I often get asked by my patients with bottom problems, whether they just had surgery or not, 'How do I clean my backside? Is there a best way?
Given the recent run on toilet paper from the supermarkets, you would think wiping the bottom is the only way that one can clean the area!
A few facts:
Did you know: Around 75% of the world's population do not use toilet paper to clean the bottom. What do they use: water!
Frequent dry toilet paper wiping( and often vigorous,much like sandpapering !) after bowel motion is a common cause of itchy backside, skin ulceration and even infections. 'I just wants to make it clean', says my patient.
Wiping not only remove the faecal matter around the bottom but also remove the oily layer of the skin. The skin around the backside is thinner say than the skin on your arm, so it doesn't take much to remove it and render the area dry and more prone to itch
A better way to clean (at home):
The best way to clean is to wash the area with water. This can be in the form of:
- Hand shower from the shower cubicle (I often find this not as easy)
- Bucket of water with a chux wipe and douche the area (Ikea sells a small tub from the toy section, which fit inside the toilet seat nicely and ideal for this purpose, see the photo below)
- European style bidet
- Japanese style toilet with automatic front and back washing and fan drying (now available in Australia)
- A simple cold water bidet connected to the toilet water inlet, as illustrated in the photo above, is often the simplest and cheapest, most effective option (obtain from eBay, plumbing suppliers)
- Wet wipes (preferably unscented to avoid skin reactions in some) / cloth cleaning
Any of the above methods are fine, some may cost more than others.
After washing, pat dry the area with a soft towel or dry the perianal area with a hairdryer on cold setting
Apply a smear of Calmoseptine ointment (order from chemist) to the anus after cleaning
Use a small cotton swab to the area if required before putting your underclothes on.
A better way to clean (outside your home):
Use unscented wet wipes (obtained from supermakets, chemist in small carry on packet size), some can even be flushed down the toilet. This is ideal especially when source of water may not be near to the toilet.
Try to do no more than 2 passes.
Apply a smear of Calmoseptine ointment (order from chemist) to the anus after cleaning
Use a small cotton swab to the area if required