How To Clean the Skin Around the Stoma

People who manage an ostomy pay special attention to the stoma site and surrounding skin. It’s very common to be concerned about skin irritation caused by exposure to stool or urine. With this in mind, the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) developed a Basic Ostomy Skin Guide to address typical questions. The guide is designed to help you use products correctly, protect the skin and gently clean and care for the stoma and surrounding skin.

Here are the WOCN’s answers to the most commonly asked questions about stoma cleaning and care.

How to Clean the Skin Around the Stoma

• To clean the skin around your stoma, all you really need to use is warm water and a washcloth (or good quality paper towels). The use of gauze or gloves is not usually necessary, although you can use them if you feel more comfortable.
• For those that prefer to use soap to clean around the stoma, it’s best to use a very mild soap. Avoid using soaps and cleansers with oils, perfumes or deodorants since these can sometimes cause skin problems or prevent your skin barrier from sticking.
• Rinse the soap off the skin around your stoma very well. Soap residue may keep your skin barrier from sticking and may also cause skin irritation.
• If you are using a skin paste, it may be easier to remove the paste before you wet the area. Some people may use adhesive remover. Do not worry if a little bit of paste is left on your skin.
• Always dry your skin well before putting on your new pouching system.
• Do not use alcohol or any other harsh chemicals to clean your skin or stoma. They may irritate your skin.
• Do not use baby wipes or towelettes than contain lanolin or other oils, as these can interfere with the skin barrier adhesive and may irritate your skin.
• Unless recommended, do not apply powders or creams to the skin around your stoma because they can keep your skin barrier from sticking.
• Sometimes you may see a small amount of blood on your cloth. The stoma tissue contains small blood vessels and may bleed a small amount when cleaned. Any bleeding that does not stop should be reported to your health care provider. The stoma has no nerve endings, so you are not able to feel if you are rubbing too hard. For this reason, use a gentle touch when cleaning around the stoma and do not scrub.
• The basic rule that applies is not to use too many products on the skin. Do not use adhesive remover if you have skin that tears very easily. If you do use adhesive remover, always wash well with water and mild soap to remove the oily coating on the skin. Then rinse the skin well with water and dry completely.

If you recently had ostomy surgery, it’s recommended to measure your stoma once a week for the first six to eight weeks after surgery. Your stoma shrinks while it’s healing and you will need to make sure that the opening in the skin barrier is the right size for your stoma. Re-measure your stoma if you experience skin irritation close to your stoma or beneath the skin barrier wafer.

Should you experience painful skin problems or severe irritation around the stoma, please contact your health care provider or WOC Nurse.

For more information, see related ostomy skin care articles and ostomy resources here:

• Skin Care for Ostomies | New Ostomates
• When to Contact your Doctor With Stoma Complications or Peristomal Skin Issues
• Peristomal Skin Complications | Characteristics, Causes and Management
• Showering with a Stoma

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