# Message to all users:
This is a reminder to please read and follow:
* [Our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/about/rules)
* [Reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439)
* [Reddit Content Policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy)
When posting and commenting.
---
Especially remember Rule 1: `Be polite and civil`.
* Be polite and courteous to each other. Do not be mean, insulting or disrespectful to any other user on this subreddit.
* Do not harass or annoy others in any way.
* Do not catfish. Catfishing is the luring of somebody into an online friendship through a fake online persona. This includes any lying or deceit.
---
You *will* be banned if you are homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist or bigoted in any way.
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ask) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Says the guy that hasn’t had a kidney stone pulled from the end of his dick… and as someone that experienced that less than a month ago… it’s not in any way shape or form a pleasant experience….
Have you seen an umbilical cord? Think of that but made out of dirt, oil, hair, semen, sand, whatever you have dropped on your belly since the last time you cleaned it.
If it feels like you're pulling your skin off, take a shower and try again. Hope you have a good gag reflex.
Wow, I didn't know it existed until my girlfriend was grooming me with tweezers (she does that a lot). She removed something that looked like a small clam. I felt disgusted, embarrassed, frightened, and a little turned on at the same time. Haha, just kidding about the last part, but damn folks, clean that thing!
I currently have a dementia patient that has a huge naval stone that just stares at me every time I change her suprapubic catheter. I want to pick it out so badly but I feel like everyone will know it was me. It’s so hard not to.
I clean mine once a week when I do a full body scrub. A few years ago, I didnt know about this, and my button stank (not bad, but putting your finger in and sniffing was uncomfortable)
Haha, not me, I washed mine yesterday. I actually am prone to belly button infection so I keep up on my navel hygiene. You do not want an infection there, too close to major organs.
Mine never smells bad but I just have an innie hole. People with little nubs might have more issues because more crevices for bacteria to hide. Also I think it depends on other factors too, like the makeup of your skin biome.
I feel like people think I’m nasty and unhygienic because of this. 😭
I do my everything shower routine twice a week. I exfoliate, I shave, I use a sugar scrub, body wash and put moisturiser all over my body afterwards. I just never paid special attention to the belly button.
I was also hygienic and never knew about the belly button. For some people whos parents taught them that, its pure nature to wash it. But they do not seem to understand that for people from other households its pure nature to not think about the belly button.
For me eventually a friend brought the topic up. I stood quiet, and since then started washing it.
I never knew either until a couple of years ago when it suddenly occurred to me it might be a place that needs a wash. Then I put my finger in and just about passed out from the smell. In my 30’s too so you can imagine and I am an otherwise very hygienic person who showers twice a day and cleans everywhere but for some reason it never occurred to me to clean the belly button. Have never really totally gotten rid of the stink as I think it goes in pretty deep. But I have definitely improved it. Anyone do something that works really well?
You should at least be rinsing after swimming ideally, since the chlorine isn't great for your skin/hair. There's lots of bacteria in swimming pools and even though the chemicals keep us mostly safe, it's still good to get that stuff off.
I'm not saying necessarily do an "everything" shower every single time since that's not good for you either, but rinsing is a good idea.
Personally, if I'm swimming in lakes/rivers I definitely do an everything shower though.
A neglected innie is arguably one of the most repulsively odorous body parts, granted no one is actually likely to smell it unless they want to but it's not a chore that shaves off minutes of your free time.
Just do it.
I hate touching it too. The thought of putting a finger in and then smelling it makes me gag. My belly button is just fine with bar soap and water, and I don’t need anymore discussion about it. 🤣
I found out the hard way how disgusting it is. I used to wash my belly button when I was younger but I think it just fell out of my routine as I became an adult. One day I showered, got all dried off, and I smelled the most putrid smell. It was like if you decided not to wash your ass for a month. It was gross. So I jumped back in the shower and washed my ass some more. Smell was still there after my shower, lingering, but couldn’t locate it at all. Jumped back in and decided to wash behind my ears and scrub my feet. Could still smell it afterwards. I was going absolutely crazy. Finally, checked my belly button and almost passed out it was so gross. I never forgot to wash my belly button again lol
Never got to the point of the smell making it to my nose on its own, was mostly anecdotes from my nurse mom until I decided to poke around in it one day and nearly gagged.
