After buying expensive ostomy odor control products for years, my light bulb went off. You know those little Arm & Hammer boxes of baking soda? People put them in the fridge to absorb odors. That stuff is a perfect -- and cheap -- alternative. Just a little bit in the pouch after emptying and voila... no odor.
HenryM
Jun 22, 2019 6:50 pm
Riva
Jun 23, 2019 8:35 pm
Don't laugh, I have found popping in a few peppermint Altoids works just fine.
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Posted by: freedancer
In both of my cases, I had no choice. It was surgery or be put 6 feet under! I thank God that He has been with me all these times. Without Him, I never would have known what to do and might not have gone to the hospital when I did. I don't know if you have had your surgery or not yet but I hope you will hang out on this website when you are done. I have learned a great deal through the people here and it is so great having others who have had the same thing done and been through what you are about to or have gone through. The only thing I have turned down is a reversal of the ileostomy. When the doctors did the emergency rebuilding of my original ileostomy this last February, I told them I did not want to go through this again. My doctor told me at that time that I was no longer a candidate for the reversal. In a way, I was very relieved. The last three years of my life have been a nightmare for me. I do not want to go through any of it again. If you wish to be rehooked up and they say you are a good choice for that, research it carefully. Every surgery I have ever had except for Old and New Maxine and the emergency surgery on my broken foot, I have spent weeks researching. I recently had my C5 C6 disk in my neck replaced with an artificial one. I went to my pre-op with 2 pages of questions for the doctor. I knew everything that they were going to do and could talk intelligently with them. I always try to research my adversaries! Don't cancel your surgery. It is nice not to have to suffer any longer with horrible pain. We all had to change a few things around when we had our surgeries but in the long run, most of us are glad we did it. I know I am. Good luck to you!
AGB1982
Jun 24, 2019 7:16 am
Wow! I have to try baking soda and Altoids because I think the ostomy deodorant makes it smell worse... like a public restroom. Thanks for the suggestions.
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britathrt60
Jun 25, 2019 3:57 am
Thanks for the advice... I am definitely going to try the baking soda.
Mrs.A
Jul 07, 2019 2:30 am
I tried baking soda and it seemed to work well, but I always had difficulty getting it into the pouch without making a mess. So after reading this post, I was thinking maybe I will try creating some sachet packets of it using coffee filters cut to size, kind of like a tea bag but still smaller. This way, I can put one in the pouch after emptying when I'm not at home.
Anyone have any other thoughts on how we can make it more portable and user-friendly?
lovely
Oct 13, 2019 1:14 am
I was looking at my eye drops bottle. It is small and you can pop the end off. You could wash it out well and let it dry out. The end should work like a spray. I have not tried it, but I think it would work. I am also going to try baking soda in my bag.
britathrt60
Oct 15, 2019 5:56 am
Hi
Just a little scoop or a teaspoon works... The baking soda works really well. I empty the box of baking soda into a plastic margarine container and keep it in the bathroom. I use a small scoop... Works great with no mess.
Take care
Angela
rossbarbara813
Sep 11, 2022 11:32 pm
I used baking soda, it works. I have also used Tic Tac. That works, too. I am trying a rolled up scented dryer sheet. I will let you know if that works. Trying to find something that works really well, as I can smell the odor a lot. People say they don't smell anything, but I am self-conscious about it.
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Using ostomy accessories to create a personalized pouching system can help you prevent leaks and protect your skin.
Learn about the physical and emotional benefits of using ostomy accessories.
Learn about the physical and emotional benefits of using ostomy accessories.