TL;DR
Sort hair clips by material before cleaning: plain plastic claw clips soak safely in warm soapy water, metal barrettes get a quick wash and immediate drying so the spring does not rust, and anything with glued stones, fabric, or leather gets a damp wipe only. Scrub the teeth with an old toothbrush, since that is where product and oil collect.
Why Clips Get Sticky
A claw clip grips hair right where product concentrates. Hairspray, dry shampoo, texture spray, and scalp oil all transfer onto the teeth and the inside of the jaw.
That residue sets into a tacky film that grabs hair rather than releasing it. It is also what makes a clip pull strands out when you open it. A sticky clip feels like a weak clip, but the problem is the surface, not the spring.
Dust and lint stick to the film, which is why clips kept loose in a drawer look grimy within weeks. The same pattern shows up on brushes, and the wider version is in cleaning the personal items you use daily.
How Do You Clean Plastic Claw Clips?
Soak plain plastic clips for ten minutes in warm water with a few drops of dish soap. Scrub the teeth, the inner jaw, and the hinge with an old toothbrush, working along the length of each tooth. Rinse under running water, shake them out, and dry them on a towel with the jaws open so water leaves the hinge.
The hinge is the part people miss. Hair and product pack into the spring channel, which is exactly where a clip loses its snap. Working the clip open and closed a few times while it is in the water flushes it.
Sort First, Clean Second
Hair clips look interchangeable and are not. Five minutes of sorting prevents most damage.
- Plain plastic and acetate clips. Fully washable in warm, not hot, water. Hot water can warp thin acetate.
- Metal barrettes and snap clips. Washable, but dry them immediately. The spring and the hinge rivet hold water and rust, and rust stains hair.
- Clips with glued rhinestones or pearls. Never soak. Water dissolves the adhesive and the stones fall out. Wipe with a barely damp cloth and dry at once.
- Fabric-wrapped or ribbon clips. Spot clean only, with a damp cloth and a tiny amount of mild soap. Soaking loosens the wrap and can bleed the dye.
- Wooden or leather clips. No soaking. Wipe, dry immediately, and treat leather with whatever the maker recommends.
Anything with plating or a coated finish belongs in the wipe-only group as well, since a long soak strips plating and it turns the metal green. The same logic governs cleaning costume jewelry.
Getting Product Off the Teeth
For heavy hairspray buildup on plastic clips, add a tablespoon of baking soda to the soak water. Baking soda handles greasy, sticky residue better than soap alone and is mild enough not to dull plastic.
For a tacky film that will not release, dampen a cotton pad with rubbing alcohol and hold it against the spot for a few seconds to soften it, then wipe. Test alcohol on a hidden edge first, because it can dull some painted or coated finishes.
Do not use an abrasive pad, a scouring powder, or a metal pick. Scratches in clip teeth grab hair and get worse over time. And never combine alcohol with bleach or an ammonia-based cleaner, because both mixes release toxic gases.
Drying Without Rust
Dry clips with the jaws open, on a towel, in an area with airflow. Water trapped in a closed hinge is what rusts a spring.
Metal clips deserve extra attention. Blot the hinge and the spring with a corner of the towel, then leave them open for an hour before they go into a drawer. If a spring already shows light rust, a scrub with a baking soda paste and a thorough drying can save it, though a badly rusted spring will keep staining hair and is better replaced.
Do not use a hair dryer to speed things up. Heat warps thin plastic and can soften the adhesive holding decorative pieces.
How Often Should You Clean Hair Clips?
Every four to six weeks for clips in daily rotation, or monthly if you use hairspray, dry shampoo, or texture products. Wash a clip immediately if it feels tacky or has visibly started collecting lint. Clips used only occasionally can go several months.
The signal is the same as it is for brushes: product use, not the calendar. A clip that touches heavy styling product every day gets sticky in a few weeks, and one that holds clean hair stays fine much longer.
Storage Keeps Them Clean Longer
Store clips in a closed drawer, a small box, or a pouch rather than loose on a bathroom counter. An open counter collects hairspray overspray, dust, and shower steam, and clips sitting in that combination get grimy on their own.
Keep clips separate from brushes and combs if you can. Brushes shed hair and lint that ends up wedged in clip teeth. The same drawer logic applies to cleaning fabric and plastic headbands, which pick up sweat as well as product, and to cleaning a hairbrush.
When to Toss a Clip
Replace a clip when a tooth is broken or missing, when the spring no longer holds, when a hinge pin has worked loose, or when a metal spring is rusted enough to stain.
Broken teeth snag and pull hair. A weak spring means the clip slides and you end up redoing it constantly. Both are wear problems that cleaning does not touch. Since clips are inexpensive, replacement usually wins, and the general version of that call is in clean it or replace it. Sorting small items is quick work; the rooms they accumulate in are not, which is why plenty of households put the house itself on a standing house cleaning schedule.
FAQ
How do you clean sticky claw clips?
Soak plain plastic clips for about ten minutes in warm water with dish soap, adding a tablespoon of baking soda for heavy hairspray buildup. Scrub the teeth and hinge with an old toothbrush, working the clip open and closed in the water. Rinse and dry with the jaws open.
Can you put hair clips in the dishwasher?
It is not worth it. Dishwasher heat warps thin plastic and acetate, softens the adhesive on decorative clips, and leaves water in metal hinges where it rusts the spring. A ten-minute hand soak is gentler and works better on the teeth.
How do you clean hair clips with rhinestones?
Do not soak them. Water dissolves the adhesive holding glued stones and they fall out. Wipe the clip with a barely damp cloth, use a dry soft brush around the settings, and dry it immediately. The same rule applies to glued pearls and beads.
How do you keep metal barrettes from rusting?
Dry them immediately and completely after washing, blotting inside the hinge and around the spring, then leave them open in the air for an hour. Store them in a dry drawer rather than an open bathroom counter, since ambient humidity is what starts the rust.
How often should you clean hair clips?
Every four to six weeks for clips you use daily, or monthly if you use hairspray or dry shampoo. Wash any clip as soon as it feels tacky or starts collecting lint. Occasional-use clips can go several months without a problem.
Can you use rubbing alcohol on hair clips?
Yes on plain plastic and metal, and it works well on tacky product film. Test it on a hidden edge first, because it can dull painted or coated finishes. Never mix alcohol with bleach or ammonia-based cleaners, and use it with ventilation.
When should you throw out a hair clip?
Replace it when a tooth is broken or missing, when the spring no longer grips, when a hinge pin is loose, or when rust on the spring is staining your hair. Those are wear problems, and cleaning does not reverse any of them.
Small accessories are quick wins in a drawer that has gotten out of hand. If you would rather hand off the larger cleaning routine, every home is different, so the real number depends on size, condition, and what you want covered. Get a quote and we will walk you through it.