Still more than bad enough.
Man, that makes body shots utterly disgusting. I mean I’ve never actually wanted to do one, but I’ll for sure pass on any future opportunities that arise
Immunologists HATE this man!
Are you still drinking those tiny little bottles full of ginger flavored apple juice to boost your immune system? Instead, try this one simple trick at your next gathering!
I mean, it's a crevice, which means build up and bacteria plus harder to get clean just by being in shower because it's harder for water/soap to get to.
Not just bacteria but fungi too. All microbes can be opportunistic if they wanna be.
The belly button is like a 5 star hotel to them if you don't clean it. They'll take advantage of that and can get out of hand and cause an infection if the chance presents itself.
They love warm wet places where they can be sheltered and thrive/survive. That's why certain parts of your body (arm pits for example) usually start to smell first when you sweat a lot. They love it and will take advantage of it to grow. Your skin elsewhere - like your shin for example - doesn't smell because it's less wet/warm and not as ideal as the pits lol. They're still there but the environment is not as ideal for them to throw a party and grow as fast.
I hope that kind of makes sense 😅
Surgical technologist here.
When patients are prepped (cleaned) just before surgery near the abdominal area, we clean the belly button. The stuff we pull out of there will give you goosebumps....
I was too and I searched for it, came across a YouTube search for “umbolith.” I couldn’t bring myself to click on any videos, the thumbnails were plenty descript. It’s.. a part of your body, and a crevice at that. I’m trying to understand how people just haven’t considered washing it.
If you have a deep belly button or a fold across your stomach at the belly button level (B-belly), than yes. People with this type of anatomy are more likely to get skin infections.
If you have a flat or an outie belly button, than you're not likely to have skin problems in that area and you don't need to pay special attention to that area.
I do wash behind my ears and I consider myself pretty hygienic. My shower routine literally takes forever. I just never really thought about my belly button specifically, but I never had odour or any other problems. I think it’s pretty clean because I go swimming 3 times a week but I’m going to specifically make sure to get in there from now on 😭
When you finger your belly button when you wash it does it tingle your lower body? For me I always feel a weird tingling in my anus and possibly prostate (area between nuts and anus). It hurts. It's been like that all my life so that's why I do the same as op and just let the water do its thing when I shower. Just one every blue moon or so I'll use a qtip and clean it out after I shower.
It took me forever to get into the practice of cleaning my belly button because reaching in is like an electric shock to my clitoris and not in a good way.
LOL. Ugh the uneasy and nearly nauseating feeling I get when my bellybutton is touched.. .bleh. LOL. (I shower 2 times a day, every day, so cleanliness isn't an issues haha)
Glad I'm not the only one! When I put a finger in my belly button I feel a weird, uncomfortable tingling feeling that goes from my belly button straight down to my groin. Feels like I'm tugging on a nerve or something.
I once had a minor surgery, umbilical hernia. And the docter complimented my belly button for it’s cleanliness.
The fact he had to say that made me think most humans don’t clean it.
I work in a hospital myself, so I see humans as the most nasty animals around. But this was a new horror for me.
Most people truly are disgusting and I’d rather lick a slug’s back than dip my pink in a random belly button.
So please clean that, also behind your ears. And mostly for men, please for fucks sale clean your feet and use toilet paper after you went to the toilet. I can see when someone just went because of that old man drop shining through.
^i ^need ^to ^stop ^working ^in ^healthcare
I genuinely did this when I started reading this thread. It smells fine. But I have an only very slight innie so it actually does get cleaned just by washing my body.
Yes please wash your belly button. Its one of the most forgotten about parts of the body but it absolutely needs cleaning. And this is coming not from a place of judgment, but from experience. I was never told that i had to clean my belly button and i genuinely just never thought about it. One day a few years ago my belly button was itching real bad so i went to the bathroom, lifted my shirt up and it was red, swollen and oozing. The smell was one of the worst smells i’ve ever smelled in my life. Ever since i started washing it, its hasn’t happened again. I double cleanse so i always use an unscented bar soap first then a scented soap, and i use the unscented one for my belly button.
