Your earrings smell because of a build up of bacteria, dead skin cells, oils, sweat, and products. Luckily, this is easily resolved with a quick wash.
You should clean your earring hole and jewelry regularly to get rid of the bacteria from the sebum and dead cells. You can do this by simply washing your earrings and earring hole with warm water and soap. If the smell doesn't go away, you can use an antibacterial cleanser instead.
If your earrings are starting to smell bad, it's probably because of a build-up of oils and sweat from your skin, or dead skin cells getting trapped in the crevices of the earring. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of ways to clean your earrings and prevent them from smelling bad in the future.
A gorgeous pair of earrings is a great accessory—but what's the deal with the holes in your ears smelling like rotten cheese? Turns out it's a mix of skin cells and natural oils getting clogged all up in there.
“Ear cheese” is natural and is just a part of having pierced ears. Ear cheese is caused by a build-up of oil and dead skin cells you've shed. Ever go to adjust your earring in a public place only to realize that now your fingers smell awful?
The only time it's safe to purposely sleep in your earrings is if you're wearing the studs from a new piercing. Studs may not pose as much risk as other types of earrings, but it's still possible that hair, clothing, and fabrics from your bedding could wrap around these earrings and cause issues.
Clean the piercing with either a saline solution, a fragrance-free antimicrobial soap, or both once or twice per day. Rinse any soap from the piercing. Gently dry the piercing with a clean, disposable paper towel or tissue. Avoid drying with cloth since it may carry germs or catch on the jewelry.
"Earring posts can accumulate retained skin oils that help yeast, fungus, and bacteria overgrow," explains Ciraldo. You might think a simple shampoo in the shower is enough to wash away that gunk, but even leftover hair products can build up around the earring post and accumulate in and around that tiny earring hole.
Mix two tablespoons of mild dishwashing liquid with one quart of warm (not hot) water. Soak your jewelry for 10 to 20 minutes to soften residue and dirt. Gently brush with a soft-bristled brush. Afterward, rinse with clean water and pat dry with a clean cloth.
How often should I clean my earrings? If you are wearing the same pair all the time, it's good to clean your earrings weekly. If you are switching between pairs, you can clean them monthly or as needed. If you have sensitive ears, you'll want to try to clean your earrings more often.
A: Yes, cleaning jewelry with baking soda and vinegar is pretty easy. Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and two tablespoons of baking soda. Allow your jewelry to soak in the white vinegar and baking soda solution for a few hours. Then, rinse the jewelry with clean water and pat dry with a cotton cloth.
Is hand sanitizer safe for jewelry? Generally speaking, hand sanitizer is safe for all hard stones and precious metals such as silver, platinum, titanium and other plated rings.
Causes of Infections
Most commonly, an infected ear piercing is caused by bacteria entering the wound, which can happen in several ways. Handling with unclean hands. If you clean your ears without washing your hands first, you run the risk of exposing your piercings to bacteria. Not cleaning the piercing enough.
An infected ear piercing may be red, swollen, sore, warm, itchy or tender. Sometimes the piercing oozes blood or white, yellow or greenish pus. A new piercing is an open wound that can take several weeks to fully heal.
But it appears that I've already let things go way too far, because apparently, you should be cleaning and changing your earrings at least once a week, according to pros.
It is generally recommended that you take your earrings out when you are sleeping. If you don't want to take your earrings out, there are some ways to be more comfortable sleeping with them.
Since the most common cause of sensitive ears is likely a nickel allergy, the first thing to do is avoid earrings that have nickel in the posts. Don't just assume that earrings marked hypoallergenic will work.
Stay out of pools, hot tubs, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water while your piercing is healing. Don't fiddle with your piercings. Don't touch a new piercing or twist the jewelry unless you're cleaning it. Keep clothing away from the piercing, too.
Don't take out the earring! Clean the infected area 3 times a day. Wash hands with soap and water before touching the ear or earring. Use cotton swab ("Q-Tip") dipped in pierced ear solution (see #3 below).
Gently pat dry the affected area with clean gauze or a tissue. Then apply a small amount of an over-the-counter antibiotic cream (Neosporin, bacitracin, others), as directed on the product label. Turn the piercing jewelry a few times to prevent it from sticking to the skin.
Usually, a minor infection of an ear piercing can be treated successfully at home. But if any of the following symptoms occur, seek medical attention: The earring doesn't move. The earring clasp becomes embedded in your skin.
Make an earring cleaner solution of one-quarter cup of ammonia and one cup of water. Place the earrings in the solution and let sit for 20 minutes. While they soak, prepare another bowl with warm water and a half-teaspoon of liquid dish soap.
To do this, Baxter suggests a simple saline solution. "Take some cotton wool, dip it in salt water and rub it over the post," she says, "This will disinfect it from anything that you don't want to be putting back in your ear."
Start by filling a bowl with warm water and a mild dish soap, then leave your jewelry submerged for up to 20 minutes. At this point, take a toothbrush or similarly small brush and go over the surface, including behind stones and all places where dirt, grease and grime could be embedded.
To lift away grime, oils, and dirt off gold earrings, you can also soak them in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes. This works best for plain pieces, however. Avoid this method if your gold earrings use adhesive to hold stones in place. The alcohol may melt the glue.