Uh oh! Your bag has all but exploded en route to your holiday destination, and it is now covered with spilt powders, broken pencils, and smeared creams—along with the rest of your luggage. As you stare blankly into your now-ruined belongings in full disbelief, you can’t help but think of all the ways you could have prevented it by simply organising your bag a little better.

READ: Your guide to organising your makeup bag (and our favourites to shop!)

Alas, it’s too late to cry over spilt beauty products, so here’s a guide on what to do from here. Ahead, we’ve listed our best tips for cleaning any kind of cosmetic bag, as well as what to do about any staining.

HOW TO CLEAN A MAKEUP BAG, ACCORDING TO THE MATERIAL:

PLASTIC

Cleaning plastic tends to be pretty easy—all you’ll need to do is wipe it down well with a soapy cloth or a little isopropyl alcohol. Fortunately, plastic is pretty stain-proof, so you shouldn’t have much trouble getting it looking brand new.

COTTON

Good news! Cotton is the second easiest material to clean—all you have to do is chuck your bag into the wash with the rest of your laundry to clean it up. If you have any particularly big or stubborn stains, treat them as you would on any other washable item. For stubborn grease stains, apply dish soap over the stain, cover it up with some baking soda and work the solution into the material with an old toothbrush before chucking it in the wash.

SYNTHETIC

For synthetic materials, stubborn stains are best spot-treated with some micellar water (do not use milk or oil cleansers!). Then, launder the bag on a gentle cycle with some mild detergent. If the material is a bit too delicate for the machine, you could also soak your bag in a lukewarm solution of shampoo or mild detergent, and gently scrub at any stains until clean.

LEATHER

Bad news—cleaning up a leather makeup bag is a tedious and, potentially, fruitless ordeal. Leather is extremely temperamental, so you should not be soaking it in any way. However, there are some ways you can clean up the look of the material should it become soiled.

For oil-based stains, apply some cornstarch or baking soda over the stain to absorb any excess grease and allow it to sit overnight. Then, froth up some dish detergent between your fingers and apply the foam onto the stain with your fingers (avoid rubbing it in), leaving it to work its magic for a few minutes before wiping it off and drying the area thoroughly. Finally, if you can, consider applying a leather conditioner over the surface to restore the moisture and maintain the condition of your bag for longer.

Find more beauty tips like this here.