Q: The most common cause for unpleasant belly button odors is dirt and sweat. In most cases, washing up with a little soap and water will clear up any unwanted smells. If it doesn’t, you might have an infection. Look for symptoms such as:  Scaly red skin Tenderness or swelling in or around your belly button Itching Yellow or green fluid or pus leaking from your belly button Fever or general feelings of illness or fatigue If you think you have an infection, make an appointment with your doctor right away. They can evaluate what kind of infection you have and tell you how to treat it properly.  The appropriate treatment will be different depending on whether your infection is caused by bacteria, fungus, or yeast. Don’t try to guess what kind of infection you have, since using the wrong treatment could do more harm than good. Your doctor may swab your belly button to get a sample for testing. This can help them determine what’s causing your infection. If it turns out you have an infection in your belly button, you may need to use an antibiotic or antifungal ointment or powder for a while to clear it up. Your doctor may prescribe a medication or instruct you to buy one over-the-counter. Treating the infection should also get rid of any nasty odors or discharge! Follow any other home care instructions your doctor may have, such as:  Resisting the urge to scratch or pick at your infected belly button Changing and washing your bedsheets and clothing regularly to prevent reinfection Avoiding sharing towels with other people Wearing loose, comfortable clothing to help keep your belly button cool and dry Cleansing your belly button daily with a saltwater solution Sometimes a cyst can form in your belly button, potentially leading to swelling, pain, and bad-smelling discharge. If you have an infected cyst in your belly button, your doctor will probably drain the cyst in their office. They may also prescribe oral or topical antibiotics to help clear up the infection. Follow their home care instructions to help the cyst heal properly.  Ask your doctor for detailed instructions on how to clean and care for your cyst at home. They may recommend putting a warm, dry compress over the area 3-4 times a day. If they applied a dressing, you will need to change it at least once a day until your doctor says you can stop using it.  If your doctor packed the cyst with gauze, you’ll need to return to have it removed after 2 days. Wash the wound with warm water once a day until it heals (usually within 5 days).  If the cyst comes back, you might need to have surgery to remove it completely. For deep cysts, such as urachal cysts, the surgeon will probably make a tiny incision and remove the cyst using delicate instruments, guided by a camera.  You will likely need to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days after the surgery, and should be able to return to your regular activities in about 2 weeks. If you have a deep belly button and don’t clean it often enough, dirt, lint, and oils can build up inside it. Eventually, these materials can form a hardened mass, called an omphalith or navel stone. If this happens to you, make an appointment with your doctor. They can use forceps to gently pull out the stone.  In many cases, navel stones don’t cause any symptoms. Sometimes, however, they can cause sores and infections to develop. You can prevent navel stones by cleaning your belly button regularly with soap and water.
A: Look for signs of infection if regular washing doesn’t work. See your doctor for a diagnosis if you have infection symptoms. Use topical medications to treat a bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection. Ask your doctor to drain a belly button cyst if you have one. Visit your doctor to get navel stones removed if necessary.

Q: None of the metals you find will be 100% silver. Sterling silver is considered "true" silver because it is .925 or more silver mixed with a base metal. Check the jewelry, flatware, and other silver items you are considering buying for stamps that indicate their silver content. Most sterling items are marked with a stamp that says ".925" or "sterling." Other stamps that indicate sterling are "925," "950," "Ster," and  "S.t.g." Examine any pieces you are considering buying with a magnifying glass. Determine whether something is silver or merely silver plated. If you are examining jewelry, you can look for the places the jewelry was most handled, such as the clasp or any linking pieces. If those areas are a different color, the jewelry may indeed be mostly brass or copper. Silver is not attracted by magnets. Bring a magnet when you are going to check a bit of silver you are considering purchasing. If the item is attracted to the magnet, it is likely made of other metals. However, there are metals other than silver that do not respond to magnets, so do not rely exclusively on this method. Your kit will contain bottles of acid and a black basalt touchstone. Use the touchstone to scratch the silver. Test the silver that sticks to the touchstone with the acid. Do not test the piece directly, as it may be damaged by the acid. If your test line turns red, you have silver.  The acid test is reliable, but it can only tell you about the exterior of what you are testing. Test further if you suspect an item is only silver-plated. Silver conducts more sound when tapped or dropped than other metals. Tap or drop items, such as old coins or forks, and listen for a quiet ringing sound. Drop or tap a similar item that you know is not silver, such as a recently minted coin or steel fork, to hear the contrasting sound. Silver does not have a strong smell. Many other metals have a "metallic" or tangy smell. Take a whiff of the silver you are considering purchasing. If it smells coppery or tangy, it is likely an alloy and not silver.
A: Check for silver hallmarks. Check for wear. Check for magnetism. Buy a silver testing kit. Listen to your silver. Smell your silver.

Q: If you don't want to go over alone, have a friend help you. This can also be useful if you left any big items, like electronics, at your ex's place. If you had an extremely messy breakup, a trusted friend can even agree to retrieve items for you.  Make sure you pick the right friend to help. A friend who's prone to drama may be tempted to start a fight with your ex. Instead, opt for a friend who's generally cool and composed, even in stressful situations. If your ex is giving you a really hard time about retrieving your stuff, contact a friend or family member of your ex that you are on good terms with. They may be willing to help you. If your ex is present when you're over, it's best to minimize conversation. If you want to be pleasant, stick to small talk and simple questions rather than bringing up any major issues.  For example, ask, "How's work?" or make a comment on the weather. Avoid open questions and topics that could yield negative answers. Asking "How have you been?", for example, may lead your ex to talk about their difficulty with the breakup. They also may pretend to be fine to hurt your feelings. It can be hard to let go, and you may be tempted to linger at your ex's place and make a lengthy goodbye. Focus on the fact you're there to get your stuff and not address any lingering issues with your ex. As soon as you get through the door, start gathering your things and leave as soon as you finish. If you want to say a goodbye before you go, keep it brief. Now is not the time to drag up lingering resentments or talk over the relationship. Say something like, "I'm going to take off now. I hope you're doing okay." If the two of you lived together, or if you simply left a lot at their place, you may have to make more trips. Grab the absolute essentials, like clothing, on the first trip. Then, before leaving, talk over when you can come back to get the rest of your stuff. You want to keep things as uncomplicated as possible, and physical contact after a breakup can get confusing. Avoid things like a prolonged hug hello or goodbye. If your ex offers a hug or another form of contact, keep it as brief as possible.
A:
Enlist the help of a friend. Make small talk, if necessary. Try not to linger. Make more trips, if necessary. Keep physical contact to a minimum.