My mate is an ostomate. It's been about 6 months now. I change his flanges for him and really monitor his skin - and none of that bothers me. Right now we have one bathroom in a rented condo. I don't mind the initial smell. We turn on a fan and open the condo doors and it leaves in 20 minutes or so. He uses the drops in the bags, and uses air sprays. I don't complain, but he knows I have a sensitive nose and I'm allergic to everything. I think the lingering smell is from the reusable bags hanging around. They hang in the shower while they dry, then I put them on a towel rail when I shower. What I want to know is, once they are dry, can I store them in a ziplock? I don't want bacteria to grow in the bags in between uses, so I am concerned about doing that. I don't say anything to him because I really, really don't want him to feel badly, but I really hate doing anything that takes longer than a minute in that bathroom! Thanks for your help.

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We conducted a survey to better understand the impact that living with an ostomy has on sleep.
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Learn the results of our ostomy sleep survey.
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Talking about having an ostomy can be uncomfortable for most people. Still, it's something you can't always avoid.
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Learn about some strategies that can make it easier to talk about your stoma.