Sterilization of the needle, tools, supplies and jewelry for a navel piercing is crucial for your safety. Performing a navel piercing without sterilizing the equipment can lead to bacterial infections and the transmission of diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no cure for diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV, which are diseases that can be transmitted during a navel piercing with non-sterile equipment. A piercer learns how to sterilize belly button jewelry during an apprenticeship under a master piercer.
Step 1
Place a pair of gloves on your hands. Remove the belly button ring from the packaging or jewelry baggie. Fill your ultrasonic cleaner with distilled water. Ultrasonic cleaners combine high frequency sound waves, heat and liquid to remove hard or dried bacteria or fluids from your navel jewelry during a sterilization cycle.
Add a powdered detergent--specifically made for ultrasonics--into the ultrasonic cleaner. Place the belly button ring in the basket. Press the switch on the front of the ultrasonic cleaner to the "on" position. Seal the top of the ultrasonic cleaner with the steel cover. Remove your gloves.
Step 2
Put on clean gloves after the timer alerts you that the ultrasonic cycle is complete. Remove the jewelry from the ultrasonic cleaner and place on a lap cloth to dry. Remove your gloves and wash your hands.
Write the date and the jewelry type, size and length on the paper side of a sterile pouch. Fill the reservoir with distilled water if the reservoir is empty in the autoclave. Turn the knob on the autoclave to the "fill" option.
Step 3
Don a fresh pair of gloves. Remove or twist off any beads on the navel ring. Insert the belly button jewelry into the sterile pouch. Pull the strip off the top of the pouch to reveal the adhesive. Fold over the flap to seal the pouch.
Step 4
Place the sterile pouch onto a tray in the autoclave. Put an indicator strip in with the pouch on the same tray. Close the autoclave door and set the dial to "sterilize". Some autoclaves may have a setting that says "cycle". Run the autoclave for 45 minutes. Dispose of your gloves.
Step 5
Turn the dial on the autoclave to "vent" once the cycle is over. Remove the sterile pouch from the autoclave with gloved hands after the autoclave completes the vent cycle. Place the sterile pouch immediately on a piercing set-up or store in an acceptable container for sterile items. Check the indicator strip in the autoclave and the indicative color on the pouch to ensure the jewelry is sterile.
Tips and Warnings
- Run a load of 10 jewelry items in the autoclave at one time to save time and energy.
- Never use an autoclave without proper training. Jewelry removed from autoclaves is hot to the touch. Never immediately insert jewelry after an autoclave cycle. Never touch sterile items with dirty gloves or bare hands.
Things You'll Need
- Navel jewelry
- Gloves
- Ultrasonic cleaner
- Ultrasonic detergent
- Lapcloth
- Sterile pack
- Pen
- Autoclave
- Distilled Water
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