I do sterilize earrings. It's not that I hate germs; I just want to make sure they are clean.

I've never really given it a second thought. I always just buy my earrings and start wearing them right away. I'll have to start sterilizing them now.

To me it's like new panties and bras, always wash them before wearing them. You never know who tried them on before you!

I dip them in rubbing alcohol every time I put a pair in. My lobes are just way too sensitive and can get infected with the slighted things.

only new ones, before I wear them. THen I clean them occasionally.

I don't anymore because I wear 2g tunnels all the time so if I buy regular earrings they only touch the tunnel, not my skin. But I def clean the tunnels when I get new ones, people handle them way too much.

Always clean them! Hate the thought that they may have been in someone else's ears! It freaks me out a little when I see people put them in their ears when trying on at the store. Of course, I'm a huge germaphobe so I realize I'm probably in the minority here.... : )

No, I've never done this. But, I also don't share earrings.

I've never even thought of this!

i didn't even know people do that!

When I use to wear them, yes I did sterilize them. I mean it's not like it's something you do everyday or once a week if you don't have too.

I think everyone should sanitize new earrings. You don't know how many women have tried on those earrings before you bought them.

I didn't know people do that! Yet another thing for me to clean before wearing

I'm always getting infections in my left ear so I have to sterilise them regularly

It's also important to clean them once in a while, even if you're the only person who wears them. Just think about how often you touch your earrings! You've got dirty germs, too.

Bras and panties are one thing, earrings are quite another. I doubt there are dangerous germs that live near the ear that don't live in the air and everywhere else. I think our current society is so obsessed with trying (and failing, of course) to be germ-free that the obsession is at best taking a toll on our mental well beings, and at worst, decreasing our collective immune systems.

I drop them in hydrogen peroxide before I wear a new pair. It does more than just sterilize, it gets rid of any dirt or gunk that could have been caught in them.
I don't really clean my earrings after that, unless I wear them constantly like my studs, which have to be cleaned once a week.

Never even occurred to me. I clean my own earrings if they get dirty. Occasionally I will forget to remove my earring before showering and soap or conditioner will get in the little crevasses or if I have just polished them I'll put them in hydrogen peroxide to remove any left over residue. But my ears aren't sensitive and I don't see any need for me to fret over it now. If my holes got infected of course I would re-think my views on this.

I don't normally but I should remember to do so more often as I have sensitive skin. A friend of mine once had a nasty reaction to some fashion earrings; she broke out in hives and had to stay home for a week! And I thought my skin was sensitive...

i will now!!!

I didn't even know people tried them on in the store. I rarely wear earrings though.

I never even thought about this! Of course I never really considered the fact that people tried them on either. My ears really don't ever get infected at all, so I'm really not that concerned. Occasionally I'll dip my own in peroxide if I wear them too long or they get dirty for some reason, but never new ones.

I always clean new earrings before I put them. Infected piercings are really painful and look absolutely disgusting.

I definitely think sterilizing is the way to go. Just like you said, you never know who has been looking at the earrings you are looking at now, and it is better to be safe than sorry! I do the hold up to ear and imagine while in store and sterilize them once I made the purchase and brought them home.

I give them a quick wipe with alcohol when I bring them home, just to get the worst of the chemicals off them from when they were made. Flux, solder, all that stuff stays on there!

Not really. I don't get infections often, the only time I really have (knock on wood) is when I got my tattoo. Though, the tat is on my ankle, and it wasn't a bad infection.

Any new posts or rings I'd get for my nipples would get sterilized, since they rather thick piercings and still ooze a bit (dead skin), however, my ears are so thin and so healed that I don't think it'd make much of a difference if I did or not. That and I rarely change my earrings (well, any of my piercings really).

It's important I sterilize them to avoid infection.