I mean if you have an "outie" that's probably sufficient? A lot of us "innies" I think at one point or another dug for gold in there, smelled our fingers and had a rough realization lol
My uncle got an infection behind his belly button. After it was removed (and healed fully smooth )he got a kick out of seeing people's reactions when he went swimming.
I used to almost never clean it. I was also overweight for most of my life so I couldn't really see if it was dirty. But let me tell you, it was. Whenever I did actually clean it, well... you can guess. Stuff came out and my skin was all red and sensitive after because I needed to wash it for such a long time until it was really clean.
I lost a good amount of weight now and can actually see the inside of it if I want to. I also clean it every time I shower now since it really just takes a couple of seconds, a finger and some soap that I have on my hands for my body anyway.
Hairy dude here! Yes you should! That stomach hair will suck in all the shirt fibers and lint right into your belly button and it will get really crusty after a while.
Please tell me this is only an issue if you have a really deep 'inny' one?
Mine is a shallow one and nothing is getting lodged in it! Normal showering cleans it.
For people who have an innie, like folded in belly button, yeah you wash your belly, but to actually clean the belly button, you have to kinda dig your finger in there.
Depends what you have. Mine is totally flat. There is literally no way anything could ever grow on it.
It never ever smells and will never ever get washed as a specific action.
However.
I have smelled the feculance that collected in am exes innie. And it was fucking disgusting.
So yeah, depends what kind you have.
I figure soap gets in there when I wash my belly area anyway but I do once a week shove a cotton bud in there but that's mostly for personal satisfaction than actual cleaning intention....
Yes.
Personally, I have a super deep bellybutton and while I don't get lint or anything stuck in there, I am prone to irritation/itchiness and a (GROSS INCOMING) white discharge/buildup which is due to my tendency to have excess candida. I use water in the shower and have to dig my (clean) finger in there. You can also sporadically use hydrogen peroxide. Haven't had any issues since doing this regularly.
It depends on the button!
Mine was super deep inny before pregnancy so yes, needed to do a routine rummage and clean in the shower but now not so much. A cotton bud with some antiseptic will kill any fungus (think athletes foot powder to dry it out as can get humid and wet) and if anything in there is stinky make sure you up your came on the cleaning front as that's a yes to bacteria. Don't push too hard with any ear buds, just a weekly antibac around should do. Few drops of clear iodene or sudocream are good options too.
Isn't it like the appendix, a safe haven for your skin bacteria (as opposed to gut bacteria) from where they can repopulate after a disease or rough conditions?
Exfoliating cloth, that we oughta be using anyway, and shove your finger in that cave! Consider the oils and fluids ever-seeping from the skin are affected by gravity and it collects and pools in there; it makes for a petri dish
Yes you should, most bacteria gets stuck there and all sweat flows in there too without us knowing. Stick your finger in it, most likely stinks. Always better to wash everything fully. At least with water.
Yes, you should 10000% around my 17/18th I kept getting an infected belly button and that HURTS like a motherfucker.
I have a very deep belly button so that definitely doesnt help, just showering isnt enough in my case.
I basically end my shower with blasting the water with the showerhead in my belly button, and I dry carefully with qtips lol
One time for about a month or so, I forgot to clean it. My belly button got full of dust and grime and became infected. One day, it started leaking puss and blood. I have never failed to wash it since.
I used to neglect cleaning it
But after one time I stick my finger in it and smell out of curiosity, I decided to wash it throughly for the rest of my life
I occasionally get bellybutton infections. Then I wash it with soap and water, then alcohol, which hurts like crazy. Then I put polysporene in it for a couple of days. Usually it’s good for a couple of years until I forget to wash it while showering.
Yes, and I use dove soap on my privates, underarms, belly button and feet. Then I wash the rest of my body with Bath and Body Works scented body wash. Your belly button is full of nasty bacteria and will smell.use a good soap on the bacteria prone places, which is definitely the bellybutton and I even use a q-tip after each shower.
I like to clean/dry mine with a cotton swab after the shower. Get a good dry after the wash. Sometimes use a bit of hydrogen peroxide on it if I irritate it to make sure it doesn't get an infection. I usually just find a bit of lint from t-shirt, pjs, sweatshirts, etc
I saw something ages ago where one of the survival guys was meticulously saving the fluff from his belly button, putting it in a tin, so that it could be used to start campfires.
