Keeping your body jewelry and body piercings clean is an absolute must. You’ll want to commit to some thorough, consistent TLC to ensure you get the most use out of your jewelry and piercings. Want to stay germ-free and look your best? This aftercare guide lays out the dos and don’ts of cleaning and caring all in one place.
Remember, piercing aftercare is especially important right after you get pierced. Make sure you abide by all the aftercare tips that your professional piercer informs you of. Keep track of your healing period, and avoid touching your piercing unless you’re cleaning it. But most of all, be kind to your body. It’s not used to having foreign objects inside the skin, so your healing process will rely heavily on your jewelry care and piercing care practices. Keep in mind that some body piercings have longer healing times than others. For instance, standard earlobe piercings will have much quicker healing times than cartilage piercings, nose piercings, or oral piercings.
With that all said, let’s dive in!
Cleaning Your Body Jewelry
It depends on each jewelry piece’s individual design and material type, but these are the basics for keeping your jewelry squeaky clean:
What You’ll Need
- Paper towels
- Your choice of cleaning solution:
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Antibacterial soap and water: A classic. There’s no going wrong with this tried-and-true duo.
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Pierced Nation Jewelry Wipes: These are ONLY used for cleaning jewelry – not for skin or jewelry disinfecting and sterilization! They work great as on-the-go cleaners for steel, titanium, gold, and silver. Be sure not to use them on porous materials like wood, stone, pearl, jade, emeralds, coral, silicone, or acrylic.
- Pierced Nation Jewelry Cleaner Spray: This spray can be used regularly to remove oil and dirt from your jewelry. Just remember that it isn’t intended for piercing aftercare! It works great as an on-the-go cleaner for steel, titanium, gold, and silver. Be sure not to use it on porous materials like wood, stone, pearl, jade, emeralds, coral, silicone, or acrylic.
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Antibacterial soap and water: A classic. There’s no going wrong with this tried-and-true duo.
How to Clean Your Body Jewelry
- First and foremost, always wash your hands before handling your body jewelry! Once they’re free of lingering germs, you can remove each piece of jewelry carefully. We recommend cleaning your body jewelry with antibacterial soap and warm water. You can also use Pierced Nation’s cleaning solutions for easy on-the-go cleaning (not intended for piercing aftercare). If your jewelry is made of wood, opt for wiping it down with a damp cloth and treating it with an appropriate oil of your choice instead.
- Consistency is key. Regularly cleaning your piercing jewelry is essential, as it minimizes the chance of infection and keeps your body jewelry looking brand new.
- Make sure to wash all the twists, curves, and hard-to-reach areas. This will ensure that your piercing is clean and safe, and that the quality of the jewelry will last.
- Always clean your jewelry prior to inserting it into your piercing. Best to play it safe!
- Store your piercing jewelry in a secure, dry place to help keep it clean and damage-free.
Things to Avoid When Cleaning Jewelry
- Regardless of your jewelry’s material type, it’s important to avoid using harsh or alcohol-based chemicals as your cleaner. These may cause tarnishing and limit the life of your body jewelry. Trust us – avoiding the temptation of dropping your jewelry into a bowl of rubbing alcohol is a must. We promise the cleaning solution and/or warm, soapy water will do just fine!
- Don’t scrub or brush the jewelry with tools. While this may seem like the more thorough option, friction from a cleaning tool can scratch or damage the jewelry. Just use your hands and a paper towel.
- Avoid swimming pools while wearing body jewelry. Though chlorine is known to sanitize, the harsh chemicals may tarnish your jewelry.
- Try not to keep all of your body jewelry together in one box. Some jewelry pieces have prongs and sharp edges that could damage the rest of the jewelry in the box. Putting them in separate bags or using a jewelry container with individual compartments could help alleviate this issue.
Cleaning Your Body Piercings
Keeping your jewelry clean is only half the equation. It’s time to learn how to clean your piercing site properly!
What You’ll Need
- Paper towels
- Cotton balls/cotton swabs
- Sea salt or saline solution. Consider one of our aftercare solutions below:
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H2Ocean Aftercare Spray: This solution contains natural ingredients like unrefined sea salt and lysozyme, an enzyme extracted from egg whites that promotes healing by breaking down bacteria cell walls. Its salt content may lead to clogging in its nozzle; if this occurs, just run it under warm water. Remember that this product is not vegan-friendly and should not be used on the jewelry itself!
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Pierced Nation Saline Spray: This solution contains 100% purified water with 0.9% sodium chloride (salt) and the preservative Sodium Benzoate to keep the piercing site fresh – but it should not be used on the jewelry itself! Just like H2Ocean, its salt content may lead to clogging in its nozzle.
