Quick and Clean Method to Empty a Drainable Pouch

I got tired of squeezing out poop; it's time-consuming and messy. I figured out how to do it faster and cleaner. I open the pouch, point it up towards my chest, and pour 1/2 of a water bottle (8 oz or so, depending on the amount of poop inside). I close it back up and squish it up and down until it turns like diarrhea, stand over the toilet bowl, bend down, and open the pouch (point it up towards you), flush the toilet, and point the pouch down towards the swirling water and release the flap until it empties out. I repeat the process one more time to rinse it out. I usually stuff 3 sheets of toilet paper into the pouch up past the folding flaps and close it up. It usually takes me less than 2 minutes to empty the pouch. P.S. It takes practice to master it, but you will really be better off in the long run. :)

Great, you discovered a draining routine that works for you.

It can be somewhat harder to do in busy public restrooms. Being lazy, I let my bags fill up a bit, resulting in not much room left for a water swish.

Thanks for your idea.

Hello ZZNIPER.
Thanks for sharing your technique.
Mine is almost identical except that I use an irrigation sleeve instead of a bag, which is much easier to rinse and flush out. It is also both easier to put water in from a tap and the sleeve reaches the water level in the toilet - so no splashback.

Best wishes

Bill  

Indeed a clever idea. Thank you.

I have been doing this for a few years. It was suggested by a member here.

It sounded safe, easy, effective.

May I just add...using a container to dump into, like a painter's cup? Something with a handle? Why? Well, unless you are kneeling at the throne, or a very very short person, this cup saves your knees/back if you have issues bending them.

I do. And there's not a lot of backsplash. No toilet paper need be lining the bowl; it's a win-win situation since I don't sit or kneel at the throne of poop gods.

Just flush as you pour. No smell, no mess. Wash out the container. Put it under the sink cabinet.

Your knee, your back, and wallet will thank you. 👍😆

The original idea (standing, that is) was from AlexT, I believe.

And speaking of the man, he comments as I write this. Cool beans, huh?

Pretty much how I do it everywhere I go. Everyone carries a water bottle around nowadays so taking one into a public bathroom is no big deal. I also carry flushable wet wipes for use at work and public places cause those big commercial rolls of toilet paper are hard to tear off one handed. I have pretorn toilet paper before if there is somewhere to lay it but the wipes work way better, only cost $1.62, and 1 pack will last me a week. I haven’t laid toilet paper on the water in years since CPlumber posted on here about emptying as the toilet water goes down. It takes the output and almost all the smell away in a second or two. Not sure why you’d stuff toilet paper into the bag when you’re done. 🤷‍♂️

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

The fewer holes in an ostomy bag, the better IMO.

Hello Shamrock.

Sorry! I forgot to mention in my contribution to this post that Irrigation sleeves also have a top opening, which is quite useful for precisely the reason you mention.
Best wishes
Bill 

There is the "e z vent" poppet valve available, which I have tried and it's a solid idea. A poppet plastic valve.

I would replace that stupid worthless charcoal air vent if I could, and install this valve that you can manually purge. Also, with the aid of a syringe 💉, pop the valve open and do a squirt of whatever you want. I'd prefer water.

I think I have some around here I ordered a long time ago for the purpose of purging air.

A bit time-consuming to install.

It's a kit with glue. You don't remove that charcoal filter. No.

You add this above it. Higher.

Too bad innovative ideas like this would hurt bag sales - the bottom line - profit.

One must think outside the box for oneself.

The o.p. - ZZ- hasn't identified what type of ostomy he has.

It sounds like an ileo, but he regrets the bulk which is rare for an ileo, unless he is eating really well. Kudos. 👍

Seems like a good idea discovered by many independent of others. I have never attempted to empty a pouch because one of the rehab nurses introduced me to the convenience of closed-end pouches. This works for me since I have a colostomy.

I think closed end bags are awesome. Those of us with colostomies are blessed in this regard. 

They're probably impractical for most people with ileostomies. 

I appreciate the ileostomy advice because some of it applies to colostomies and some of it is helpful for dealing with my drain. I love the flush then empty tip since the output from my drain is vile and deodorizer drops cannot be added (sealed system). 

I never rinse out my bag now... I just empty it, add M9, and clean the tail end really well.

