Clear out the piercing. To assist eliminate any dried healing fluids, use a saltwater combination (1/2 teaspoon sea salt per 1 cup of water). To clean, use a moderate antibacterial soap and water. You might also employ one of these cleaning treatments on their own. First and foremost, remember to use antibacterial soap to wash your hands. Then, if you'd like, you can soak your piercing in a solution of 1 part vinegar and 9 parts water. Let it sit for 30 minutes before washing it off with clean water. Now that it's cleaned, apply some anti-inflammatory ointment regularly to help relieve any discomfort caused by rubbing against your shirt collar or belt. The piercing is made of surgical steel, which is a hard metal. It needs to be cleaned on a regular basis to keep it looking nice. Use a stainless steel toothbrush to get into all those hard-to-reach places. If you don't, you may end up with rust where there used to be a piercing. There are several things that can go wrong with a belly button piercing. If it starts to look dirty or infected, see a doctor immediately so something doesn't develop into a bacterial infection. A bacterial infection of the piercing could lead to serious problems such as abscesses or gangrene. An abscess is an accumulation of bacteria and blood cells that form around a wound at body temperature.