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Pierced Nation Oral Mouthwash: This oral solution is a hypoallergenic, non-irritant, and skin-neutral mouthwash used specifically for piercings in and around the mouth. Designed for everyday use, this formula is safe, gentle, and clean.
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Pierced Nation Advanced: This cleaning solution is intended for body-sensitive piercings and tattoo aftercare. It provides the skin with a hypoallergenic, skin-neutral pH cleanse. Apply it to a paper towel or gauze before applying topically to the desired area. Unlike the other Pierced Nation products, this can be used to clean jewelry itself!
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Jojoba Oil: This type of oil is used to protect organic wood and to moisturize dry skin and the areas around healed piercings. Keep in mind that it’s meant to moisturize, not clean!
- Tea Tree Oil: This essential oil is an all-natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory oil that can be used for both cleaning and moisturizing piercings, scalps, hair, and nails. It should be applied topically with either a 4:1 ratio carrier oil blend or with a lotion of your choice to soothe the skin. Always be sure to dilute tea tree oil since it can cause irritation when used alone.
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H2Ocean Aftercare Spray: This solution contains natural ingredients like unrefined sea salt and lysozyme, an enzyme extracted from egg whites that promotes healing by breaking down bacteria cell walls. Its salt content may lead to clogging in its nozzle; if this occurs, just run it under warm water. Remember that this product is not vegan-friendly and should not be used on the jewelry itself!
How to Clean Your Body Piercing
- First, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water. A clean piercing is a happy piercing!
- Clean the piercing site twice daily during the healing process. This will minimize the chance of infection. We recommend cleaning your body piercing with H2Ocean Aftercare Spray, Pierced Nation Aftercare Spray, or another saline solution of your choice. ONLY clean tongue piercings with non-alcoholic mouthwash or an oral saline solution, like Pierced Nation Oral Mouthwash.
Things to Avoid When Cleaning Piercings
- NEVER try to pierce anything yourself. Consulting a licensed professional is always the way to go.
- Do not use alcohol-based chemicals to clean your body piercing. Use your preferred saline solution for a thorough cleaning.
- Do not clean your jewelry without cleaning your piercing. Piercing hygiene and jewelry hygiene go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other.
- Try not to clean the piercing too often. Cleaning too often can dry out the piercing site and delay or complicate the healing process.
- A dirty piercing is a pissed piercing: don’t put off body piercing aftercare for too long, as this can cause an infection.
- Don’t change to new body jewelry until your piercing is fully healed. When in doubt, talk to your piercer about finding the right time to swap out your pieces.
- Don’t wear ornate jewelry styles to sleep or for prolonged periods, as it can cause excess soreness and discomfort.
- Don’t ignore signs of infection or an allergic reaction. These include swelling, irritation, and continued bleeding. If these occur, remove your jewelry immediately and seek medical attention.
Remember, it’s normal to experience some pain during the first couple of days while your piercing is healing. But if you think your piercing is infected, speak with your doctor or a professional piercer.
Piercing & Jewelry Care FAQs
How Often Should I Clean My Jewelry?
If you wear the same piece of jewelry every day, plan on cleaning it every two weeks while the piercing heals. This habit will help maintain the quality of your jewelry and keep your piercing safe. Avoid using harsh or alcohol-based chemicals as your cleaner. These may cause tarnishing and limit the life of your body jewelry.
Clean your jewelry every time you take it out. If you don’t, it’ll get dingy over time. Clean it regularly, and the shine will stay! Wash your piercing before inserting it for the first time. You’ll have to get used to it, so you might as well start now!
How Often Should I Clean My Piercing Site?
Clean the piercing site twice daily during the healing process. This will minimize the chance of infection.
How do I prevent the threading of my jewelry from breaking?
Tighten the beads carefully and clean all the hard-to-reach places. This will ensure that the threading stays intact.
Should I take my jewelry out while cleaning the piercing site?
When cleaning the piercing site, you should leave the jewelry in place. This is crucial for the piercing to heal properly and prevent the hole from closing up.
More Body Piercing Info
Want to learn more about piercings and aftercare tips? We have in-depth guides on ear piercings, including lobe piercings, cartilage piercings, and so much more! We also have guides on nose piercings, oral piercings, and pretty much any other type of piercing that you can think of.
Thanks for reading our aftercare guide. If you take care of your piercing and keep up with the cleaning process, all of your Spencer’s jewelry will stay shiny and bright! Perused our guides and still got more questions? Book an appointment with your piercing studio and ask away! You’ve got this.