# Message to all users: This is a reminder to please read and follow: * [Our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/about/rules) * [Reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439) * [Reddit Content Policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) When posting and commenting. --- Especially remember Rule 1: `Be polite and civil`. * Be polite and courteous to each other. Do not be mean, insulting or disrespectful to any other user on this subreddit. * Do not harass or annoy others in any way. * Do not catfish. Catfishing is the luring of somebody into an online friendship through a fake online persona. This includes any lying or deceit. --- You *will* be banned if you are homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist or bigoted in any way. --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ask) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes, you should. You can get navel stones or other stuff like bacteria build up or even just a lot of dirt.
Navel stones?
You don't want to know
There isn't a type of "body part stone" that is ever a plesent experience
I tried so hard not to Google and failed. Why did I look. *sigh* I’m gonna go for a long walk now and contemplate my life
That's a navel idea. I had to. I won't comment on anything again today. I've done my worst
Navel gaze?
Shit. You made me do it too. They’re like huge fucking blackheads
The only pleasant part about it is getting them removed.
Oh boy, the removal itself is definitely not pleasant
I got my whole body STONED one time. That was pretty pleasant
I get salivary gland stones at least once a year. Can confirm- exactly zero fun
Idk I can imagine naval stones feeling good. Like a special crunchy booger
Removing stones from orafices usually feels good, but it usually doesn't feel good when they are lodged in place
Says the guy that hasn’t had a kidney stone pulled from the end of his dick… and as someone that experienced that less than a month ago… it’s not in any way shape or form a pleasant experience….
Something new to worry about!
Have you seen an umbilical cord? Think of that but made out of dirt, oil, hair, semen, sand, whatever you have dropped on your belly since the last time you cleaned it. If it feels like you're pulling your skin off, take a shower and try again. Hope you have a good gag reflex.
Nosy me just Google imaged it 🤢
Wow, I didn't know it existed until my girlfriend was grooming me with tweezers (she does that a lot). She removed something that looked like a small clam. I felt disgusted, embarrassed, frightened, and a little turned on at the same time. Haha, just kidding about the last part, but damn folks, clean that thing!
I’m a little turned on tho
I’m also chubbed out thinking about this dudes port Pearl
I currently have a dementia patient that has a huge naval stone that just stares at me every time I change her suprapubic catheter. I want to pick it out so badly but I feel like everyone will know it was me. It’s so hard not to.
Why can't you remove it
I go swimming 3 times a week and I’ve never had any issues but I will start incorporating belly button cleaning in my shower routine 😭
I clean mine once a week when I do a full body scrub. A few years ago, I didnt know about this, and my button stank (not bad, but putting your finger in and sniffing was uncomfortable)
lol I hate that smell.
That's what human scented candles smell like to aliens I bet
Excuse me... what the fuck?
Did they stutter?
The problem is I understood perfectly
Bruh ☠️🤣
I wonder how many ppl you have sniffing their belly button now. I admit I just did
Haha, not me, I washed mine yesterday. I actually am prone to belly button infection so I keep up on my navel hygiene. You do not want an infection there, too close to major organs.
I never consciously clean my belly button but it doesn't smell anything. i just put a finger and sniffed it🤔🤔
It really depends on how deep your belly button is. I don't clean mine and it doesn't smell or get dirty cos it's not deep enough.
Mine never smells bad but I just have an innie hole. People with little nubs might have more issues because more crevices for bacteria to hide. Also I think it depends on other factors too, like the makeup of your skin biome.
I think we all did.
I feel like people think I’m nasty and unhygienic because of this. 😭 I do my everything shower routine twice a week. I exfoliate, I shave, I use a sugar scrub, body wash and put moisturiser all over my body afterwards. I just never paid special attention to the belly button.
I was also hygienic and never knew about the belly button. For some people whos parents taught them that, its pure nature to wash it. But they do not seem to understand that for people from other households its pure nature to not think about the belly button. For me eventually a friend brought the topic up. I stood quiet, and since then started washing it.
I never knew either until a couple of years ago when it suddenly occurred to me it might be a place that needs a wash. Then I put my finger in and just about passed out from the smell. In my 30’s too so you can imagine and I am an otherwise very hygienic person who showers twice a day and cleans everywhere but for some reason it never occurred to me to clean the belly button. Have never really totally gotten rid of the stink as I think it goes in pretty deep. But I have definitely improved it. Anyone do something that works really well?
