# Embarrassing pierced-ear problem



## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

I've had my ears pierced for well over 50 years, and I tend to be a bit lazy with them. I have one or two sets of ear-rings that I really like, and I wear them and wear them and wear them for months at a time, never removing them at all until I decide to start again with another set. 

When I removed my last lot, after having worn them for about a year, I was embarrassed to notice that the shaft had turned GREEN! (The ear-rings are silver. Just costume jewellery, but not the real cheapies because I'm allergic to nickel, and they're the hook type - I can't wear studs). 

How do I get the green off the ear-rings? And how to I prevent it happening again?


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## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

Try Wright's Silver Cleaner or plain old toothpaste. Seriously.

You can clean the hole in your ear as well by threading a needle with white cotton thread, and saturating it with rubbing alcohol. IMPORTANT PART--insert the needle through the hole EYE FIRST!!!!!. Gently work the thread back and forth through the hole then withdraw the thread. If the earrings have been in your ears long enough to turn green, you might have a hefty collection of _stuff in the holes. I haven't worn earrings for years, not since a baby goat pulled one of a pair of studs from my ear, but I still clean them every month or so with this method because the skin cells slough off, etc.

Hope this doesn't fall into the EEEWWW category._


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## glazed (Aug 19, 2006)

You can use toothpaste to clean, and clear fingernail polish for a protective coat to prevent future greening.


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## glazed (Aug 19, 2006)

I use _Wright's_.


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## glazed (Aug 19, 2006)

Oh, and just a warning: the "stuff" smells perty darn funky! 

Think toe-jam of the ear holes ... heehee ... okay, ew. 

(I've done that on my daughter with dental floss!)


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## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

MamaCrow, I think ear stuff smells worse than toe-jam. Ear stuff has less exposure to oxygen but thankfully, there usually isn't as much of it as there is toe-jam. 

Thanks for the laugh. I haven't heard the word "toe-jam" in years.

Okay, now this is definitely EEEWWW!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

It is not just you!
I put mine in and forget about them too!
When I remember about them, I take them out, clean them and then clean my ears really well in the shower.
I find that if I take the washcloth and squish my ear lobes I can get them clean that way.
Hopefully you feel better that you are not alone in the ewwwww.


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## glazed (Aug 19, 2006)

:rotfl:

*EW EW EW EW*

:rotfl:


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## Bentley (Jul 10, 2008)

Hmphf ! And girls say boys are yucky.


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

You can clean jewellry by soaking it in gin 

hoggie


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

Strange as it might seem, there are no problems with my ears. No green, no gunk, no infection, all as clean as a whistle. (I had to see my doctor for another reason, and I got him to check.) Perhaps that's due to the daily thorough cleansing they get in the shower.

So the eww factor isn't as bad as it might seem. Just the ear-rings are affected.


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## PinkBat (Jul 15, 2006)

If you're gonna leave earrings in for months at a time I'd get some gold ones.


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