Brush roll-up and cleaning aid

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus and processes for storing and/or streamlining cleaning cosmetic brushes are described. The cleaning apparatus may include a sheet of flexible material that may have multiple rows of flexible flaps associated with the sheet. The flexible flaps may include openings for securing cosmetic brushes. Cosmetic brushes may be inserted into openings in flaps in a first row and openings in flaps in a second row, vertically aligned with the first row. Once inserted, the cosmetic brushes may be secured by flexible material in the openings. Heads of the cosmetic brushes may extend beyond a top edge of the sheet so that they may be exposed to cleaning solutions and water. A user may form a roll with the sheet to clean multiple cosmetic brushes at a time. The cleaning apparatus may include hanging mechanisms for hanging the cleaning apparatus to dry and/or store the cosmetic brushes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleaning apparatus for cleaning cosmetic brushes, the cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a sheet of flexible material configured for repeated rolling and unrolling of the sheet; and   at least two rows of flaps coupled to the sheet, the at least two rows of flaps arranged substantially parallel to each other and configured to secure handles of cosmetic brushes so that, when secured, heads of the cosmetic brushes extend beyond at least one edge of the sheet, the heads of the cosmetic brushes being coupled to ends of the handles.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each row of the at least two rows of flaps comprises a same number of individual flaps, and each of the individual flaps includes an opening for securing the handles of the cosmetic brushes. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a flexible material disposed in the opening, the flexible material configured to secure the handles of the cosmetic brushes. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each opening in a first row of the at least two rows of flaps is substantially vertically aligned with an opening in a second row of the at least two rows of flaps. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flaps comprise flexible material so that:
 when individual flaps in the at least two rows of flaps do not secure the handles of cosmetic brushes, the individual flaps lay flat against the sheet; and   when the individual flaps secure the handles of cosmetic brushes, the individual flaps flex away from the sheet to form an acute angle between the flaps and the sheet.   
     
     
         6 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible material further comprises a non-absorbent material. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the non-absorbent material comprises at least one of waterproof material, water resistant material, or material that is impervious to water. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an extension of the sheet that extends beyond the at least one edge, wherein the extension is configured to fold forward to rest on top of the heads of the cosmetic brushes and backward to expose the heads of the cosmetic brushes. 
     
     
         9 . A cosmetic brush cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a sheet of non-absorbent material; and   at least one row of flaps associated with a front surface of the sheet, the at least one row of flaps arranged substantially parallel to a top edge of the sheet, the flaps including openings for securing one or more cosmetic brushes.   
     
     
         10 . The cosmetic brush cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of receiving mechanisms associated with a first edge of the sheet, the first edge of the sheet substantially perpendicular to the top edge of the sheet. 
     
     
         11 . The cosmetic brush cleaning apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of attaching mechanisms for attaching to the receiving mechanisms, the plurality of attaching mechanisms associated with a second edge of the sheet, the second edge opposite the first edge and substantially perpendicular to the top edge of the sheet. 
     
     
         12 . The cosmetic brush cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising at least two hanging mechanisms for hanging the sheet, the at least two hanging mechanisms located substantially along a bottom edge of the sheet, the bottom edge opposite the top edge. 
     
     
         13 . The cosmetic brush cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the openings are filled with a flexible material, the flexible material including one or more cutouts for securing the one or more cosmetic brushes. 
     
     
         14 . The cosmetic brush cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one row of flaps comprises a first row of flaps and a second row of flaps, the second row of flaps arranged substantially parallel to the first row of flaps and at a distance farther away from the top edge than the first row of flaps. 
     
     
         15 . The cosmetic brush cleaning apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first row of flaps includes a first flap having a first opening and the second row of flaps includes a second flap having a second opening, the first flap and the first opening and the second flap and the second opening being substantially vertically aligned for securing the one or more cosmetic brushes substantially parallel to the first edge and the second edge. 
     
     
         16 . The cosmetic brush cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the top edge further comprises an extension that extends beyond the top edge of the sheet and is foldable over on the front surface of the sheet or a back surface of the sheet opposite the front surface of the sheet. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 inserting a plurality of cosmetic brushes into respective holders coupled to a front surface of a sheet with heads of the plurality of cosmetic brushes pointing toward a top edge of the sheet and handles of the plurality of cosmetic brushes pointing toward a bottom edge of the sheet, the bottom edge opposite the top edge;   rolling the sheet; and   applying one or more cleaning solutions to the heads of the plurality of cosmetic brushes for cleaning the heads of the plurality of cosmetic brushes at a substantially same time.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the respective holders of the sheet comprise flaps affixed to the sheet and a plurality of the flaps are arranged in rows on the sheet. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein rolling the sheet comprises attaching a plurality of receiving mechanisms associated with a first edge of the sheet and a plurality of attaching mechanisms associated with a second edge of the sheet, the second edge opposite the first edge and substantially perpendicular to the top edge and bottom edge. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising subsequent to applying the one or more cleaning solutions:
 unrolling the sheet by detaching the plurality of receiving mechanisms from the plurality of attaching mechanisms; and   hanging the sheet with the top edge and heads of the plurality of cosmetic brushes below the bottom edge by at least two hanging mechanisms located substantially along a bottom edge of the sheet.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising re-rolling the sheet for storing the plurality of cosmetic brushes, the re-rolling including:
 folding an extension that extends beyond a top edge of the sheet to the front surface of the sheet to cover the heads of the plurality of cosmetic brushes; and   attaching the plurality of receiving mechanisms associated with the first edge of the sheet and the plurality of attaching mechanisms associated with the second edge of the sheet.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising prior to rolling the sheet, folding an extension that extends beyond the top edge of the sheet to a back surface of the sheet to expose the heads of the plurality of cosmetic brushes, the back surface opposite the front surface. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising prior to rolling the sheet, positioning the heads of the plurality of cosmetic brushes so that the heads of the plurality of cosmetic brushes are at approximately a same distance above the top edge. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sheet comprises a first sheet and the method further comprises prior to rolling the sheet:
 adding a second sheet to the first sheet by attaching a plurality of receiving mechanisms associated with a first edge of the first sheet and a plurality of attaching mechanisms associated with a first edge of the second sheet; and   rolling the first sheet and the second sheet by attaching a plurality of attaching mechanisms associated with a second edge of the first sheet opposite the first edge of the first sheet and a plurality of receiving mechanisms associated with a second edge of the second sheet opposite the first edge of the second sheet, the second edge of the second sheet opposite the second edge of the first sheet.