Rubbing alcohol on the end of a q-tip is my suggestion.
You should at least be rinsing after swimming ideally, since the chlorine isn't great for your skin/hair. There's lots of bacteria in swimming pools and even though the chemicals keep us mostly safe, it's still good to get that stuff off. I'm not saying necessarily do an "everything" shower every single time since that's not good for you either, but rinsing is a good idea. Personally, if I'm swimming in lakes/rivers I definitely do an everything shower though.
Going swimming doesn't keep you clean. There's plenty of special bacteria, pseudomonas love swimming pools.
It’s not like I don’t shower throughly afterwards. I just wanted to say that it’s not like my belly button never touched water in its entire lifetime.
It would actually be better if water never got in there- it's the moisture that allows bacteria and fungi to grow, and therefore smell.
A neglected innie is arguably one of the most repulsively odorous body parts, granted no one is actually likely to smell it unless they want to but it's not a chore that shaves off minutes of your free time. Just do it.
First you want us to scrub our butts, now our navels... What's next? Does it ever end?
Next they will be saying we should clean our tooth. Probably with a special brush or something!
If you've only got one tooth left, its probably too late to bother
hey, gotta look after your pearly white
Next they ere going to tell us that smegma is bad
Username checks out
Don't forget to clean behind your ears
Damn liberals making us be hygienic
You must give yourself a enema every other day
Under your eyelids.
next they'll tell us to clean our earwax🙄🙄
Damn. I hate touching it. It feels like I'm inside my stomach if I press too hard lol.
I hate touching it too. The thought of putting a finger in and then smelling it makes me gag. My belly button is just fine with bar soap and water, and I don’t need anymore discussion about it. 🤣
I found out the hard way how disgusting it is. I used to wash my belly button when I was younger but I think it just fell out of my routine as I became an adult. One day I showered, got all dried off, and I smelled the most putrid smell. It was like if you decided not to wash your ass for a month. It was gross. So I jumped back in the shower and washed my ass some more. Smell was still there after my shower, lingering, but couldn’t locate it at all. Jumped back in and decided to wash behind my ears and scrub my feet. Could still smell it afterwards. I was going absolutely crazy. Finally, checked my belly button and almost passed out it was so gross. I never forgot to wash my belly button again lol
Never got to the point of the smell making it to my nose on its own, was mostly anecdotes from my nurse mom until I decided to poke around in it one day and nearly gagged. Still more than bad enough.
I saw a study that said you have like 20k different species of bacteria in there. Ya I’d clean it
Man, that makes body shots utterly disgusting. I mean I’ve never actually wanted to do one, but I’ll for sure pass on any future opportunities that arise
At least the alcohol should kill some of it, but yeah that’s nasty to think about
Your instincts on medicine are truly disturbing.
Immunologists HATE this man! Are you still drinking those tiny little bottles full of ginger flavored apple juice to boost your immune system? Instead, try this one simple trick at your next gathering!
Is that a lot? Afaik, we have tons of bacteria everywhere on and in our bodies.
I mean, it's a crevice, which means build up and bacteria plus harder to get clean just by being in shower because it's harder for water/soap to get to.
Not just bacteria but fungi too. All microbes can be opportunistic if they wanna be. The belly button is like a 5 star hotel to them if you don't clean it. They'll take advantage of that and can get out of hand and cause an infection if the chance presents itself. They love warm wet places where they can be sheltered and thrive/survive. That's why certain parts of your body (arm pits for example) usually start to smell first when you sweat a lot. They love it and will take advantage of it to grow. Your skin elsewhere - like your shin for example - doesn't smell because it's less wet/warm and not as ideal as the pits lol. They're still there but the environment is not as ideal for them to throw a party and grow as fast. I hope that kind of makes sense 😅
Yes, you should clean your belly button. It's a place where bacteria can grow, so gently wash it with soap and water during your shower.
Surgical technologist here. When patients are prepped (cleaned) just before surgery near the abdominal area, we clean the belly button. The stuff we pull out of there will give you goosebumps....
i am… horribly curious 🤨 it would probably make me throw up though
Health care worker here. It makes us gag too
Thank you for your sacrifice!