I use a one-piece and change almost daily. In my case, that stale shit smell gets worse by the day, even if I rinse my bag.

Alex, those so called 'flushable' wipes are really not flushable.  They are clogging up the sewer systems in towns and cities all over the world.  We've had local authorities making pleas to the public for years, not to flush them.  I'm not sure why the manufacturers are still allowed to label them as flushable.  Just an FYI.

Terry

The hospital I was in won't stock flushable wipes because the nurses and CNAs will flush them, even though they are not supposed to, clogging up the system. 😮 They use wash cloths everywhere instead.

Well, all I can say is I’ve used them while out hunting and within a week they are gone from natural weather conditions since they are plant based. 🤷‍♂️ The last time I had the main sewer drain from the house to the street cleaned out due to tree roots, the plumber said they pull ostomy bags and those ostomy bag liner things out of pipes all the time, especially in public places. 

I think most hospitals adapted to a "no wipes" policy because of damage or plugging up the toilet pipes. I bring my own baby wipes just to clean myself up if I can't get out of bed while there, and just throw the wipe in the trash.

Having some 300 beds to patient ratio, tossing wipes down the toilet—I do understand this policy and respect it.

I always carry a water bottle wherever I go, to stores, parks, baseball, and football games. And believe me, I have emptied my pouch this way in all these places numerous times, lol. I always carry 2 spare pouches in my back pocket. There have been numerous times that the pouch has broken its seal and the water bottle comes in handy (especially if you're in a porta potty) to use to wet paper towels and clean the pouch area and apply a new pouch. We need to keep a positive attitude; we who have this ordeal to live with. Thank God for this invention to keep us alive. ;)

Wow, that's crazy. Some people are lazy and have no common sense. Grrrrrrrrr

 Warrior i have a drainable pouch.   ;  )

Yes. Me too.👍

I saw that. This is why I suggested a dump-in container.

(Drain into it, then pour.)

Found doing this works well for me. Offered it up to us ileos.

Thinking of a trick or hack. Dig?

Alex, I stuff toilet paper near the opening to absorb water that sticks to the inside of the pouch when draining. It helps in absorbing moisture and keeps sewer water from leaking out of the closure, as you know these pouches are not completely leak-proof.

Hmm, so you're leaving the TP inside the mouth of the bag to act like a sponge? Is that it?

I flush the toilet before I empty the pouch and it will not splash. ; )

Yes, exactly Warrior.

I let whatever water drains out drain out and then close the bag, never had an issue with any excess water leaking out. 🤷‍♂️

Warrior, I have a sigmoid colostomy; unfortunately, it's permanent. I had a reversal, kept getting sick, and 3 years later had to go back for surgery, and now it's permanent. It's a service-connected disease from the Gulf War, which I struggled with for years with intestinal disease, and now I have to deal with this end result. Thank God, finally, I have relief now for over 9 years without getting sick. ;)

I flush while emptying my "container" into the toilet.

You get that hurricane effect! It just sucks everything down the hole. 🌀👍

I'm glad the ends justified the means for you.

I wasn't aware you had a colostomy. People write in saying they have an ostomy but neglect identifying it initially. So we are left "generally speaking" in reply.

I am 8 years living with an ileo.

We learn a lot of tricks or hacks from the more experienced people with stomas.

The question is whether they listen to it or have a pity party.

Thanks for your service, Bro.

👍 Welcome aboard.

Thank you for your service. I regret that you are suffering a permanent illness from it. I hope your VA is treating you right. 

Is there a specific name for what you got from the Gulf? I work with a guy that was over there and he has issues but they’ve never figured out what it is. 

I've had a colostomy for 24 years now. I've tried different methods, and after getting the splashback effect from the toilet into my face early on in the first few months of having an ostomy back in 2001, I built an outhouse with a simple hole in the floor, and the problem was solved. I live rurally, so this probably won't go over well with neighbors in the city. The outhouse solved the problems of splashback, and there is no odor at all in the house, as these things really stink and mess up the toilet and beyond. I was disgusted to see poop splash back on the toilet tank and the walls and constantly cleaning it; this problem has been solved. Being a senior, I want to stay in this rural setting for as long as I can. I don't look forward to having to deal with splashback if I have to downsize to senior apartment living due to aging health conditions that would preclude me from living a rural lifestyle.