Dealing with Ostomy Smells - Need Effective Solutions!

I use the M9 drops. But they don't help with the smell! I get so embarrassed emptying in public, at someone's house, church, etc.... I need help with something that hides the smells! What helps!!

Nothing... really. We eat, we digest, we poop. Bad odors are part of the process. Deodorizers slightly alter the smell to be less pungent.

We have an old saying at work about someone who thinks they are better than everyone else: "That dude thinks his shit don't stink."

Yes, even the most famous celebrities, models, corporate CEOs, and our infirm President, all have one thing in common; their shit stinks too.

Don't be embarrassed. For the majority of us, an ostomy saved our life or gave us respite from pain, suffering, or life governed by knowing where the nearest bathroom is at all times.

The only part we can control is bag burping to release gas. Though sometimes I do it near coworkers to "awaken them from their lazy malaise."

Take care

Hi there. You can use "Before You Go" toilet spray such as Poo-Pourri. You can order at www.poopourri.com. There are others out there that are less expensive such as Air Wick and Sure Scents. It does help some. Make sure you have a fan going too.

Hi Jacinta,

We hear ya! Me thinks Beachboy hasn't fully experienced the worst of poop stink. Before I got my ostomy, I would clear a men's room it stunk so bad. And I'm not kidding. Guys would yell, "How about a courtesy flush, please," because it stunk so bad. So when your insides are a mess... the smell can be unbelievable! Luckily, this topic has been discussed on here a zillion times, so just search for "odor" or "stink" and I'm sure you'll find tons of hopefully useful suggestions! I feel your pain! I don't have that issue now, as I don't have enough bowel for things to ferment and do the stinkeroo... so I can't tell you what works these days and what doesn't... but folks on here sure know.

;O)

The only thing that has impressed me for covering smells in the air is the M9 spray in green apple scent. Poo-Pourri would be my second choice, but it's more intended to spray on the toilet water as it leaves a film on the water to trap the smells as your output goes under the water. I really don't use any of it anymore since I started kneeling when I empty while flushing the toilet, so 99% of it's gone as I empty. However, I've been told that my shit does stink sometimes (I know, I know, hard to believe coming from me. 🤷‍♂️😂), so I put a heavy dose of Walmart air freshener lavender scent in the air, and that completely converts my smell to a shitty flower aroma that makes the dogs sneeze and my girlfriend gag. 🤭 Oops.

Tips on Hernia Prevention with Collin | Hollister

When I first had the ileostomy and I was in rehab with awful food, I used this because at that point it was really bad, the smell. So embarrassing. Now it doesn't really smell. The reason I use that primarily is because it works for my dog too. A little goes a long way. I still use it for her mostly: Zep 3-oz Clean Refill Air Freshener. I also read online somewhere that there's a girl that uses a few drops of peppermint essential oil in the bag. I would put it on a piece of toilet paper and then put it in the bag because I would worry how the oil would act with the plastic. But I just use the Zep for now.

If you have the option, clean the toilet with a toilet brush and cleaner or bleach spray cleaner. I would not use bleach spray and air freshener at the same time, though. I used to spray Gain-scented Febreze, and that seemed to handle it. You don't need to spray a lot either, just a couple of sprays. Do not spray sprays into your toilet, though, as over time it will turn into funk. Just spray up in the air.

I alternate using a lubricating deodorant and a couple of Tic Tacs with every empty. Usually twice with the mints, followed by once with the deodorant. I also stay away from large doses of stinky foods, such as onions. I have an ileostomy, and that routine seems to work pretty well. That and frequent toilet scrubs. I almost never have to use things like a spray odor mask.

Daniel

Restrooms at my work are internet cubicals for cell phone lazy asses.  I'm proud to "clear them out."  

Hopefully as they wobble back to their desks... they are seeing "spots" and cursing my name.   

Ya poop !

Yes, Poo-Pourri is great - I keep a small can next to the toilet - it says to spray first, but I also spray after flushing for the last time... would be easy to carry in a purse as well.

