Performing Routine Cleaning
Wash your hands. Anytime you touch your jewelry, it’s possible you are transferring germs to the piercing site. While you should avoid touching it in general, it is especially important to only handle body jewelry with clean hands when you are about to clean it. Use a basic antibacterial soap and dry your hands with paper towel or a clean towel. A towel that you already dry your hands on frequently can have bacteria that has accumulated on it.
Remove the piece of jewelry. If the piercing has been in place for a long time without being removed, be sure to take the jewelry out slowly as it might be stuck to your skin. You don’t want to damage the piercing by pulling the jewelry out too quickly.
Soak in warm water with antibacterial soap. Take a clean cup or bowl and fill it with warm water. Squirt or pour about a palm full of soap into the water. Swirl it around to make sure the soap doesn’t glob in one spot. Place the jewelry in the water and allow to soak for about 3 minutes. Perform this soak on a regular basis to keep the jewelry clean and keep the piercing healthy. It is best to clean your jewelry every day, but you should do it at least every 2-3 days. A good alternative to soapy water, if you want to buy something extra, is to get saline wash that is specifically made for cleaning piercings.
Rinse the jewelry in hot water. You want to make sure that all of the soap residue is off the piece of jewelry before putting it back in. Soap can dry your skin and possibly cause irritation if it sits in the piercing for a long time. While you are rinsing, it is good to inspect the piece of jewelry and make sure there is no dirt or debris left on the piece. If there is, further cleaning will be necessary.
Dry the jewelry before putting it back in. Either allow the piece of jewelry to air dry or gently dry it with a paper towel or gauze pad before putting it back in. If you dry it with a towel, make sure the towel hasn’t been used since it was washed because used towels tend to have bacteria on them, so you will be counteracting the cleaning you just did. If you plan to clean your jewelry regularly, you could cut paper towels into small squares and store them in a sealed plastic baggie for drying purposes. Since jewelry is small and doesn’t need a whole paper towel, you can avoid waste doing it this way.
Clean the site of the piercing. Now that you have a clean piece of jewelry, you need to make sure the site of the piercing itself is also clean. You can use a little more soap and water and dip a Q-tip in it to gently swab out the piercing. It is good to do this every couple days anyway to maintain a clean piercing. It's best to avoid the use of rubbing alcohol when cleaning jewelry or piercings because it can cause damage to the jewelry. Allow the piercing to dry before replacing the jewelry.
Cleaning Tougher Pieces
Use a soft toothbrush. If soaking in warm, soapy water is not enough to dislodge any particles from your jewelry, you can lightly brush it clean with a soft brush. A toothbrush is a good option for this, but make sure that it is clean and sterile. Designate this brush as only for cleaning your jewelry. Dip the brush in new soapy water and lightly brush the piece clean of debris. This will most likely be necessary for pieces that have been in longer, for times when you have gotten dirtier than usual, or for jewelry with extra crevices.
Use a Q-tip. If your jewelry has a complicated shape or small spots that a toothbrush can’t reach, a cotton swab is a great tool for cleaning jewelry. Again, you can dip the swab into soapy water and gently brush away any any remaining dirt.
Place jewelry in boiling water. If you don’t want to use soap, or you already did and the piece needs further cleaning, boil a small pot of water and place your jewelry in it for about 5 minutes. This acts both to loosen any dirt or debris on the piece and kill bacteria and sanitize the piece. Remove from water with a clean utensil like tongs or a fork to avoid burning your hands. Dry with paper towel or gauze as you would with basic cleaning. This is a good cleaning method for intricate pieces that accumulate more dirt than basic pieces.
Buy an ultrasonic cleaner. If you have multiple piercings (tragus, helix, nose, industrial, etc.) and you want to invest in a more efficient cleaning system, it is recommended that you purchase an ultrasonic cleaner. This is an electronic cleaning basin that uses vibration to dislodge dirt from trickier pieces. This is a good choice if you have multiple piercings as it can save time in the cleaning process. You can purchase one at Walmart or on Amazon, and some other stores like Bed Bath & Beyond. Standard models cost between $30 and $40, but an advanced model could cost up to $200 or $300.
Soak oral pieces in alcohol-free mouthwash. If you have tongue, cheek, or lip piercings, you may not want the taste of soap in your mouth. You can soak these in mouthwash to give them a good clean as well. It is good to follow the other steps from the routine cleaning section. To clean oral piercings, it is also good to swish your mouth with mouthwash to keep the piercings clean. It is important that the mouthwash is alcohol-free because alcohol can damage some jewelry.
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