Most makeup lovers know how important your tools for the job are. When you spend the money on application tools, you must protect that investment by cleaning your makeup brushes regularly and correctly.

Here are five tips for getting your makeup brushes oh so squeaky clean.

Clean them regularly

Brush fibers are porous, allowing them to absorb and hold on to products, sebum (oil from your face), bacteria, and anything else floating around your vanity drawers or bathroom counters.

Cleaning your makeup brushes regularly helps stop the gunk from becoming a permanent part of them. The less time you wait in between cleanings, the easier it will be.

It’s kinda like your stove. If you let last week’s spaghetti sauce sit for too long (hey, we all do it), it suddenly becomes a rock-hard red, concrete-like substance.

Save yourself the hassle and schedule your brush cleanings for at least once a month, if not twice, and you’ll enjoy it a lot more, I promise.

If you want to be an overachiever, E.L.F. has a Daily Brush Cleaner you can spray on your precious babies after every use. Don’t get it twisted, though; this product is NOT a replacement for regular brush baths.

Don’t over soak

When cleaning your makeup brushes, be careful not to submerge your brushes fully in soap and water. [READ: 10 Best Makeup Brands Every Student Should Know]

To protect the integrity of your brushes, avoid getting the base of the brush head wet. This area is where the bristles are attached to the handle with glue. If consistently dampened there, your brush can break down a lot quicker than it typically would, in turn, decreasing the lifespan of your brushes.

Use gentle soap

While it may seem like a good idea to use Dawn on your brushes, there are better options. I know, it’s tempting to want to see all that foundation and highlight come out of your brushes like oil off a duck but, a soap better formulated to be gentle on your brushes will be just as satisfying.

Brands like Sonia Kashuk, EcoTools, Shop Miss A, and many more have different brush shampoos that are perfectly designed to gently, but effectively, clean your makeup brushes.

Whether you choose a solid, gel, or spray formula is totally up to you and what works the best for your tools.

If you’re in a pinch or on vacation sans brush cleansing shampoo, choose a gentle baby shampoo. If it’s good enough for a baby, it’s probably good enough for your brush babies. [READ: The Best Travel Hair Brush Every Girl Needs to Carry on Vacation]

Don’t forget to reshape

After giving your brushes a sudsy bath, you must reshape them.

To keep your tools in tip-top condition for as long as possible, you want to make sure they look the way they did when you took them home from the store.

Failing to reshape your blush brush could be the difference between a demure rosy glow, and cheeks that make you straight-up look like a clown.

If a brush isn’t shaped like it’s supposed to, it’s not going to do what it was designed to do. So, be sure to gently move the fibers back to their original position before laying them down to dry for a couple of hours. Your brushes and your makeup application will thank you.

Dry baby, dry

Speaking of laying your brushes down to dry before doing that, be sure to use a clean, dry towel to squeeze any excess water out of the brush head.

Doing this to your bristles will cut down on dry time dramatically.

Another tip is to let your brushes dry while having the head hang off of the counter. Hanging brushes off the edge of the table will allow more air to go through all sides of the bristles and will prevent any mildew growth like laying them on a towel might cause.

If you let your brushes dry the right way, they’ll dry more safely and quickly.

Mark your calendars

In summary, when cleaning your makeup brushes, be sure to do it regularly with a gentle brush shampoo. Don’t soak your brushes, reshape them before you lay them out to dry hanging off the counter’s edge.

Do all this, and your high-quality makeup brushes will last you years!

So go ahead, put it in your planner before you forget– “clean makeup brushes!”