Now that you have your saline solution and/or anti-microbial or germicidal soap, you need to know how to use them. Here are step by step instructions on how to keep you new piercing clean and healthy.

🧼 Step 1: Wash Your Hands

Before touching your piercing, wash your hands thoroughly. Use warm water and soap, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds — including under your nails and between your fingers. Your hands should be spotless before coming anywhere near your piercing.

💧 Step 2: Clean With Saline

Pour some of your saline solution into a clean cup or glass. Place the open rim gently against your skin, forming a light seal around the piercing. Carefully invert the cup to let your piercing soak in the saline bath for 2–5 minutes. 

If soaking isn’t practical (for example, with a lip or cartilage piercing), you can instead:

• Fill a shallow dish and dip the piercing area.

• Or soak sterile gauze or cotton pads in saline and press gently against the piercing for several minutes, refreshing as needed.

When finished, rinse with clean water to remove any salt residue and pat dry using a paper towel or sterile gauze.

💡 Tip 1: Clean your piercing with saline 2–3 times daily for the best results.
💡 Tip 2: Learn to How to Make a Homemade Saline Solution

🫧 Step 3: Clean With Antimicrobial Soap (Optional)

If you prefer or your piercer recommends it, you can also clean with an unscented antimicrobial or germicidal liquid soap — but limit use to once or twice a day.

The best time to do this is in the shower, where it’s easy to rinse thoroughly.

1. Wash your hands first.

2. Apply a small drop of soap to the pierced area and gently clean the skin around the jewelry.

3. Do not twist or rotate the jewelry — this can damage healing tissue.

4. Leave the soap on for no more than 30 seconds.

5. Rinse completely and pat dry with sterile gauze or a clean paper towel.

💡 Tip: These soaps often don’t lather much — that’s normal. Less foam doesn’t mean less cleaning power.

🩵 Step 4: Saline vs. Soap — Which Should You Use?

You can use one or both cleansing methods depending on your routine and skin type. If you prefer to keep it simple, saline alone is usually best. It’s gentle, helps speed up healing, and can be used several times a day without drying out your skin.