How can I end the cycle of infection in my piercings?

I have four piercings in each ear, the first of which I got when I was around eight, the last, which are in my cartilage, I got a year and a half ago. I am assuming the sites have healed completely because of the length of time that has passed since the piercing process. However, the areas are always infected, it seems like. The holes often ooze brown, red,or green substances that crust over. Sometimes they begin to hurt, bleed, and swell. If I remove the earrings for a few days and apply hydrogen peroxide, iodine, or alcohol solutions several times daily, the infection goes away. I clean the earrings as well, before replacing them, but the infection tends to return fairly quickly. I’ll admit to wearing cheap earrings in the interest of saving money. If I leave the jewelry out for too long, the site begins to close.
What can I do to fix this permanently? What measures should I take to prevent future infections? I desperately want to keep the piercings, so please do not respond if your only advice is to permanently let them close.