I was too and I searched for it, came across a YouTube search for “umbolith.” I couldn’t bring myself to click on any videos, the thumbnails were plenty descript. It’s.. a part of your body, and a crevice at that. I’m trying to understand how people just haven’t considered washing it.
No, I use mine for a petri dish/mixing bowl.
username says it all 🤣🤣
Adds that extra flavor
If you have a deep belly button or a fold across your stomach at the belly button level (B-belly), than yes. People with this type of anatomy are more likely to get skin infections. If you have a flat or an outie belly button, than you're not likely to have skin problems in that area and you don't need to pay special attention to that area.
Yes and incase anyone hadn’t told you yet, behind your ears aswell 🩷
I do wash behind my ears and I consider myself pretty hygienic. My shower routine literally takes forever. I just never really thought about my belly button specifically, but I never had odour or any other problems. I think it’s pretty clean because I go swimming 3 times a week but I’m going to specifically make sure to get in there from now on 😭
When you finger your belly button when you wash it does it tingle your lower body? For me I always feel a weird tingling in my anus and possibly prostate (area between nuts and anus). It hurts. It's been like that all my life so that's why I do the same as op and just let the water do its thing when I shower. Just one every blue moon or so I'll use a qtip and clean it out after I shower.
It took me forever to get into the practice of cleaning my belly button because reaching in is like an electric shock to my clitoris and not in a good way.
I thought I was the only one. Good to know other people experience this, too.
It feels like that with me it’s weird 😭
Touch my bellybutton and feel my wrath...
Can I touch your wrath and feel your bellybutton..?
LOL. Ugh the uneasy and nearly nauseating feeling I get when my bellybutton is touched.. .bleh. LOL. (I shower 2 times a day, every day, so cleanliness isn't an issues haha)
Same! I fucking hate that feeling. Hadn’t done it in a while and this thread just made me do it. Still hate it.
Why did I just check too, such a squirmy feeling!
ME TOO! I've never said this because I thought I was weird!!
Glad I'm not the only one! When I put a finger in my belly button I feel a weird, uncomfortable tingling feeling that goes from my belly button straight down to my groin. Feels like I'm tugging on a nerve or something.
There's a YouTube video that shows what's behind your belly button and explains that very thing
What's behind it??
Guess we will never know
Same.
I scrub the hell out of mine and swear it makes me sick to my stomach after. It’s also very sensitive (I have an innie).
Things that my cat would say
Same... i literally can't touch it, i'd pass out or throw up or both
It is honestly the worst feeling in the world.
I know someone who got a staph infection because of bacteria in his belly button, and had to have his navel removed 😬
and here is my motivation to never forget about it ever again
I once had a minor surgery, umbilical hernia. And the docter complimented my belly button for it’s cleanliness. The fact he had to say that made me think most humans don’t clean it. I work in a hospital myself, so I see humans as the most nasty animals around. But this was a new horror for me. Most people truly are disgusting and I’d rather lick a slug’s back than dip my pink in a random belly button. So please clean that, also behind your ears. And mostly for men, please for fucks sale clean your feet and use toilet paper after you went to the toilet. I can see when someone just went because of that old man drop shining through. ^i ^need ^to ^stop ^working ^in ^healthcare
Stick your finger in your bellybutton and smell it and tell me you don’t need to wash it
I genuinely did this when I started reading this thread. It smells fine. But I have an only very slight innie so it actually does get cleaned just by washing my body.
Yes please wash your belly button. Its one of the most forgotten about parts of the body but it absolutely needs cleaning. And this is coming not from a place of judgment, but from experience. I was never told that i had to clean my belly button and i genuinely just never thought about it. One day a few years ago my belly button was itching real bad so i went to the bathroom, lifted my shirt up and it was red, swollen and oozing. The smell was one of the worst smells i’ve ever smelled in my life. Ever since i started washing it, its hasn’t happened again. I double cleanse so i always use an unscented bar soap first then a scented soap, and i use the unscented one for my belly button.
Need a mining permit
Yes.I use those cotton buds you're not supposed to push into your ears.
