Why do earrings smell?
Ever caught a whiff of your ear piercings and wonder why on earth they smell like stinky cheese? (Horrifying!)
Earrings can start to smell bad for a variety of reasons. It could be a build-up of oils and sweat from your skin, or it could be due to dead skin cells getting trapped in the crevices of the earring. Whatever the reason, there are ways to clean your earrings and prevent them from smelling bad in the future.
Should you worry if your earrings smell bad? Who gets the bad earrings smell? How do you keep the bad earring smell from recurring?
Here are my top 13 tips for keeping those lobes smelling fresh as daisies!
Clean your earrings
Clean your earrings regularly with mild soap and water. You can also use rubbing alcohol. Just be sure you're not doing this while holding your jewelry over a sink. The last thing you want is to watching your precious earrings [clank clank] before disappearing into the drain. (Ask me how I know this).
For sensitive skin
Don't make those delicate lobes angrier by putting something on them that you're allergic to. Look for a good quality, hypoallergenic cleanser to clean your earrings.
Soak 'em!
Let the earrings soak for a few minutes before rinsing them off. This will ensure that any residual grime takes a hike.
Go au naturale
Avoid wearing your earrings for more than a few hours at a time. That is, at least until you can build up to wearing them for longer. But if you've got a real stink fest going on, only wear them for short periods of time to begin with. This will give your ears a chance to breathe and will help prevent build-up of oils and bacteria
Choose wisely
Try to choose materials that won't trap sweat and bacteria, like solid gold or gold filled. These are generally safe choices. However, just because your earrings are solid gold doesn't mean that they don't need cleaning! Your car cost a lot more than your earrings (I hope), but you still have to wash it. You still have to clean your solid gold earrings too.
Raise an imaginary forcefield
You can even yell 'raise the shield!' if you like, but expect your family to back away slowly. But in all seriousness, avoid getting makeup, hair products, or perfume on your earrings. None of these products will do you any favors if they're getting trapped in your piercings.
Remove them
This seems like an obvious one but take off your earrings before showering or swimming! When water mixes with the oils and sweat on your skin, it can cause a smelly reaction. That’s why you should always remove your earrings before getting them wet. Note that earrings can get wet, especially gold filled, sterling silver, or solid gold. But our goal here is to keep them from smelling.
Go Mohave Desert on them
Moisture is not your friend here. When earrings get wet, whether it's from sweat or water, bacteria can grow on them and cause them to stink. Dry your earrings thoroughly after cleaning them. Please.
Stay with the Mohave theme
Store your earrings in a clean, dry place. So don't keep them in your humid bathroom where you've got some rogue mold growing in the corner. (You know who you are. I still like you though.)
Change it up!
Don't wear the same pair of earrings every day. Why would you when there are so many amazing options out there?? I mean, just check out these cuties. Rotate between a few different pairs of earrings and that should keep the cheesy sitch at bay.
Don't become a germaphobe, but....
Disinfect your pierced ears and/or piercings regularly. Did you drop one of your earrings on that dank nightclub floor? Did one hit the floor of your car? Did you put it in your mouth to hold it for a sec? (Hopefully you did not do all three of those things in that order.) Any of these incidents can leave bacteria on your earrings. Clean them regularly.
See your doc
Obviously I'm not a medical doctor (though I have seen every episode of Nightwatch so basically I'm an EMT) and this post is in no way a substitute for real medical attention. Think you have an infection? Go to the doctor! How are you gonna wear cute earrings if you get gangrene in your lobes and they fall off? That ain't cute.
Don't sleep in your earrings
Let your ears rest and air out at night. Take our your earrings. Plus it helps to extend the life of them so really it's a win-win.
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.
Be sure to clean them regularly, let them soak for a few minutes before rinsing, and avoid wearing them for more than a few hours at a time if you really have a cheese fest going on.
Taking these steps will help keep your earrings smelling fresh and bacteria-free! And leave the stinky cheese smell for the fancy cheese section at Trader Joe's! (I do not recommend the stinky German cheese that you'll think seems like a good idea in the moment but you will come to regret this decision.)
How about checking out some of these cuties?
I mean, you're already here so why not?