Belly button cleaning - yes or no?

[Bellybuttonquestion]

With friends the other night, the subject of belly button cleaning or not came up.

Caused quite a debate as one party said you never need to clean your belly button, it’s self cleaning and why would you? The other party said of course you clean your belly button every time you shower, just have a quick wipe around with shower gel like the rest of your body and all done.

There was incredulity on both sides at the others opinion.

So, to the popular vote:

YABU - there is no need to clean your belly button, it’s ridiculous.

YANBU - of course you clean your belly button when you have a shower.

I clean mine while in the bath or shower. I know someone who was told by his ex wife that the inside of your belly button smells like your vagina I said it should smell clean if you wash it.

I suppose it they're all different and if someone has a relatively flat belly button then it may not focused cleaning...Surely most people cover it when they lather up in the shower?

Self-cleaning? It's not a bloody oven, of course it needs washing.

Yes, every time
I use exfoliating gloves so just lather up and use a finger to properly clean in it, and dry after

Of course you should clean it, the same way you clean between your toes. Otherwise it will be dirty.

It most definitely isn't self cleaning.

How would it be self-cleaning? How is that meant to work? It isn't a vagina.

Some people don't wash their feet so...

I've never cleaned my belly button or between my toes

😂

I don’t really clean mine, or particularly between my toes. No issues (or smells) here!

I can't touch my belly button. It makes me want to heave (as does this thread if I'm honest; no idea why I clicked on it 😂)

I suppose mine gets washed when I'm in the shower. It's quite deep and gets sediment in ,and I occasionally clean that with aqueous cream and cotton wool

Why wouldn’t you clean between your toes?
I wash my belly button and feet

I don't see how it could possibly be self cleaning.

I guess I don't specifically clean mine, but mine is pretty much flat - there is no "inside" to clean.

Some people must have horrible toe jam 😷

Yes always wash it and make sure it’s dry after mine is quite deep !!! X

Jesus 🤦‍♀️

It depends if you've got a inny or outy, or flat. Mine is kind of flat, so gets washed when I wash my tummy.

I have also never cleaned between my toes..... They spend 8 minutes swishing in foamy water....... Sorted 😂

Same...mine is very deep and can get really quite minging if it's warm. Needs cleaning properly daily (as do feet...I've no words for the posters who think they have self-cleaning feet and belly buttons! Rank 🤢)

I try to clean mine, but it's not as easy as it uses to be. I had a nice circular innie belly button that I could easily clean with a finger. Then I had keyhole abdominal surgery which involved a camera and surgical instrument going in via an incision to the belly button. When it was sewn up it was much smaller and more of a narrow slit, and I can no longer get a finger in it. I do try to get soap suds into it but not sure how well that cleans without a finger to scrub.

Seems there's a fair amount of people who don't know how to wash themselves properly.

I have quite a deep belly button. The one time I decided to try and really clean out the crevices I got a fungal infection, probably due to irritating the skin. Never did that again! I have dry sensitive skin so don’t use any form of soap anywhere in the shower except armpits. I never clean between my toes but my feet don’t really sweat much or produce anything that needs cleaning off so don’t see the need to (never ever had stinky feet). Rarely I use a skin scrub if my foot skin looks dry. Maybe because I have dry skin, I don’t feel body skin is something that needs washing unless there’s a reason eg muddy, removing sunscreen etc. But I realise everyone’s skin is different!

😬

Get them to google omphalolith (with a bucket handy if they have a weak stomach) then tell them to go have a good scrub!

Given that most people have either showers or baths as their washing routine (very few I would imagine ONLY have strip washes with flannels),,,, then feet and belly buttons get washed within that shower or bath, no need for specific 'cleaning', the soapy water will be swilling about them.

And as for 'cleaning' being needed or not needed, I presume a human body wasnt evolved with the need for soap in mind? Just water