But what about the brain fog they suffer while trying to do their best job? Here's an opportunity for you - develop a spray that permeates the stall air with a pleasant smell and also includes big pharma's latest drug for increased memory power… then give it a clever name… perhaps FARTS SMARTS… a great side hustle for you - make some moolah and promote a team player attitude and much adoration for you better than being a shit-stirrer… 🤭. jb

I like "Be Free" from ostostore.com. You can contact them to get a free sample. A couple of squirts in the pouch reduces the smell considerably. As AlexT mentioned, the M9 spray is good at eliminating smells in the air.

Who is the manufacturer of M9?

I've been using lemon spray and throwing a couple of Tic Tacs in the bag. 😊

Hollister makes M9.

I start flushing as soon as my poo hits the water, and flush again after cleaning the end of the opening, so most of the output hardly has time to smell up the bathroom. On the other hand, most bathrooms have fans and many public bathrooms have constantly running fans. Honestly, I've never really understood what the big deal is. I mean, a bathroom is where we all have to go have a poop, and we all know that our poop stinks, right Alex? Isn't it reasonable to expect a little smell in a bathroom from time to time? That's what the fans are for, and they work. I understand people being concerned about smells coming from their ostomies, but this is just going to the bathroom we are talking about. Ostomy or not, we all have to poop, and we all run the same risk of stinking up the bathroom, right? I certainly don't make the bathroom any stinkier now than pre-ostomy, and isn't the bathroom the one place that it's normal to expect some stink? Anyway, glad I got that off my chest!

Terry

Most women I know say their crap smells of roses??? My arse or yours?? 😂😂

That's a good idea with the oil.

I've used Tic Tacs too but did not see any effect. I get the pong even if the bag is empty and just changed it. I end up putting a patch on the vent but it still penetrates through like osmosis.

Even spray my bag outside with aftershave. Fkn nightmare 😊

Hollister M9. It works, but if you eat something that causes your poo to smell, you still might smell something, but not as strong. When I'm on antibiotics, nothing works lol!

Whilst I notice a smell, I am not sure anyone else does. No one has said a word about it. At home, I am constantly cleaning up my messes! Just no way to prevent the stains, etc. in the toilet bowl. I do not know how the underside of the seat gets so much black stuff on it! All a learning curve. I just scrub. At work, I clean up as best I can with toilet paper, the rest is up to the cleaning people.

If my fellow poop house inhabitants develop "brain fog" from odorific emanations from the Beachboy "Bag O' Fun," a decrease in their already lackluster work performance would go unnoticed. Providing a "pleasant smell" for the aforementioned "inhabitants" would lull them into a stupor, from which they would unlikely recover.

I use M9. To say it does not work puzzles me.

Did you read the instructions? You just might need more than it states.

Altoid breath mints crushed had also helped.

Tic Tacs have a hard coating and may not melt. Altoids do not. Crushing would increase effectiveness, I found.

(I found the B.S. thread.)

It probably makes a difference if you have a colostomy or an ileostomy. Personally, I use Hollister Adapt lubricant/deodorant and then I add some M9. I am impressed that there is no odor. I have never tried it, but I understand that adding Altoids to your bag has been effective.

If you have a colostomy, then irrigation is another option open to you.

I read on another ostomy forum recently that somebody ran out of the M9, but they had Listerine, alcohol-free, mint mouthwash, and they put a little bit of that in their bag, and it worked to reduce smell.

Antibiotics are horrible, yeah.

Anytime fecal matter is enclosed in an airtight environment, it is going to create excess odor because the type of bacteria that live in your gut proliferate with less oxygen. Think about it, your gut doesn't have much oxygen in it.

So unfortunately, if you have a stoma, there will be smell, and the only way that humans have ever found to counteract this, because we find it unpleasant, is just that we cover it up with stronger, more immediate smells until the fecal smell dissipates.

True. However, if that enclosed environment (the bag in our case) is sealed properly, the odor doesn't leave the bag until we empty it. Whether a person has an ostomy or not, when the poop/gas comes out… it stinks. Until then, a person should not smell like crap.

Exactly. The only time I start having concerns about bag odor is when I have gone a bit too far between changes. Especially with an ileostomy and a two-piece system. If I go too much past 5 days or so, the pouch gets a bit ratty, and the occasional carelessness when flushing the thing can leave residual crap clinging to the outside of the bag. At that point, hygiene is more of a concern than odor. :-)

Daniel