ESSENTIALS: BRUSH CLEANER

Welcome to the Essentials series, where I share my go-to bits of cake kit.

In these posts, you’ll discover the unsung heroes and must-have items that make novelty cake making just that little bit easier.

When I first started out, I had no idea what to buy. So, in this series, I’m sharing the tools I couldn’t do without — from nifty cutters and moulds to simple gadgets that take the hassle out of clean-up. I’ve got you covered!

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This recommendation isn’t strictly cake-decorating related – it’s actually for removing make-up residue from beauty brushes... but let’s be honest, when do cakers ever have time to put on make-up? So, I stick to using this to clean my cake brushes.

I stumbled upon it by happy accident, as it was sent as a free gift with something I had ordered.

ITEM: Silicone Brush Cleaner

PRICE: £2.50 and up

MANUFACTURER / RETAILER: Various

When I’m working on a cake, I go through brushes like you wouldn’t believe. It's probably my worst cake habit. As many of you will know, dusts and paints are an absolute nightmare to get out of the bristles – but it has to be done. Otherwise, you could be setting yourself up for a disaster... If you’ve ever experienced the horror of trying to apply a delicate dusting of pink blush to a time-consuming figure’s cheeks, only to have an unexpected smear of lime green land right across your beautiful work... you need one of these. It really does a great job of getting rid of the pesky colour residue that works its way deep into the bristles.

As a general rule, I actually don’t mind the clean-up process after a cake – I often take great pleasure in giving my studio a well-deserved scrub and polish. But when I see that pile of brushes silently staring at me, my heart sinks. Cleaning them is honestly the most tedious, mind-numbing job ever.

This little miracle brings your brushes back to their former glory. Yes, you still have to clean them, but trust me – it’s much quicker, and the results are far better.

These silicone cleaners come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and you can pick one up from the usual places – Amazon, eBay, etc. They’re super cheap too... which is always nice.

The heart-shaped one I’ve got has a hole at the top, so you can hold onto it while cleaning. I’ve been using it for ages, but as the years go by and my hands (along with the rest of me) get a bit more knackered, tend to get a little crampy if I’m scrubbing for too long.

So, I’ve just treated myself to a new one, which does the same job but is bowl-shaped instead. This shape pops up when needed and folds flat for storage. It sits on your work surface and, because it’s made from silicone, it doesn’t slide about – so you don’t need to hold onto it while you clean. I paid £2.51 for a set of two on Amazon. I’ll let you know if they’re just as good.

Product image from Amazon

You don’t need to use any fancy cleaning products, a squirt of washing-up liquid will do just fine. Then clean the bristles on the textured area, rinse thoroughly, and leave to dry.

Voilà – squeaky clean brushes ready for your next masterpiece!

Have a cake problem?

Struggling with a certain technique? Got a job you always dread?

Let me know in the comments!