Keeping an ostomy bag clean and reducing odors

[Shamrock4806]

Keeping an ostomy bag clean and orderless is quite a challenge but here are some tips I learned. Feel free to add your own from experience!

1: Very gently water bottle rinsing the bag out without squeezing which, like pancaking, will cause the barrier seal to break. What your trying do here is reduce the source of the odor, rotting output.

2: Adding toothpaste, ostomy odor (with lubrication if you need it) drops, potpourri spray (a toilet odor control spray) just to the mouth area of the drainage bag after rinsing seems to help control odor.

3: After flushing the toilet a few splashes of Mr. Clean with Febreze (or similar) into the water to handle left over lingering room smell. And remains fresh and clean smelling during the next dump, which with an illeostomy can be mere seconds later.

4: Diet control that reduces foods or drinks that cause odor. Like fish and asparagus especially. Also produces a more liquid or smooth flowing output (but not in great volume that causes dehydration) that drops to the bottom of the bag instead of hanging around near the top which is harder to get to to rinse without laying down or using a tube line device.

[GeorgeS]

This is likely good advice for someone with an ileostomy. However, IMO, m9 is the best solution for colostomy. It's not an odor cover-up. It has a chemical reaction that eliminates odors.

[Shamrock4806]

This is likely good advice for someone with an ileostomy. However, IMO, m9 is the best solution for colostomy. It's not an odor cover-up. It has a chemical reaction that eliminates odors.

Plus with a colostomy output tends to need to slide more so the lubricant is needed as well.

[sandys]

I have an ileostomy and use M9, it is 100% effective for me and only takes a few drops. I’ve not found liquids claiming to be lubricants to work.