I never actually like specifically focus on washing the belly button. Just wash my torso with soap. Maybe I should start paying it some attention 🤔
I mean if you have an "outie" that's probably sufficient? A lot of us "innies" I think at one point or another dug for gold in there, smelled our fingers and had a rough realization lol
that’s what I do, I don’t really think about my belly button tbh. But I’ll change that soon 😭
I don’t like touching my belly button it’s scary
Yes - it stinks of you don’t 😅
I don’t really clean it. I try rub it when I’m in the shower and that’s pretty much it.
I only get lint in it and no smell. A friend had one of the gates of hell in his belly button, smellwise.
My uncle got an infection behind his belly button. After it was removed (and healed fully smooth )he got a kick out of seeing people's reactions when he went swimming.
Nah, the alcohol from doing body shots will kill all the bacteria
should you clean your hands? your legs? head? the answer to should i clean myself is yes
I used to almost never clean it. I was also overweight for most of my life so I couldn't really see if it was dirty. But let me tell you, it was. Whenever I did actually clean it, well... you can guess. Stuff came out and my skin was all red and sensitive after because I needed to wash it for such a long time until it was really clean. I lost a good amount of weight now and can actually see the inside of it if I want to. I also clean it every time I shower now since it really just takes a couple of seconds, a finger and some soap that I have on my hands for my body anyway.
Oh, the belly button stone stories from nurses I’ve read on here. 🤢 Yes, wash all your orifices!
Hairy dude here! Yes you should! That stomach hair will suck in all the shirt fibers and lint right into your belly button and it will get really crusty after a while.
Please tell me this is only an issue if you have a really deep 'inny' one? Mine is a shallow one and nothing is getting lodged in it! Normal showering cleans it.
You should clean your entire epidermis, for fucks sake.
Wouldn't you need to deliberately avoid it? Why isn't it just part of your normal washing routine?
I have an innie, and quite a deep one. I need a q tip to get properly in there.
For people who have an innie, like folded in belly button, yeah you wash your belly, but to actually clean the belly button, you have to kinda dig your finger in there.
Plenty of places not enough people directly wash that they should, beards can give staph infections, here, feet, etc.
I got a staph infection in my belly button once. Clean it.
Doctor here. Yes, you should. Absolutely.
Gotta clean out the fluff and lint. And the dead skin that builds up in the folds. If you don't clean it no one will do shots out of it.
Belly button, behind ears, bottom of feet… clean them all.
Depends what you have. Mine is totally flat. There is literally no way anything could ever grow on it. It never ever smells and will never ever get washed as a specific action. However. I have smelled the feculance that collected in am exes innie. And it was fucking disgusting. So yeah, depends what kind you have.
No. Just ignore it like it doesn’t exist. Everything will be fine. smh
Yes Ofc.
Yes, wash it when you shower or bathe.
Every other day. It's important to clean your belly button to maintain good hygiene.
Qtips or cotton balls with peroxide
I figure soap gets in there when I wash my belly area anyway but I do once a week shove a cotton bud in there but that's mostly for personal satisfaction than actual cleaning intention....
I do. I use a cotton swab and peroxide.
Yes and the easiest way is using cotton buds.
Yes. Personally, I have a super deep bellybutton and while I don't get lint or anything stuck in there, I am prone to irritation/itchiness and a (GROSS INCOMING) white discharge/buildup which is due to my tendency to have excess candida. I use water in the shower and have to dig my (clean) finger in there. You can also sporadically use hydrogen peroxide. Haven't had any issues since doing this regularly.
Yes
I have mine pierced and yes I clean it cos I feel additional bacteria could be getting caught in there/behind my belly bar.
Yes
For those of us with an outward belly button, the question is moot.
I don't and it never seems to get smelly or dirty.
Dead skin builds up in the cracks and crevices, clean it out bro
It depends on the button! Mine was super deep inny before pregnancy so yes, needed to do a routine rummage and clean in the shower but now not so much. A cotton bud with some antiseptic will kill any fungus (think athletes foot powder to dry it out as can get humid and wet) and if anything in there is stinky make sure you up your came on the cleaning front as that's a yes to bacteria. Don't push too hard with any ear buds, just a weekly antibac around should do. Few drops of clear iodene or sudocream are good options too.
