Don’t Toss That Mascara Wand! How to Clean and Reuse It (Safely)

Over the years, working in and around the beauty industry, you pick up a few tricks. You learn pretty quickly that a good tool is a good tool, no matter what it was originally designed for. And honestly, one of the most underrated, surprisingly useful tools hiding in plain sight is the humble mascara wand.

Most of us toss the whole tube when the mascara gets clumpy or runs out. I get it. But that wand? That little marvel of specialized bristles is just getting started. When you clean it the right way, it can tackle dozens of little tasks, from perfecting your brows to scrubbing the gunk out of your keyboard.

But before we get into all the cool ways you can reuse them, we need to have a serious chat about cleaning and safety. This part is absolutely non-negotiable. An improperly cleaned wand can be a breeding ground for nasty bacteria, leading to everything from skin irritation to serious eye infections. This isn’t about being fussy; it’s about being smart and safe.

The Easiest Route: Just Buy a Pack!

Okay, before we even dive into the deep-cleaning process, let me give you a total game-changer of a shortcut. If the idea of cleaning a gunky wand sounds like a hassle, or you just don’t have an old one lying around, you can buy packs of new, sterile disposable wands online.

Seriously. A bag of 50 or 100 of them on Amazon or at a beauty supply store like Sally Beauty can cost as little as $5 to $8. It’s a fantastic option if you just want a clean spoolie for your brows or other beauty hacks without the cleanup.

The Pro-Level Deep Clean: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re committed to rescuing your old wand, you can’t just rinse it under the tap and call it a day. Mascara is built to last—it’s full of waxes, pigments, and polymers that cling to bristles and laugh at water. To get it truly clean and sanitized, you need to follow a few simple steps.

Your Under-$15 Cleaning Kit:

You probably have most of this stuff already. If not, you can get everything you need at a drugstore or supermarket for cheap.

• 70% Isopropyl Alcohol: You can find this at any pharmacy for about $3. Don’t get 99%—it actually evaporates too fast to kill germs effectively. The 70% concentration is the professional standard for a reason.
• An Oil: No need for anything fancy. A bottle of store-brand olive oil, coconut oil, or even baby oil works perfectly. This will run you about $5.
• Gentle Soap: A clear, unscented dish soap like Dawn Free & Gentle is perfect. A few drops of Dr. Bronner’s baby soap also work wonders. A bottle costs around $4.
• A few other things: Paper towels, a couple of small bowls, and a clean towel for drying.

Step 1: The Pre-Clean & Stopper Trick
First, pull the wand out of the tube. Now, here’s a lesser-known trick: grab a pair of tweezers and carefully pull out the little plastic stopper at the opening of the mascara tube. This piece is what scrapes excess product off the wand, and removing it lets you get the wand out without making a huge mess. Once it’s out, use a paper towel to wipe off as much of the thick, clumped mascara as you can. Just pinch the bristles gently and pull.

Step 2: The Oil Soak (The Meltdown)
Pour a little of your oil into a small bowl and submerge the head of the wand. Swirl it around, and you’ll see the mascara start to dissolve almost immediately. This is the magic step that breaks down all the waterproof and long-wear ingredients. Heads up! If you’re tackling a stubborn waterproof formula, this is essential, so don’t skip it. You might even need to let it soak for a few extra minutes.

Step 3: The Soap Wash
Next, in a second bowl (or in the palm of your hand), mix a few drops of your gentle soap with some warm water. Take the oily wand and swirl it around in the soapy water. The soap grabs onto the oil and lifts it right off the bristles, taking all the dissolved mascara with it. Gently rub the bristles with your fingers to make sure they’re squeaky clean, then rinse thoroughly under running water.

Step 4: The Sanitizing Soak
This is the most critical step for killing any lingering germs. Shake the excess water off the wand and place it in a clean bowl with enough 70% isopropyl alcohol to completely cover the bristles. Let it soak for at least 10 minutes. This is what makes it safe for reuse in your beauty routine.

Step 5: Air Dry
After the alcohol soak, don’t rinse it! The alcohol will evaporate on its own. Just shake off the excess and lay the wand flat on a clean towel to dry completely. Storing it upright can let water drip down into the handle, so flat is best. Once it’s bone dry, it’s ready for its new life.

