Does putting your make-up brushes in the wash actually work?

The internet seems to think so

We get it – cleaning your make-up brushes properly is a task and a half that requires serious willpower. So you probably won’t be surprised to learn that only 61% of women clean them once a month at most (or not at all), according to Metro.

The best make-up brushes require cleaning every couple of weeks at the very least, so we can see why some people are trying to make the burdensome task a little easier for themselves. According to a host of brush-owning Twitter users, cleaning them in your washing machine makes them look good as new without the effort.

I put my makeup brushes in the washing machine last night bc I was too lazy to clean them by hand ?

— Kung Fu Kia (@kakakiaaa) May 7, 2017

Cant believe abit of oil on my makeup brushes, inside a pillow case and a quick 30 min wash in washing machine has made them look brand new?

— Kay ✨ (@KayleighBeckey) May 31, 2017

Not everyone is on board, though, and Twitter does NOT recommend you try it with your Beautyblender.

As if people are actually so lazy that they're sticking their makeup brushes in the washing machine ??‍♀️??‍♀️

— tieg♡ (@tieglouise_) July 16, 2017

Have I actually just seen someone put on Facebook they wash their makeup brushes in the washing machine !!! ?

— jord (@_jordsx) June 28, 2017

*looks at makeup brushes and sighs* I once was so lazy I put my beauty blender in the washing machine – it got absolutely fucked

— Mai (@MiaKitsune) April 22, 2017

But what do the professionals think about the whole washing machine technique? We spoke to Amy Conway, one of Bobbi Brown’s Pro Team, to get an expert’s opinion – and she said the idea gave her ‘the sweats’.

‘Make-up brushes are an investment; they’re often natural hair bristles and, like our own hair, need a good shampoo and conditioner. It’s important to only wash the brush hair, not the actual brush,’ she says.

‘Putting brushes in a washing machine – even leaving the whole brush in water – can cause the glue to weaken. This will then cause the brush hair to fall out or, even worse, the whole brush head to fall apart.’

If you ask us, it’s probably best to stick to hand washing your brushes, particularly if you’ve splashed out on them. ‘When you look after your make-up brushes they can last ten years,’ Amy says. ‘You’ll be surprised how long your brushes will stay in this great condition [if you wash them regularly]!’

So you see, it really is worth just biting the bullet and washing your brushes by hand. You wouldn’t use washing detergent on your own hair, right?