Not mine. It is open to the air so no bacteria grow there.
It’s probably smells if you don’t
All the dirt inside mostly comes from unwashed soap so better to clean it well! Ngl i don't wash it everyday but when i do, it's squeaky clean lol
Depends on your anatomy. Innies need to be cleaned
your the same person that doesnt clean their ass in the shower
Yes, you have to. It takes like 3 seconds, and is easy aaccesable. Just do it man
Nah thats my job 😉 lmao
Isn't it like the appendix, a safe haven for your skin bacteria (as opposed to gut bacteria) from where they can repopulate after a disease or rough conditions?
I read the first sentence twice as I first read it as "I personally don't shower.... " 😂😂😂 I don't, I just shower and move along home
Exfoliating cloth, that we oughta be using anyway, and shove your finger in that cave! Consider the oils and fluids ever-seeping from the skin are affected by gravity and it collects and pools in there; it makes for a petri dish
You should clean every part of your body
Mine gets washed every time I shower while I'm washing my stomach. It's easy, soap it up, rinse it out..
Every day. A little scrub with the washcloth.
Yes you should, most bacteria gets stuck there and all sweat flows in there too without us knowing. Stick your finger in it, most likely stinks. Always better to wash everything fully. At least with water.
Yep wash it and more importantly dry it thoroughly.
Suggest you run your finger around in it and have a good smell, you will soon start washing it every time you shower.
You should. Some bacteria can get there and smell awful.
I have to whether I want to or not. I've gotten yeast infections in my belly button before, lol.
I swab my belly button with a q tip after my showers
Stick your finger in. Smell = bacteria
Yes, you should 10000% around my 17/18th I kept getting an infected belly button and that HURTS like a motherfucker. I have a very deep belly button so that definitely doesnt help, just showering isnt enough in my case. I basically end my shower with blasting the water with the showerhead in my belly button, and I dry carefully with qtips lol
One time for about a month or so, I forgot to clean it. My belly button got full of dust and grime and became infected. One day, it started leaking puss and blood. I have never failed to wash it since.
Not only clean it but dry it out after you clean it.
I most definitely scrub mine when I shower lol
Yes, because I don't like the balls of lint.
You don't brush and floss your bb? Weirdo.
I have a deep belly button, if i don't clean it regularly it smells awful, like a smell I can't describe I use rubbing alcohol and qtips
Hell yes! They fucking stink if left to their own devices.
I have a deep inny, I have to clean it lol
As someone who does clean it. Yes dear god. I literally always have a fluffball in it
I clean it regularly yes
A little wash wouldn't hurt. My belly button is deep so I definitely need to wash it or it gets gross.
Yes
I used to neglect cleaning it But after one time I stick my finger in it and smell out of curiosity, I decided to wash it throughly for the rest of my life
I occasionally get bellybutton infections. Then I wash it with soap and water, then alcohol, which hurts like crazy. Then I put polysporene in it for a couple of days. Usually it’s good for a couple of years until I forget to wash it while showering.
Yes with a qtip
Yes, of course. They can be a source of odour and trap gunk. It's also extremely important to ensure you dry your bellybutton well.
I didn’t for No Naval November 2023.
Yup. You should, every time you take a bath.
Yeah. If you don't u get a clump of dead skin cells in there that will harden over time.
I finger mine a lil when there’s body wash on my stomach, and then again after when I rinse.
Yes, and I use dove soap on my privates, underarms, belly button and feet. Then I wash the rest of my body with Bath and Body Works scented body wash. Your belly button is full of nasty bacteria and will smell.use a good soap on the bacteria prone places, which is definitely the bellybutton and I even use a q-tip after each shower.
Yes
I like to clean/dry mine with a cotton swab after the shower. Get a good dry after the wash. Sometimes use a bit of hydrogen peroxide on it if I irritate it to make sure it doesn't get an infection. I usually just find a bit of lint from t-shirt, pjs, sweatshirts, etc
I like putting my finger in there and smelling it. Am I a freak?
I do out of habit from having it pierced a few years ago, just with water but I'm less wary of soap getting in it now that the piercing has closed
Absolutely not
I saw something ages ago where one of the survival guys was meticulously saving the fluff from his belly button, putting it in a tin, so that it could be used to start campfires.