Dirty Jewelry Can Cause Infections; Here's How To Clean Earrings Without Damaging Them

Photo- Leaf TV

I like to clean my jewelry on occasion, especially if they're special (like my wedding ring). It's out of total vanity—I want that thing to shine like Kanye bought it for me. But it turns out that not cleaning the rest of my jewelry can be unsanitary, which is why I learned how to clean earrings , so that my bling stay fresh and clean, and my ears, infection-free.

Dirty jewelry, no matter how expensive it is, can cause infections. This is especially true for earrings. The ear hole is highly sensitive and dirt and grime can be easily trapped in there and transferred by nasty earrings. (Gross.)

Whether you've just gotten your ears pierced recently or you've had them pierced for years, it's important you are cleaning the ear holes often. It's crucial to take your earrings out every night and clean the ear hole using rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad to keep it from getting infected. If you just got them pierced less than six weeks ago, this isn't really an option for you (yet) but you can still clean your earrings while they're in your ears.

Here's a quick tutorial on how to clean your earrings without damaging them.

1. Wash Your Hands
You'll need to wash your hands before you begin cleaning your earrings so you won't spread additional bacteria.

2. Use Sanitizing Solution
Next, grab hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad. If your piercing technician gave you a sanitizing formula specifically for your piercing, use that. You'll want cotton pads as well.

3. Remove Earrings
Remove your earrings and wipe down the entire earring with the cotton pad and sanitizing solution. It's important to do this to your everyday earrings, and brand new ones. If you can't remove your piercing just yet, rotate the earring slowly while you wipe the earring.

This technique should work like a dream and keep your ears healthy. If for any reason you have swelling, itching, or tenderness around your piercing site, it may be an infection that require a doc's help. So remember to keep them clean and do this every day!