Can you use the microwave to clean makeup sponges?

The hackBlow out your makeup sponges to get them squeaky clean.

The testI'm ashamed to admit it, but my wash of make-up sponge leaves a lot to be desired. When my makeup artist friend Zoe Moore came over, she was pretty overwhelmed at the sight of my sponges. "What color were they before?" she said seeing two pieces of dark brown foam.

I tried to wash them but they never clean so well, so when I give them a rinse – every fortnight or so – it's half screwed, to say the least. Zoe took the sponges, rinsed them, put them in a bowl of water with liquid soap, then microwaved them for a minute - which matches the methods I've seen online. When they came out super clean, I was blown away that they were actually neon pink (who knew?).

Zoe lectures me on what I already know: you should clean after each use, especially if you have acne, because they can harbor bacteria. But now that I know it's that easy, I'm definitely going to start doing it a lot more often.

The verdictYou can, of course, just rinse the sponges with water soap and let them dry. But the dopamine hit of seeing them so clean is totally worth it to me. Just be careful not to erase them in the process.