There are a few body parts that we leave as the unimportant ones, because no one told us that they are, in fact, important. In most cases, they are not only importance, but the ignorance about their importance can possibly put you in grave danger, not to mention the various diseases that are accompanied. Naturally, you might be thinking about your shoulders or armpits, but the list does not end there. Belly Button, which most people consider as something unwanted in their body, is something of that sort. If you don’t care about that part of your body, you will be subjected to many issues — including but not limited to infections.
Nevertheless, the fact has it that most people don’t really care about Belly Button. Of course, we understand that your belly button is located in a dark part of your body, which always go unnoticed. But, do you know that the same part is extremely vulnerable to issues like infection by bacteria and yeast? Well, as a matter of fact, the part is and you cannot ever imagine the extent of problems that such an ignoring can cause. So, the last time we checked, people did not even know why they have to clean their belly button. So, here is a complete guide for you on how to clean your belly button in a natural way.
In this article, we will talk about a few things you should know about belly button cleaning and the region of your body itself. So, at the end of the day, you will know why and how you should clean the area. Of course, all the methods we’re mentioning here are natural and completely safe. You don’t have to worry about any kind of side-effects or further issues after trying these methods. Before we jump into the natural methods of cleaning, we will tell you a bit more about the belly button and how potentially dangerous it is from the infections point of view.
Belly Button and Why You Should You Clean It
We don’t want to go too much technical here, but there is something special about your belly button. It does exist as the remnant of the umbilical cord, which was the connection between your mother body and yours during those 9 months. As you know, the cord is cut when you are born. Thereafter, the scar remains till you die, right? Okay, that were some good sides about the belly button but you should check the dark side also, so that you know why you clean it.
Most importantly, as we said earlier, belly button seems to be the area that bacteria love most. On average, you can find around 60 types of bacteria in the belly button dirt, which is no surprise. What’s more notable is that you can never be determined about what you find in the dirt being accumulated. Depending on your personal hygiene, living environment and medical conditions, you can find almost everything, from yeast to bacteria. In case that makes things more interesting, new-to-science bacteria are also found in dirt.
In short, belly button dirt is not something you can expect. It is rather something that causes a lot of issues if you forget about. What we meant to show here is that you NEED to clean your belly button as much as it’s possible. There is a certain amount of care that you give for cleaning your head and other area of body, no? Well, you should be more concerned about cleaning your belly button, because you are going to get some bacterial infection if you don’t.
Now that you have a clear idea on why you should clean your belly button, we will tell the best ways to do that. You have the freedom to choose any of the steps we’ve covered before. And if you think one step isn’t enough for complete hygiene, free feel to go for multiple options, though it won’t be necessary.
How to Clean Your Belly Button?
Well, there are a few different ways you can clean your belly button, but we cannot mention all of them. So, we have chosen the best methods from expert recommendations. Shall we check them out?
A Precaution: Just like any other important part of your body, belly button is also really sensitive. So, the first thing to keep in mind is that you should not push any kind of tough objects into that little hole. If you do it, you can do more harm than good. Just think of this: a dirty button is better than a broken & infected one.
- The Materials You Can Use for Cleaning Belly Button
As we said earlier, you have the freedom to try different materials for cleaning. Different materials may have different effects on each person. So, what we would recommend you is to test all the listed methods to clean the belly button and see which one works better. Apart from the cleaning agent, you would need a few of cotton swabs, which are the best way to reach into the inner areas of your belly button and apply a cleaning agent on it. Now that you have got the cotton swabs with you, you can go for any of the following liquids.
- Normal water or cold water
- Baby Oil from a popular brand
- Alcohol
- Hydrogen Peroxide
The selection also depends on availability of these. For instance, if you don’t get enough Hydrogen Peroxide, don’t worry. You can go ahead with some baby oil or even normal water. The thing to notice while going for normal water is that you have to focus on the cleaning part. The dirt-removal rate will be quite normal when compared to other agents in the list.
Step #1
You can take out one swap button and dip it into the cleaning agent liquid you have made. If you are using alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, you should dilute both these liquids in a way that it doesn’t harm your skin. It should be kept in the liquid for a few seconds so that enough liquid gets into the pores.
Step #2
This step needs to be done with ultimate gentleness. So, once you have taken out the cotton swab, you can insert it into your belly button and start turning it around. Make sure that you reach all the parts of cavity in a manner that the liquid is spread in a uniform manner. Of course, you should not go too hard, which is bad.
Step #3
You can repeat step two several times, until you feel belly button dirt is completely removed. If you’re doing the cleaning after a while, three or five sessions may be required. But, at the end of the cleaning, you’ll know if it is good enough.
Step #4
Now that the cleaning process is done, it’s time to take out the remnants. Depending on the solution you’ve used, there might be something left inside your belly button. To remove them completely, get a soft piece of clothing and remove the remaining moisture.
At this point, you’re all good to go. You have successfully cleaned your belly button in a cool manner, right? Well, the story doesn’t end there. You need to take care of some things if you don’t want to do this at regular intervals. So, we will share some useful tips that will help you keep your belly button cleaner.
Some Tips to Keep Your Belly Button Clean
You might already know some of these tips, but you’re somewhat hesitant to do them. We hope you have changed your opinion now, having understood how much dirt your belly button can have and how a variety of issues can affect your body thereafter.
- While taking your daily shower, make sure that there isn’t much dirt in your belly button. If you’d do it, you won’t have to dedicate extra time for belly button cleaning. Another impressive way to better the cleaning process is to apply some coconut oil on the area before taking the shower.
- Sometimes, you may spot some wounds or scratches on the belly button. At this point, it is better if you don’t use any external cleaning agents like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. As you can guess, both these are chemicals and can affect the total health of your body.
- Things should be more careful if you already have a piercing. Chances are, some dirt is always there in-between the areas of piercing. So, the cleaning process should be in such a way that you get out all the dirt but still doesn’t harm your skin.
- Last but not least, no matter which method you follow for cleaning the belly button, make sure you always moisturize the area after you’re done.
With these tips in mind, you will surely be able to clean your belly button less frequently and with less power.
The Bottom Line
Do you know what you should do next? Check your belly button to see if there is a huge amount of dirt. If it is the case, it means that you have to clean it thoroughly. You can choose any of the methods above. More importantly, even if you don’t have to clean it now, take the mentioned precautions and tips so that you can cut down the chances of belly button dirt and infections.
