All jewelry needs to be taken care of and cleaned, so why do many people assume that piercing jewelry is somehow different, and never needs to be cleaned?! There are several simple ways to ensure that your body jewelry lasts you as long as it should.
Your body jewelry is exposed to many different things, such as chemicals from soaps in the shower, chemicals in any water you get in, different bodily fluids, as well as any germs that have been deposited when you touch or pick at your piercings (We shouldn't touch or pick, but lets be real!). These chemicals and fluids can degrade the jewelry if they are allowed to sit on the surface for too long!
With necklaces and rings, its easy to take off your jewelry before exposing it to anything, but it's just not practical to remove all of your piercings before showering or swimming.
It is recommended that you clean your body jewelry 1-2 times per month!
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR BODY JEWELRY
To clean your body jewelry you will need to remove it- but don't worry - it is 100% worth it to take everything out and clean the jewelry and your ear/piercing site very thoroughly because you will feel so refreshed once you put everything back in!
You can clean your 14kt gold body jewelry with regular jewelry cleaner, just be sure to rinse it very well in the end with warm water so no cleaner is leftover to be inserted in to your piercing.
As for titanium, surgical steel, or any plated jewelry a simple solution of antibacterial hand soap mixed with warm water will do the job! Use a toothbrush to gently wash and clean the jewelry. You can let it soak in the warm water if there are any spots with build up. Be sure to rinse it well with water once you're done!
TIPS TO KEEP YOUR JEWELRY CLEAN
To keep your jewelry spotless in between cleanings, always be sure to rinse any soap or shampoo off of your piercings after showering! This will reduce the amount of time that the chemicals from the soaps sit on the material. Rinsing also removes any crusts or other bodily fluids that are excreted daily!
STORAGE METHODS TO KEEP CLEAN JEWELRY
You always need to clean your jewelry before storing it! This will prolong the life of the jewelry. Also, keeping your jewelry in an airtight container will keep it looking gorgeous while minimizing what it's exposed to while its not being used!
Cleaning your jewelry doesn't have to be a daunting task, but will always be worth it.
If you're skeptical about taking out your jewelry because of difficulty getting it back in, check out our blogs on Changing Your Piercing Jewelry and How Your Piercing Jewelry Works! Even if you don't remove your labrets cleaning just the tops can go a long way towards keeping your piercing happy and your jewelry clean!
Until next week,
Kourtney 🖤