Dip your finger or a soft washcloth in a solution of saltwater (about a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of warm water) and gently massage the inside of your navel. This should loosen stubborn germs that can cause odor. Then rinse with plain water and pat it dry.
Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and gently rub the surfaces inside your bellybutton. If the swab gets dirty, throw it away and start a new one. Once the cotton swab comes out clean, use a fresh one dipped in water to rinse the alcohol out of your bellybutton so it doesn't dry your skin.
To treat an infection
Keep the skin of your belly button clean and dry. Use an antifungal powder or cream to clear up a yeast infection. For a bacterial infection, your doctor might recommend using an antibiotic ointment. Some infections may require oral antibiotic treatment, incision and drainage of the cyst, or both.
Using warm water and mild soap, use a washcloth to gently clean around and just inside the belly button. Rinse with clean, warm water and dry with a towel to make sure that all water has been removed from the belly button. Showering or bathing regularly can help to prevent skin problems and odor.
Dip your finger or a soft washcloth in a solution of saltwater (about a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of warm water) and gently massage the inside of your navel. This should loosen stubborn germs that can cause odor. Then rinse with plain water and pat it dry.
Depending on the sensitivity of your skin, you can use water, a saltwater solution, or hydrogen peroxide to clean your belly button. Dip one side of a cotton swab into a cleansing agent and gently wipe your belly button.
You should regularly be giving your belly button a little extra TLC to make sure it stays clean and infection free. “I recommend patients clean their navel daily in the shower with gentle soap and water,” says Dr. Bard.
If your belly button is “leaking” clear or colored discharge or blood, you may have a bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection. Crusty skin, strong odor, itching, and redness are also signs of infection. If discharge and crust stick around after you wash your belly button, you should see your doctor.
Treatment: Use an antifungal cream such as miconazole nitrate (Micatin, Monistat-Derm) or clotrimazole (Lotrimin, Mycelex), and keep your navel clean and dry.
If the belly button becomes infected, a person should see a doctor for advice and prescribe medication if needed. The symptoms of an infection are redness, itching, and swelling. Sometimes, there may be fluid or pus, which can harden to form a crust around the area.
Summary. When your belly button smells, it is usually because of a hygiene need or infection. The belly button contains several tiny skin folds that can trap sweat, dirt, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Possible infections include candidiasis, bacterial infections, or an infected urachal cyst.
Speaking of hygiene, the tiny clods of fluff you find stored away in your belly button are particularly unhygienic. A chemical analysis of the stuff, performed by chemist Georg Steinhauser, revealed that it's more than just cotton from your clothing — it's also flecks of dead skin, fat, sweat and dust.
A navel stone is sometimes called an omphalolith or umbolith. It is a condition where substances like sebum, or skin oil, hair, dead skin cells, and dirt can accumulate and form a hardball. The stone is usually a dark color and firm to the touch. They may resemble a large blackhead in the opening of the navel.
Rub Spirit (nail polish remover): spirit is a volatile liquid. It will clean the belly button and impart a cooling sensation. Rubbing Alcohol: Rubbing alcohol over the belly button can also be good to keep it clean.
Use ONLY the recommended cleaning agents. The following products will irritate the new tissue, delay healing and SHOULD BE AVOIDED: Antibacterial soap, Bactine, Tea Tree, Witch Hazel, Ear cleaning solution, Peroxide, Alcohol, Antibiotic ointments.
Basic Care for a Clean Belly Button
 If your belly button is dry, use Neosporin or Vaseline. Place it into your belly button and gently work your way around the navel. Do not apply a discomforting amount of pressure. Repeat the above steps if your belly button is still dirty.
They may also use cotton swabs soaked in sterile saline to loosen the stone from the navel. Another approach involves soaking the stone, or omphalolith, in sterile olive oil , then removing it with gentle manipulation.
An umbilical fistula, an abnormally developed passageway between the intestines and the umbilicus, can cause fecal matter to leak from the navel. It goes without saying, if poop is coming out of your belly button, you should seek medical attention.
As a result, you could get a yeast infection in your bellybutton. Smell. Even if you don't develop a yeast infection, the accumulation of sweat, dirt, dead skin cells, and lint can cause your bellybutton to smell. Omphaloliths.
While most belly button piercings heal without issues, bacteria can infect the area before healing is complete. Infections are usually minor. Symptoms can include pain, redness, and swelling, and improving hygiene can help. Complete healing can take 9–12 months.
Cleaning belly button piercing with soap and water
Water and a mild soap will do the job perfectly. Look for soap designed for sensitive skin, and avoid anything that's heavily fragranced.
With mild soap and a washcloth, gently clean around and just inside your belly button. Rinse. Repeat. When you get out, dry it with a corner of your towel or a cotton swab, Make sure to get all the water out as excess moisture can aid bacteria.
No one wants a smelly belly button that's full of germs, dirt and who knows what else. Luckily, all that unwanted stuff inside the navel can be safely removed through regular cleanings. To minimize bacteria and extract anything else that may become trapped in there, experts recommend a weekly hygiene routine.
A navel stone forms when sebum and keratin from dead skin cells collect in your belly button. The material accumulates and hardens into a tight mass. When it's exposed to oxygen in the air, it turns black through a process called oxidation.
Bacterial Infection
If you think you have an infection in your belly button, you should call your doctor so that you can have the area cleaned carefully. You may also need prescription antibiotics to kill the bacteria before it spread to other parts of your body.