7 Body Parts You’ve Been Cleaning Wrong Your Whole Life

There are about 2,368 bacterial species that live in belly buttons alone, probably more, and yet its hygiene is often neglected. Using a cotton swab to clean out your ear wax is actually dangerous and unnecessary. As it turns out, we’ve been cleaning our body parts the wrong way all along and doing more damage than good.

Bright Side has found methods to clean parts of your body the right way, just for our readers. In the end, you’ll find a bonus way to safely clean if you have body piercings.

1. Belly button

Most of us generally either ignore the cleanliness of the belly button or clean it the wrong way. Your belly button is supposed to be cleaned once a week and in a specific manner. Dip a cotton swab in some rubbing alcohol and use it to clean the insides. Repeat until the swab comes out clean. Follow up with a fresh swab to get rid of the rubbing alcohol. Avoid using body lotion.

2. Ears

This goes without saying but using your nails or any other pointy thing to clean out your ear wax is an absolute no-no. Instead, apply a few drops of baby oil or glycerin to soften the wax. After 1-2 days, gently pour in warm water using an eyedropper or rubber bulb syringe. Turn your head to the other side to let the water out. Wipe it with a towel and repeat the process as necessary. You can also use a swab to clean the outer area of your ear.

3. Tongue

According to experts, scrapping your tongue is the most effective way to clean it. Your tongue needs to be cleaned just as often as your teeth. Place a scraper at the back of your tongue and slowly bring it forward with a little pressure. If you feel like gagging, avoid it by adjusting the placement of the tongue scrapper as often as needed.

4. Elbows

To avoid a build-up of dead skin cells that darken your elbow, it’s advised to exfoliate them once or twice a week. You can use your homemade scrub or buy one from the store but the key here is to rub in a circular motion, softly. Too much pressure will only make it worse.

5. Scalp

Scalp buildup can be caused by dead cells or even excess use of hair products. To clean it, rinse your hair completely before using shampoo. Then, mix water in with your shampoo and apply it to your scalp area. If you use conditioner, put it on the ends of the hair only.

6. Face

Foaming soaps and washes actually make your skin dry, so avoid them. Use a mild cleanser along with lukewarm water to wash your face. Let it sit on the face for 60-90 seconds before washing it off.

7. Back

Washing your back has to be the trickiest thing when it comes to body cleansing. To ensure you are doing it the right way, start with dry brushing. Then proceed to your regular scrubbing using a long loofah or an exfoliating band.

Bonus: How to clean your body when you have piercings

According to a piercing expert, the best way to clean and care for your piercing is to make use of saline soaks. Mild compression of salt and warm water can clean the debris and stimulate blood flow in the area.

Have you been cleaning these body parts right all along or did we surprise you? Are there any tricks you’d like to add?