How to Clean your Braided Bracelet or Necklace
How do I clean my Horse Hair Jewellery?
Simply treat your jewellery like your own hair. You shouldn't ever need to wash the hair itself but if ever necessary just a warm wash with mild shampoo will be all that you need.
If it ever really does need a wash ( from mud etc) just make a bowl of warm water and some shampoo, soak your bracelet in it and gently brush with an old toothbrush in the direction of the hair. Follow with a tiny bit of conditioner and rinse in warm water, leave to fully dry.
The silver or gold will slowly get fine scratches or oxidisation ( tarnish) over time, so a light rub on the metal sections with a silver polishing cloth should bring back the sparkle.
If a hair does break and starts to poke out, use a pair of fingernail clippers and very carefully cut back the offending hair so it is level with the rest of the braiding.
Cleaning White or Pale coloured Braids in your bracelet or necklace
1. Firstly, not every sample of white hair will clean out perfectly like a tv laundry commercial! Be realistic, and treat your hair or braid as you would your own hair. ie - gently! Not every sample of hair which comes to me can be cleaned to white, and in fact my own palominos tail is not actually white, but palest cream. If your tail hair has been exposed to the weather, elements, and urine ( particularly mares) for years, then getting it totally white may be wishful thinking... but give it a go, and see what happens :)
2.To clean the actual hair braid itself, follow these steps in order... If your braid is a dark colour you can skip this step, but if your horse has a white or pale colour it can darken over time with a buildup which we can attempt to remove now :)
4. Once dry check over for any hairs which may have broken or split and are sticking out, and snip them off close to the braid. Again, horse hair is not indestructable, and can vary considerably from one horse to another, in terms of thickness, strength, health, splitting etc...
5. Now for the silver or gold bits.....
With a good quality precious metal polishing cloth gently but firmly rub over all the silver/gold parts until the shine is restored. I use a cloth from Japan called "Sunshine Polishing Cloth" but you can get them from any jewellery store, and also many supermarkets have them in the cleaning section.
6. And finally, remember horse hair is an organic material and is not indestructable. All care must be taken with it for it to last. If you wear your bracelet daily it won't last forever as the individual hairs will be rubbed by clothing etc.. and eventually show signs of wear.
***Thanks to Sheryl Ferry of Highland Park Show Horses for the above tips on cleaning horse hair. It works on your own horses too, for more details and great horsy cleaning and show products go to
http://www.highlandparkshowhorses.com
Simply treat your jewellery like your own hair. You shouldn't ever need to wash the hair itself but if ever necessary just a warm wash with mild shampoo will be all that you need.
If it ever really does need a wash ( from mud etc) just make a bowl of warm water and some shampoo, soak your bracelet in it and gently brush with an old toothbrush in the direction of the hair. Follow with a tiny bit of conditioner and rinse in warm water, leave to fully dry.
The silver or gold will slowly get fine scratches or oxidisation ( tarnish) over time, so a light rub on the metal sections with a silver polishing cloth should bring back the sparkle.
If a hair does break and starts to poke out, use a pair of fingernail clippers and very carefully cut back the offending hair so it is level with the rest of the braiding.
Cleaning White or Pale coloured Braids in your bracelet or necklace
1. Firstly, not every sample of white hair will clean out perfectly like a tv laundry commercial! Be realistic, and treat your hair or braid as you would your own hair. ie - gently! Not every sample of hair which comes to me can be cleaned to white, and in fact my own palominos tail is not actually white, but palest cream. If your tail hair has been exposed to the weather, elements, and urine ( particularly mares) for years, then getting it totally white may be wishful thinking... but give it a go, and see what happens :)
2.To clean the actual hair braid itself, follow these steps in order... If your braid is a dark colour you can skip this step, but if your horse has a white or pale colour it can darken over time with a buildup which we can attempt to remove now :)
- In a bowl mix 1 tablespoon of Bi-carb soda with 1 tablespoon of warm water, swish around to disolve, then place your bracelet so it is fully covered. If you need to mix more just keep the 1:1 proportions . The intention here is to open the tiny microscopic scales on each hair shaft under which dirt etc is lodged.
- Leave it to soak for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water .
- Place into another bowl with 1:1 water and white vinegar. This will neutralise the alkalinity of the bicarb soda. Rinse again in warm water.
- Now GENTLY wash with shampoo, working away the buildup of dirt inside the individual hairs. Rinse in warm water.
- You can now condition or not, its up to you :)
4. Once dry check over for any hairs which may have broken or split and are sticking out, and snip them off close to the braid. Again, horse hair is not indestructable, and can vary considerably from one horse to another, in terms of thickness, strength, health, splitting etc...
5. Now for the silver or gold bits.....
With a good quality precious metal polishing cloth gently but firmly rub over all the silver/gold parts until the shine is restored. I use a cloth from Japan called "Sunshine Polishing Cloth" but you can get them from any jewellery store, and also many supermarkets have them in the cleaning section.
6. And finally, remember horse hair is an organic material and is not indestructable. All care must be taken with it for it to last. If you wear your bracelet daily it won't last forever as the individual hairs will be rubbed by clothing etc.. and eventually show signs of wear.
***Thanks to Sheryl Ferry of Highland Park Show Horses for the above tips on cleaning horse hair. It works on your own horses too, for more details and great horsy cleaning and show products go to
http://www.highlandparkshowhorses.com