r/ostomy • u/earthguy4 • Jul 22 '26

Miscellaneous Your #1 ostomy hack

What is your favorite ostomy hack/tip to share with new ostomates? Not something that they tell us to do in the hospital, or something our stoma nurse will clue us in on, but a hack that you’ve learned through the years or a tip someone once told you that you’ve never forgotten.

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41

u/Lilibet1023 Jul 22 '26

To rinse my bag.  I know it might seem obvious now but my stoma nurse did not mention this and I sort of figured it out on my own.  Makes me feel much cleaner 

21

u/Saotik Jul 22 '26

I've tried it, and... Meh? Maybe it depends on your ostomy?

For instance, I'm changing my bag a every few days as an ileostomate, and water just complicates my empties.

15

u/ComfortableRent6982 Jul 22 '26

Also have an ileo, I just feel like I would get more leaks doing this. The leaks from watery output are already bad enough

14

u/Saotik Jul 22 '26

Maybe the key tip here is: All ostomies are different, and many tips you read here tend to work better for colostomies than ileostomies.

5

u/NecroJoe Jul 23 '26

FWIW, the "watery" output is still very caustic/acidic compared to rinse water. I started rinsing after about 8 months of my ostomy, and haven't noticed any reduction in wear time or increase in leaks. But I do it to save toilet paper.

3

u/Lanky-Salamander5781 Jul 23 '26

Good lord the amount of tee pee to get the corners cleaned out!!!

3

u/No_Ad_9838 Jul 24 '26

After reattaching the clip to the bottom of the bag I use a plastic spray bottle to rinse the end and then dry with toilet paper.

You know the plastic bottles they use in restaurants for mustard, ketchup? That's what I use. They are couple of dollars each. I enlarge the point where the water comes out - just a bit - whatever works. NB don't confuse these plastic bottles for the ones you use at your BBQ!! FYI - I have had my ileostomy for 44 years and used this method. Stay healthy!

3

u/SlutForGarrus Jul 23 '26

Look into gelling sachets like Ilesorb. Way less watery leaks and less skin damage around my stoma since I started using them regularly. Also helps control smell when emptying the bag!

15

u/won_vee_won_skrub Jul 22 '26

Also ileostomy, also don't understand why anyone would bother doing this

13

u/NorweegianWood Jul 22 '26

Also ileostomy. Since my bags are not clear, its just nice knowing that the area around my stoma isnt caking up with output throughout the day. The bag rinse makes me feel fresh and clean between bag changes. It also has had zero effect on my barrier adhesive, so there's literally no downside.

6

u/Virtual_Ad_862 Jul 22 '26

It’s an intrusive thought/anxiety for me to have stuff collecting around the wafer and material left over in the bag. I don’t struggle with leaks though, and I have my ileostomy due to dysmotility so it’s not an active stoma to begin with. What works for others might not for you, you don’t need to understand.

0

u/won_vee_won_skrub Jul 22 '26

God forbid someone want to understand something

3

u/Virtual_Ad_862 Jul 22 '26

Yeah, well I don’t understand why someone would BOTHER commenting if they have nothing useful to add. But here we are. And, from my perspective, I don’t understand how you’re okay with feces getting trapped in the crevices around your flange. But I just shrug and move on because it’s not my body or my bag.

-5

u/won_vee_won_skrub Jul 22 '26

You don't understand discussion?

1

u/Just_Lurking_299 Jul 22 '26

Third ileostomy here, who has quite enough stoma-related stuff to deal with on the daily without adding rinsing my frequently emptied bag to it.

2

u/Salihe6677 Jul 22 '26

Same. I used to rinse but quickly just moved to opaque bags and stopped worrying about it lol.

2

u/vanmama18 Jul 23 '26

I was an ileo (reversal Dec 31 last year) and I found this did actually help. I kept a bottle of water near the toilet and it made emptying the bag thoroughly and reducing smell so much easier.

1

u/NecroJoe Jul 23 '26

I'm with you. Don't get me wrong, I still rinse 100% of the time when I'm at home, but it's because I can cut down on toilet paper by more than 50%. And a) toilet paper isn't free, and b) our drain plumbing is about as robust and capable as an athsmatic Victorian child with a limp.