The belly button is a small, moist and closed body part which gets bacteria, lint and dirt easily.
You wash your hands, your face, your underarms, and behind your ears (maybe), but do you clean your belly button?
Belly button is a stubborn area to clean, some people just ignored it. As a result, lot of germs, grime and muck is accumulated inside the belly button.
Bacteria Live in Belly Buttons. The cotton swab picks up some of the bacteria and other microorganisms living in your belly button. Yes, microorganisms live on your skin, even though you can’t see them. After it takes a tour of your belly button, the swab gets wiped on a specially prepared dish, where the bacteria can grow. Then the researchers figure out what’s growing on you.
Remedies to clean belly button:
- Never use hard objects to clean the naval. It is a sensitive body part so it is best to use cotton buds. Always clean the belly button softly to avoid getting hurt.
- Wash the belly button with water and then apply little body wash or soap. Use your finger tip to rub the small belly button. Rub in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. Dig for 1-2 minutes and then rinse off with water. This is one of the simplest home remedy to clean belly button.
- Before taking bath, apply some olive or coconut oil on the belly button leave it for 10-15 minutes and then use your finger tip to clean the belly button. Oil soaks the dirt therefore making it easy to remove. Rinse with soap water. You can also use a cotton bud to clean the naval.
- To remove lint or dirt, use rubbing alcohol on the belly button. Dip a cotton bud in rubbing alcohol and apply it on the naval. If the belly button is very dirty, change the bud and repeat the process till it cleans. If you have a pierced belly then never use alcohol to clean the navel.
- For pierced belly, clean with oil. This is a natural remedy to clean the naval. Apply oil and then dig with the help of a cotton bud. Rinse with soap water.
- Sea salt and warm water solution is commonly used to clean pierced belly. Apply the sea salt and warm water solution on the pierced belly for few minutes. Rub it with a dry cotton bud and then rinse with water. Dry with a paper towel or dry cotton bud.
- After cleaning the belly button, soak the water in a clean towel and after it is dry, apply body lotion or moisturizer to keep it soft and smell good.
Clean the belly button regularly while taking bath to prevent the formation of stubborn dirt and lint in the sensitive naval hole. This also helps avoid belly button smell.
Warnings
Contact your doctor if you or your baby experience belly button odor that does not go away with self-care or if you notice pus or discharge.
Tips
Shower after you exercise or sweat heavily to prevent moisture from accumulating in your belly button.
