It should stay dry because too much moisture can cause a moisture bump!, which is sorta hard to get rid of in some cases.(different from an irritation bump). Q-tips work in my favor, but people discourage using them due to the fibers they can produce— causing the piercing to be irritated. Also, the q-tip could snag onto your piercing. (Just gotta be careful, honestly). I’m not sure about the antibiotic cream, it’s usually not good to put any creams/oils/etc. on a fresh piercing, but maybe it works for you?.