How to Care for Hair Accessories So They Last

Quick answer

Care for hair accessories by removing them before washing or styling with heat, wiping them after each wear, and storing them separately in a dry, padded space. For metal pieces like the Tree of Life Pewter Hair Barrette, keep them away from moisture and hair products, and check the mechanism regularly so a loose hinge never becomes a broken clip.

Hair accessories take more abuse than almost anything else in your drawer. They get pulled through wet hair, sprayed with product, tossed in a bag, and left on a windowsill. That is why hair clip care is less about deep cleaning and more about a few consistent habits that prevent breakage before it starts.

This guide walks through an ordered routine you can use for barrettes, claw clips, pins, and elastics. The goal is simple: keep mechanisms working, keep finishes from dulling, and extend hair accessory life without turning your morning into a restoration project.

Why hair accessories fail (and what you can control)

Most hair accessories do not wear out from one big event. They fail from repeated small stresses: bending a hinge too far, leaving a clip clamped on thick hair for hours, or letting hair oil and styling spray sit on metal and elastic. The materials matter too. A hand-cast pewter barrette with a steel mechanism, like the Tree of Life Pewter Hair Barrette, has different care needs than a fabric-covered clip or a plastic claw.

You cannot control every material choice, but you can control moisture, storage, and how you remove the accessory. Those three factors decide whether a piece lasts months or years. The steps below focus on them in order, so you build a routine rather than a one-time cleanup.

• Never yank a clip out of dry or tangled hair; loosen the section first.
• Keep hairspray, gel, and perfume away from metal finishes and elastic.
• Treat any bent or sticky mechanism as a warning sign, not a minor annoyance.

Step 1: Remove accessories before water and heat

The single biggest cause of premature hair accessory damage is wearing pieces into situations they were not made for. Shower steam, swimming pools, and hot styling tools all attack finishes and weaken elastic. Even a quick rinse can leave water trapped in a hinge or behind a decorative setting, where it slowly corrodes the metal.

Make removal the first move before you wash, swim, or heat-style your hair. Put the accessory somewhere dry and safe, not on the edge of the sink where it can slide into water or onto the floor. If you use a hair oil or leave-in treatment, apply it before you put the accessory back in, not after.

• Checkpoint: if you can see water droplets or product residue on the piece, it stayed in too long.

Step 2: Wipe after every wear

A ten-second wipe removes the oils, skin cells, and styling product that dull metal and gum up moving parts. Use a soft, dry microfiber cloth or a clean cotton T-shirt. For textured metal like the hammered brass on the Brass Moon Phase Earrings, wipe gently along the surface rather than scrubbing, so you do not flatten the texture or catch the sterling silver links.

If the piece has a mechanism, open and close it once while wiping to clear debris from the hinge. Do not use paper towels on polished or oxidized metal; they can leave fine scratches. For fabric-covered accessories, a lint roller or a piece of tape removes dust without adding moisture.

• Common mistake: using a wet wipe or cleaning spray. Moisture is the enemy of most hair accessory materials.

Step 3: Deep clean only when needed

Most hair accessories do not need a deep clean more than a few times a year. When you do clean, match the method to the material. For bare metal, a dry soft cloth is usually enough. For genuine leather pieces, like the Genuine Leather Tree of Life Pouch, keep water away entirely and wipe with a dry cloth; leather can darken or stiffen when it gets wet.

For plastic or resin clips, lukewarm water with a drop of mild soap is fine, but dry immediately and completely. Never soak a piece with a spring, hinge, or glued setting. If you are unsure what a piece is made of, start with the gentlest method: dry cloth only.

• Checkpoint: after cleaning, the mechanism should move smoothly and the surface should be fully dry before you store it.

Step 4: Store hair accessories so they do not tangle or crush

Storage is where most breakage happens. A crowded drawer forces clips to catch on each other, and a loose elastic can wrap around a delicate pin and bend it. Store hair accessories separately from jewelry and from each other. A divided box, a small pouch per piece, or a hanging organizer with individual hooks all work.

For long pieces like the Brass Moon Phase Earrings, which are approximately 3 inches long with articulated shapes, a padded pouch prevents the links from catching. For barrettes, close the mechanism before storing so the spring is not left under tension. Keep the storage spot dry and out of direct sun, which can fade fabric and dry out elastic over time.

• Common mistake: storing everything in one jar. The pieces rub, scratch, and tangle.
• If you travel, use a hard case rather than a soft bag so nothing gets crushed.

Step 5: Inspect and retire pieces before they fail

Once a month, take thirty seconds to inspect the accessories you wear most. Open and close the mechanism, check for loose stones or links, and look for cracks or bent teeth. A barrette that has started to bend will only get looser, and a stretched elastic will not recover. Catching these issues early lets you repair or replace a single piece instead of losing it mid-day.

If a piece is beyond repair, retire it rather than forcing it. Continuing to wear a failing clip risks scratching your hair or snapping in a way that damages the accessory further. This is the step most people skip, and it is the one that most reliably extends hair accessory life across your whole collection.

• Checkpoint: if a mechanism feels gritty or loose, stop using it until you can clean or repair it.

Your five-step hair accessory care routine

1. Remove before water and heat: Take out all clips, pins, and barrettes before showering, swimming, or using hot tools. Apply styling products before reinserting the accessory. Checkpoint: no moisture or product residue on the piece when you take it out.
2. Wipe after every wear: Use a soft dry cloth to remove oils and debris. Open and close the mechanism once to clear the hinge. Common mistake: using wet wipes or sprays, which can corrode metal and damage finishes.
3. Deep clean only when needed: Match the method to the material: dry cloth for metal and leather, lukewarm mild soap for plastic, and never soak anything with a spring or glued setting. Checkpoint: the piece is fully dry and moves smoothly before storage.
4. Store separately and padded: Use a divided box, individual pouches, or a hanging organizer. Close barrettes before storing and keep everything out of direct sun. Common mistake: tossing everything in one jar, which causes scratches and tangles.
5. Inspect monthly and retire failures: Check mechanisms, links, and surfaces for looseness, cracks, or bends. Stop using anything that feels gritty or unstable. Checkpoint: if a piece cannot be cleaned or repaired, retire it before it damages your hair or other accessories.

Product facts that shape care

• Tree of Life Pewter Hair Barrette: Hand cast in California from Britannia Metal (pewter) with a steel barrette mechanism, and measures approximately 3.1" x 1.1". The steel mechanism needs to stay dry and debris-free, while the pewter surface can be scratched by abrasive cloths, so a soft dry wipe is the right routine.
• Brass Moon Phase Earrings: Three articulated moon phase shapes are formed from brass sheet, hammered for texture, and connected with sterling silver soldered links and sterling earwires; oxidized with a slightly matte finish. The hammered texture and oxidized finish should not be scrubbed, and the articulated links need padded storage to avoid catching and bending.
• Genuine Leather Tree of Life Pouch: Made of thick and durable genuine leather with a zipper and snap closure, and measures approximately 4 x 4 inches. It is a good size for storing small hair accessories, but leather should be kept dry, so use it for dry storage only and never for wet or damp pieces.

Hair accessory maintenance is mostly about small, repeatable actions: remove before water, wipe after wear, clean gently, store separately, and inspect often. Do those five things and your barrettes, pins, and clips will stay functional and good-looking far longer than the ones left in a crowded drawer.