How do you clean the end of your drainable bag?

Hi guys, I'm fairly new to all of this (got my ileostomy a week ago) and have been wearing a drainable two-piece system with Velcro closing so far, mainly because that's what I got at the hospital. I am still a little unsure of how to clean the opening after emptying my bag.

When I was in the hospital, the nurses would just press the output out of the bag, then let the opening close and wipe the outside with a dry piece of paper. That did the job but never felt quite clean enough for me. I am generally worried a lot that while rolling/unrolling I would get my hands and the rest of the outside of my bag dirty or that something would leak at the edges.

So as soon as I did my own emptying, I would empty, wipe the outside, then crumple up some toilet paper, twirl it on the inside, and then take some baby wipes and wipe the outside again. This makes it much cleaner, but takes quite some time (that opening gets so hard to open once it's a little dirty) and needs more toilet paper. Also, I still don't feel like it's as clean as I'd like it to be. But maybe I'm too squeamish? I am changing the bag daily to feel less gross.

How do you do it? I've seen some people mention that they use water to clean it. From squirt bottles, syringes, or portable bidets. What's your experience with those? What do you find most practical, especially when being away from home? Thanks guys :)

Toilet paper to wipe inside of the opening, then fold the same piece in half to wipe the outside. There's no wrong or right way; just do what you feel is the right way. Some swill the bag out with water; that's too much hassle for me, but it's right for them.

I have two short pieces of TP ready. Use the first piece for pushing output to the end and wiping outside, then crimp the end and use wadded TP to wipe inside. My bags have a stiff end that crimps open easily. Others need more sliding back and forth first.

Sometimes I pour water in and swish it around if the output is thick, but this takes more TP wiping and time.

After 15 months, I can almost do it in my sleep; maybe I have HA.

You will find your own way after a while, and YouTube is helpful.

Best to you during this difficult time.

After you have done it your way, are you happy? If you are, then that's the right way.

IGGIE

Like you, I want a clean bag after I'm done emptying. Because I have IBS-C, I need to empty multiple times. It's not unusual to spend an hour or 90 minutes to finish.

I use baby wipes to clean during and use hot water to clean the bag. It's timely, and the cost of the wipes is worth it. The record number of times is 11.

I have a colostomy, and fortunately, my output is not thick.

Good luck.

How to Stay Hydrated with an Ostomy with Collin | Hollister

First, I clean it with toilet paper and then with baby wipes (with no moisture, just water wipes). As time goes by, you will do it faster; just do what makes you feel better. I always carry baby water wipes with me for emptying outside the home (you never know if there is toilet paper).

I use Kleenex. It's easy to grab and use. I always wipe out the inside. Sometimes I use water to clean the bag out, then the Kleenex.

I use the Coloplast Sensura Mio bags. This is also a Velcro roll-open design, with a separate Velcro closure for shutting.

Typically, I use TP to wipe the edge, then fold the TP and squeeze it again until I don't see anything that is going to squeeze out.

I rarely reach in to wipe. I have used a handheld showerhead to rinse in the shower. I prefer not to introduce moisture as it kills the filter faster.

I also add 4 to 6 m9 drops for odors each time I dump.

Pour some warm water in your bag, swish it around, and empty it. Wipe the inside of your bag with toilet paper or a wet wipe (I don't use them at home much but always when I'm not home). I also tear toilet paper into 2-3 squares each and have a pile on the bathroom counter before emptying, so I'm not trying to tear toilet paper with one hand while holding the bag with the other.

When I put my bag on, I always cut a notch on one side of the opening. It makes it easier to pull the sides apart. I use TP and wipes when I can. I like the top 3 inches cleanish. That's just me 😉

I used to use baby wipes to clean the inside of the opening and then roll it closed and go. If there was poo on the outside of the bag, I would use a wipe to clean that first, then wipe the inside of the bag. Now I use toilet paper, wipe the outside, and then the inside of the bag opening. I twirl the toilet paper around the inside of the bag to try and get everything I can clean. Then I fold and close the bag. I always wash my hands well afterward. It works for me. It helps if you use a thicker toilet paper; the thin kind is too flimsy, I think, and you need more of it. I use 5 squares of toilet paper folded up on each other. I put a crease down the center and use that as a guide to wipe the outside of the bag. Then I fold it in on itself and stuff it down in the opening of the bag and twist it around. I press it to the sides of the opening nearest the top to make sure I get everything off of that part. Then I pull out the toilet paper and toss it in the toilet, fold up the bag, and go. If I feel like it didn't do a good enough job cleaning out the bag, I might follow up with a wipe just to get the last little bits off the inside of the bag, but usually, I don't have to do that.

Hello, Bumblebee!

Hubz uses many of these helpful hints, crimps the end of the bag when it's new for easier opening later, wipes the outside with TP, then uses a rolled-up piece to wipe inside the end, sometimes pours in water/seals/swishes to clear out thicker material, and even used a water bottle designed to get a spray inside the pouch, but the water was getting in behind the wafer, so he backed off that level of cleaning inside the bag (we laughed with his Ostomy Nurse about his 'aggressive bidet' technique!).

One of the best adjustments he's made has been using a shower chair (found for $6.00 at a thrift shop) to sit comfortably while emptying the pouch.

He didn't like standing, sitting, straddling, or kneeling, so now he's sitting level with the toilet bowl and makes it easy to get all the output where it's supposed to go.

Here are photos of the type of chair with adjustable height legs and the spray bottle he still sometimes likes to use, just less aggressively!

Good luck with everything!
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I wipe the outside of the opening with toilet paper, then do the same with the inside. Then I wipe the outside with a baby wipe, roll it all closed and seal it, and do one final wipe with the baby wipe. I always have a Ziploc bag of baby wipes with me when I'm out, in a purse or inside the pocket of my jacket.

Terry

From a previous thread, I thought you and Canada were totally against wipes because of their lasting issues with plumbing and not deteriorating in a timely manner.

I was just going to ask this. I have been told that wipes, even those that state they are flushable, cause major problems when flushed down the toilet.

I miss using them; they clean far better than toilet paper.

Main reason I don't use them much at home anymore. I figure commercial-type buildings have bigger pipes, better pressure, etc.

Yeah.. same appliance here. The 2-piece allows you to invert the bag, add water, then dump. I do that twice, fill and spill. Ha ha. No backsplash. I dump standing upright into a container. Wipe the end of the bag with toilet paper, fold and go. .5 minutes. If that, to do. In and out.

And with Imodium, you won't need to do it again for hours later on.

G-Day Maried,

Still use the wipes, but put them in the trash, not the toilet.

IGGIE

I put some baby oil before I empty, mix it around, and it comes out very cleanly. I use a piece of toilet paper, then a wet wipe.

I use disposable gloves, wipe the inside of the bag end with TP, which is flushable, then use a wet paper towel or baby wipe, take off the glove inside out over the wipe, and dispose of it in the trash, roll it up, and Velcro seal the end. Then I wash my hands. It's hard to get used to, but I'm getting better at 6 weeks for me.