Being an ostomy expert, I hear a lot of questions thrown my way regarding ostomy supplies, stoma care, and pretty much anything else stoma related. I get it – the world of ostomy can be a confusing one, and when you have someone like me who is simply the most experienced and knowledgeable in this area, of course you’d want to ask me some questions! Well the good news for you is that I am willing to patronize you for the next couple of minutes. All too often I hear about people with stomas struggling to figure out what things to avoid and what things to partake in regarding the safety and well being of their stoma. The key to this whole process is that your number one priority should always be to take care of yourself and to take care of your stoma. So when everything is said and done, you should be able to know that you made the right choice. That being said, there are some specific do’s and don’ts that I would like to tell you about today, and I hope that you can learn a thing or two from this article. After all, these ideas are coming at you from someone who is extremely knowledgeable about this topic and definitely has the authority to be speaking on stoma related issues.

So the first thing I am going to tell you about involves the whole process of cleaning out your stoma when you are changing your ostomy pouch. Some people may think that it is a good idea to find some fancy lotions or shampoos in order to clean out their stoma. I can tell you right now that this is a terrible thing to do. The stoma is very sensitive – after all, it is quite literally the inside of your body but on the outside. You wouldn’t swallow a bunch of soap or lotion would you? Similarly, I advise you to not treat your stoma with any such products. Rather, when you are cleaning out your stoma and the surrounding skin (which should occur at least every time you change your ostomy pouch), the best thing to do is to simply use warm water. Then to dry it, you can simply use a soft washcloth or similar towel. No need for any fancy wipes! 

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are products made specifically for ostomy pouches that help prevent a lot of odor from being present. Let’s face it, no one wants to be around the person who is constantly smelling like their leaky stoma. I know many people with ostomies that have lost entire flocks of friends and family, simply because they always smelled so bad. I truly feel bad for anyone who is not taking advantage of some of the wonderful deodorizing products that are made for your ostomy pouch.

They have different types of products too: drops, tablets, liquids, and others! So there is really no excuse for smelling bad all the time, because you have a lot of options at your disposal. One thing that you definitely don’t want to do is use some random cologne, deodorant, or perfume inside your pouch to try to mask the smell. These products can damage your ostomy pouch, and worse, damage your stoma!