Timely tips to clean hair and make-up brushes

Most of us don't clean our hairbrushes often enough. When we finally get around to it, we spend more time untangling that hair ball mess than we do on the cleaning job itself. Clean more often by using the following tips, and you'll save time in the long run.

• Pull out any loose hair from the bristles. Using a comb is often the easiest way.
• Then make your own economical and effective cleaning solution by mixing 10 ml (2 tsps) of shampoo and 50 ml (1/4 cup) of vinegar in a sink filled with warm water.
• Soak the brush in the solution for several minutes, then pull a clean, wide-toothed comb down each row of bristles to remove any remaining hair.
• By now, the solution should have loosened any build-up of oil, dirt, gel and hair spray on the brush.
• Scrub the brush clean with a nailbrush (hold it down in the bathtub to contain the splatter) and rinse with warm running water.
• Let the brush air dry.

• Avoid using commercial make-up brush cleaners, which often contain harsh chemicals. The chemicals aren't good for the sensitive skin of your face and can dry out a make-up brush, which can be quite expensive — especially the ones made of real animal hair (mink, yak or squirrel).
• For a safe, non-drying alternative, mix 2 parts water with 1 part gentle fabric wash.
• Dip the brush (tip only) into the solution. Don't dip the wooden or metal handle, because water can cause the bristles to fall out.
• Rinse in clean water.
• Repeat until the brush is clean (no more make-up colour) and free of the wash solution.
• Dry the brush gently with a towel, being sure to move the towel with the grain, or direction of the hair.

Don't submerge natural hair make-up brushes (such as squirrel hair) in dishwashing liquid. The detergent will dry the hair out and the moisture will dissolve the glue that holds the hair to the handle.