cleaning and drying time with this device was much shorter than all of the devices in this list, so it is a great pick if you're in a time crunch.
How we tested the makeup brush cleaners
I, Madison San Miguel, researched top-rated makeup brush cleaners available online and narrowed them down to five so I could review them. During my testing, I hand-picked specific brushes and tools based on their density (i.e. more packed, less packed) and tool type. I then rated the makeup brushes cleaners for their ease of use, ability to clean, ease of storing and versatility.
To ensure equal testing, I also used the same cleanser, the Amazon Basics Dish Soap, for each tool and cleaner.
Beauty tools used:
- Real Techniques Expert Face Professional Foundation Makeup Brush, $7
- Real Techniques Ultra Plush Powder Makeup Brush, $8.99 (previously $11.59)
- Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, four pack, $11.99 (previously $19)
- R.e.m. Beauty B1 Blush Brush, $24
- Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Cruelty-Free Concealer Brush, $28
Why trust Shop TODAY
Madison San Miguel is a beauty writer with over seven years of experience in the beauty industry. She currently writes about (and reviews) beauty products for Shop TODAY, where she has been since 2023.
Meet the experts
- Dr. Julia Schwartz, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist and owner of Dorado Dermatology.
- Manuel Espinoza is a celebrity makeup artist and Black Radiance ambassador.
- Sara Kuhl is a makeup artist and the Product Education & Training Director at SeneGence.
- Natalie Dresher is a celebrity and bridal makeup artist based in New York and Miami.
How do you add Shop TODAY as a Preferred Source on Google?
Google’s new Preferred Sources feature allows users to manually select their favorite publishers and news outlets for a more customizable experience tailored directly to the reader. Once you’ve opted to receive our content, you’ll begin seeing more of our recent and trending articles displayed within your Top Stories news feed.
The easiest way to add us as a preferred source is to click here and type in “TODAY.com.” Once the box is checked and you’ve refreshed the page, Shop TODAY content will start appearing in your feed.