Help! A Quick Troubleshooting Guide

Running into issues? It happens. Here are a couple of common problems and how to fix them.

• The mascara is old and crusty and won’t come off. If the oil soak isn’t cutting it, try letting it sit for longer—maybe 5-10 minutes. You can also very gently warm the oil (please be careful, just warm to the touch, NOT hot) to help it break down the hardened formula.
• I can’t get the gunk from the very base clean. This is where pulling out that plastic stopper first really helps. If you’ve still got stubborn bits, try using a second clean wand to gently brush the bristles of the dirty one while it’s in the soapy water. It works like a tiny scrub brush for your brush!

Beauty Hacks for Your Newly Cleaned Wand

A clean mascara wand is basically a brand-new spoolie brush, an essential tool for any makeup lover. Here’s how to put it to work.

Tame and Shape Your Eyebrows
A clean wand is the absolute best tool for grooming your brows. Before you tweeze or trim, brush your brow hairs straight up. This shows you their true length and shape so you can see what actually needs to go. For that trendy laminated or “soap brow” look, I lightly mist a wand with strong-hold hairspray, wait about 10 seconds for it to get tacky, and then brush my brows up and into place. It gives you incredible hold and precision.

Time-Saver Tip: If you just need to tame your brows right now and the wand isn’t going near your eyes, you can do a quick clean. Wipe it thoroughly on a paper towel, spritz it with 70% alcohol, let it air dry for a minute, and you’re good to go.

De-clump Your Lashes
Even the best mascaras can clump sometimes. The fix? After applying your mascara, wait about 15-20 seconds. Then, gently wiggle a clean, dry wand from the base of your lashes to the tips. The clean bristles will comb through and separate any stuck-together lashes for a feathery, defined look.

Gentle Lip Exfoliation
For a smooth lipstick application, you can gently exfoliate your lips. Mix a bit of fine brown sugar with a half-teaspoon of jojoba or sweet almond oil. Apply the mix to your lips, then use a clean wand in very light, small, circular motions to slough off any dry skin. Don’t scrub! Rinse, and follow up immediately with a good lip balm.

Beyond the Makeup Bag: Genius Household Uses

Once you designate a wand for “utility” use (and please, keep them separate!), you’ll find tons of uses for it.

The stiff bristles are perfect for cleaning hard-to-reach spots. Think grout lines around tile, the base of faucets, sink overflow drains, and the tracks of sliding windows. I’ve also used a dry one to get lint out of my sewing machine and coffee grounds out of a grinder. And of course, they are amazing for de-crumbing a keyboard.

You can even use one to gently scrub detailed silver jewelry after a cleaning bath. Just dip it in some mild soapy water and get into all the little crevices without scratching the metal.

When to Absolutely NOT Reuse a Wand

Resourcefulness is great, but safety comes first. These are the hard-and-fast rules.

• After an eye infection. If you’ve had pink eye, a stye, or any other infection, throw the entire mascara tube and wand in the trash. Immediately. It is not worth risking your eyesight over a $10 mascara.
• If it’s damaged. If the bristles are frayed, bent, or brittle, toss it. You don’t want those little plastic bits breaking off.
• Don’t cross-contaminate. Once a wand has been used with a household cleaner, it should never, ever touch your face again. I keep mine in two separate, labeled jars to avoid any mix-ups.

A Final Thought…

In a world of single-use everything, it feels good to find a second life for a well-made tool. It’s a small habit, but it’s a smart one. So, here’s your mission for this week: Rescue one wand from the trash, give it a good clean, and try the brow-taming trick. You’ll be surprised at how useful it is!

Galerie d’inspiration

So, you’ve successfully de-gunked and sanitized your wand. Now for the fun part! This humble spoolie is a true multi-tasking hero. Before you dedicate it to your brows, consider these other genius uses:

• Gentle Lip Exfoliator: Dab the clean wand in a bit of lip balm or coconut oil, dip it in fine sugar, and gently buff your lips to slough away dry flakes.
• Flyaway Tamer: A quick mist of hairspray (a classic like L’Oréal Elnett works wonders) onto the bristles is all you need to perfectly slick down baby hairs or unruly strays along your hairline.
• Precision Cleaning Tool: It’s unrivaled for getting dust out of tight keyboard crevices, cleaning intricate jewelry settings, or even scrubbing the faucet aerator.