A couple of weeks ago I read an article on Yahoo Beauty called, “Woman’s horrific skin infection is motivation to keep makeup brushes clean.”

The article tells the story of Katie Wright, of Austin, Tex., who discovered a pimple above her eyebrow and popped it, not knowing it was actually cellulitis, a serious staph infection she contracted from a dirty eye brow spooly. After popping the bump, her face became swollen and she was at risk of it spreading to other parts of her body, including her brain.

Katie shared her story on social media, encouraging everyone to clean their brushes regularly. Here are some tips on how you can clean your brushes and stay safe:

1. Fill a sink or bowl with soapy water (you can use regular soap, dishwashing liquid or shampoo) and submerge and swirl the brush in and out until it’s clean.

2. Have an antibacterial bar soap dedicated to cleaning your brushes. I have a tea tree oil bar soap, which I rub my brushes up against under running water until they are clean. Just be careful not to rub too hard and damage the brushes.

3. For Beautyblenders, invest in a Bleandercleanser. If not, the above soap bar method would work fine. Just keep in mind Beautyblenders are sponges which makes them magnets for harboring bacteria, so they should be replaced every few months.

4. After washing, gently squeeze out excess water and blot the brush with a paper towel. If you can, dry the brushes with the head hanging over the edge of the table so it can dry evenly and avoid potential mildew buildup. I often blow dry my brushes to speed up the process.