Hi Chris.

I stopped using gauze altogether. I just buy the cheapest possible wash cloths...the kind that come in bundles.   Cotton seems to work best. They are usually white, but sometimes you can get really cheap ones on sale ( like brown or black etc) that are of a less stainable nature.  The white ones can be bleached, but they do the job and are reusable.  I also keep one tucked under my pillow for night emergencies.  Sometimes you need to give them a quick rinse, but then just throw them in the wash.

Hope you are doing great.

Hi Chris,

I also no longer use gauze. I clean the area in the shower using the cheap cotton washcloths as mentioned above.  When I remove the appliance I do a little preliminary cleaning with a slightly wet paper towel. 

Hi Chris,

That's what I do, remove the wafer have a clean round, jump in the shower and take it from their. I do my change first thing in the morning as "Sammy" is don,t move much until after breakfast. Also I find the only silly questions are the ones not asked.

The cheapest I can find, 4x4. I also use washcloths, white ones my husband got specifically. I've seen Ostomy change videos that folks use strips of paper towel instead of gauze.

Hey Chris,

I use the DuSoft 4x4 #94144 and have for years. They are like $4 for 200 and they work very well. They travel nicely, don't stick to my stoma, absorb moisture quite nicely, and are covered by my insurance 😀

Close up. I've used another gauze that was woven and it sucked. 

Thanks everyone. 

I cant do the facecloths..  My wife would kill me because I would inadvertently use one of her cloths one day, I wouldnt wash it, and I would probably place it down beside the sink and leave it there.... and... she would definitely end up wiping shit on her face.  I'd be shot.  There's no question in my mind that this would happen.

I totally robbed Eric's process of doing a change from him and it seems to work for me.  Now Im going to rob his gauze type too!  In fact... Eric.. if you wouldn't mind just coming over to my house when I do a change and just change it for me, that would be great!

But in all seriousness, the bag on the wasteband, gauze, all the supplies layed out on the bathroom counter is the way I roll and it works well for me.  The gauze Ive been using to date, however, has been some kind of loosly woven crap I can almost stick my finger through, and I was kinda hoping to get a suggestion that looks just like that picture, so thats great.  Thanks.

For the record, I used your insurance company suggestion too so I guess they'll cover my gauze too! :)

By the way.. Im in a van across the street watching your house.

Chris

Kidding about the van - this IS the internet so that'd be entirely possible to happen I guess.  

Lol... I would be pretty cranky too if I got output on my face. Might do wonders for the skin though. I've been told a common cure for acne in young mothers back in the day was to use a urine soaked diaper to wash their faces. Granted I've also heard fire walkers pee on their feet to toughen them. I know that one is not commonly done.

Husband and I agreed I would bag my wash cloths. They are the only (formerly) white wash cloths in the house. I set up my nice folding table, put a small trash bag liner in a large pitcher, set out my supplies, get 2 wash cloths soaked with warm water, put them in a basin to hold. I put a dry cloth in my lap and start to work. When I deem a cloth too soiled I chuck it into the pitcher. At the end of change I tie the bag shut and chuck it downstairs for laundry. He runs them seperate from other towels because he's kind of grossed out by the idea of having them with his towels.

I don't molest his white towels when I shower without a bag/ appliance in place. I have some ratty old towels I use just in case. That was his only worry.

Haha! No worries, Chris!

I've used the other gauze you described and it was terrible. You'll love this other type and you should be able to get it through any place that sells ostomy supplies.

And bag changes for hire sounds like a service I should start 😂😂😂

Maybe I am missing something or I just do things differently but I don't understand why you all use gauze. I have a colostomy so maybe that makes a difference I don't know. I just use plain toilet paper to clean things up around the stoma. I just take three or four  squares folded into one and then in half again. On a bag change I have 6 of these prepared before I change, on a full wafer change I have 9 prepared. Usually I don't need all of them for either process. I also usually use an adhesive remover wipe on a full change out. I have found some brands of toilet paper are sort of cheap and fall apart, especially at some hotels when travelling. In those cases I use the tissues.

Posted by: Willy

Maybe I am missing something or I just do things differently but I don't understand why you all use gauze. 

Hey Willy,

I tried using toilet paper before and what I found was that it would stick to my stoma (or fall apart when it got wet), was difficult to wipe things clean when there was any sticky residue left on the skin (like after using a barrier ring), and it's not as absorbant when I need to cover my stoma while doing other prep work.

The gauze just works so well for me that I have no need to use anything else. 😊

If toilet paper works for someone else, I don't have a problem with it 😉

I also use cheap washcloths.  I bag them and wash them separate from all of my other towels.  They are soft enough for me and I feel nice and clean after I change my bag.

I use a product called WaterWipes , they are for cleaning baby's after changing , they really work well for me and they have no chemicals ,

https://www.waterwipes.com/us/

I use a gauze much like Eric's.  It is supplied by my ostomy supplies company and it is paid for by my insurance.  One wet then adhesive remover then dry one then barrier wipe.

I use wash clothes too.  I bought some baby washcloths and i find them nice and soft and easy to clean up around the stoma.  I have had my ileostomy of 13 months now.  Finally starting to accept it.

Hi Elaine, have you given the stoma a name.

I call him Sammy!  😜

lol I anit kidding you, my wee fellas called Sammy

Cute