I have been thinking about writing this post a lot lately, so today when a friend of mine asked me if I carry around a spoon with me to help me empty, I decided I should sit down and get writing about how to empty an ostomy bag. So much of the information on the internet is about how to change an ostomy bag, but few people have posted about how they empty their drainable ones.
Let’s get to the nitty gritty. There are a number of different ways to empty an ostomy bag; in the end it just comes down to personal preference and what works for you.
To Empty:
- Empty sitting down facing away from the toilet (as if you were peeing). Open your bag, and aim it between your legs to empty it into the toilet. If you use a clip, you can fold back the bottom part (turtlenecking it) so that poop doesn’t touch the whole length of the end of the bag. If you use a Velcro, you squeeze either side to get the opening to open and then let the contents fall out.  (This is what I do most often).
- Empty sitting down facing the toilet (like you’re straddling it). Open the bag and aim it between your legs to empty into the toilet. Same process for clip and Velcro.
- Stand facing the toilet, like you’re a guy peeing. Open your bag and empty it into the toilet. Same process for clip and Velcro.
- Kneel on the ground leaning up against the toilet (maybe this is best at home where you know your toilet is clean). Open the bag and aim it into the toilet. Same notes about splashing and clip vs Velcro processes.
Cleaning your bag before closing it back up:
- You can use toilet paper to wipe out the bottom-most part of the inside of your bag.
- You can get a little water bottle, like the kind you can squeeze and water comes out, and squirt the water into the bottom portion of the bag to get excess poop off, then use toilet paper to wipe out the bottom-most part of the inside of your bag.
NOTES:
- If you’re worried about splashing, put down a square or two of toilet paper in the toilet and aim the poop to land on it. The toilet paper dampens the impact so there’s less splash.
- It’s good to wipe out the bottom-most part of your bag so you don’t have poop remnants living in a place where they have contact with air, you could start to smell like poop if there’s stuff on the outskirts of your bag
- Many nurses and ostomates say you shouldn’t put water in your bag up to your stoma as it could theoretically breakdown the wafer barrier a little bit faster. There are other ostomates who swear by this and don’t like a speck of poop anywhere, but for me, it’s a bag of poop and I don’t have time or patience to spend washing my bag out trying to get every last bit out. Especially because I know it’s just going to fill up right away.
So far as I’ve heard, these are the 4 main methods of emptying. Of course, I’m sure people are creative and have found other ways that work for them.
Then there’s the question of how to dispose of a closed-end ostomy bag – and I just don’t know the answer yet, because drainable bags are much more convenient for ileostomates. I would imagine if you had a closed-end bag, that you would dispose of it in an odor-sealed, opaque plastic bag (so that whoever else sees your trashcan doesn’t see your poopy bag).  This is how I get rid of my used bags, so closed-end bag users must just carry around a lot of plastic bags to throw their bags into. I would love to hear how people who used closed-end bags dispose of them.
And no, I don’t carry around a spoon to scoop the poop out of my bag and into the toilet – sounds messy. That’s probably my favorite question though.
22 Comments on “How to Empty an Ostomy Bag”
Instead of kneeling or standing in front of the toilet when emptying the ostomy bag, I sit on a bathtub stool in front of the toilet, as close as I can. When I travel, I take a camp stool with me for this purpose.
That’s creative Jan! I love how many different ways there are to do things 🙂
My Dad is 90 and just got a colostomy today. Looks like I have to learn alot seeing as I will be the one assisting him.
I’ll be looking forward to any tips or suggestions.
It’s definitely a steep learning curve, your dad is lucky to have you supporting and assisting him! There’s tons of tips and suggestions on this website as blog as well as on many other websites, but if you have specific questions you’re stuck with, please feel free to email me and I’m happy to chat 🙂
I am needing to find some ostomy bags for myself but before I get them I wanted to know how I should be using them properly and tips to cleaning it up. You mentioned that it is important to straddle the bag with it facing down to the toilet. That seems simple enough and your tip about how you can use toilet paper to wipe out the bottom part was great. Thanks for the great information.
Hi Barbara, I’m so happy that my suggestions were helpful for you! There are many ways to empty and keep good hygiene with your pouching system so if you experiment a little you’ll probably find the combination that works best for you. Hopefully your WOCN can help you select the ostomy products that would be best for your body. Good luck!
I have a question. My husband empties his ileostomy bag standing up. As if he is peeing. It makes a horrible mess. It splatters all over the rim, down the side of the bowl. On the floor, wall and shower curtain. I have to clean every time he’s done. That’s gets me upset. I’ve tried not cleaning to see how long before he will. No luck. If company comes I run to clean. Any suggestions?
Hi, You could encourage him to try would be to put down a piece or two of toilet paper in the bowl before he empties and then aim for it. If it’s super thin TP it probably won’t make a difference, but if it’s okay quality it can act as a little bit of a buffer to minimize the splash. Has he tried that?
I always empty my bag standing up, facing the toilet. And I always rinse it out with water (I keep a filled water bottle and or plastic cup with a spout in each bathroom in our house) every time I empty it. I also take a water bottle with me at all times in case I have to empty the pouch in a public bathroom without its own sink (e.g., gas station bathroom). I do not want any residue of poop in my bag in between bathroom visits.
I carry a little squirt bottle for water and a little bottle withdollar store mouth wash. It keeps the smell down and is cheaper than the drops the ostomy supplier sells.
My son has an ileostomy pouch that won’t empty. It has a tiny spigot at the bottom that you should just have to open to let it empty. He cannot get the Hollister ileostomy pouch to empty from the bottom
It sounds like your son is using a urostomy bag instead of an ileostomy bag. I’d suggest calling Hollister and asking for them to end you some samples for drainable bags that work with ileostomies. Hollister offers a velcro closure or a clamp closure, you could ask for samples of each to determine which one your son likes better. I hope this helps!
hello,
i have been kneeling in front of the toilet to empty my bag since my surgery and that has worked okay for me. i recently had a fall and injured my leg which made kneeling impossible. i tried emptying by standing at the toilet but i am tall and occasionally missed my target. so i found a tall plastic container placed on the bathroom counter and standing close with the bottom of my bag in container then proceeding to empty. i like this method and may continue doing it this way after i heal. it’s quick and easy since and i am getting older getting up from kneeling can be a problem. so now, after my long intro here is my question. i am using a tupperware type container and after a coupe of weeks it is getting a tiny bit gross. i rinse it out completely w hottest tap water but it is still gross. i am trying to come up w a better more stain resistant container that is not glass. do have any ideas? thanking you in advance for your considerable ostomy experience.
Hi,
I’m so sorry to hear about your fall and leg injury and hope you heal quickly! I’m trying to think of what else you might be able to use. I think tupperware plastic is typically a little more flexible than some other plastics. There are some stronger plastics out there that you might look into. I’m picturing a clear, sturdy, beaker-type plastic container. I know that some hospitals have them but I don’t know where exactly you’d look to shop for what I’m thinking of. It sounds like you might have to get into some trial and error to find the perfect container. You could also try cleaning out the container you’re using with cleaning wipes try to sanitize it a little more (and not have to wait for the tap water to get ultra hot), that may help cut down on the stains but I’m not sure.
Have you tried emptying your pouch by sitting on the toilet facing either forward, backward or sideways? I’m sure that you have and understand that it might not be as comfortable as standing, but you could play around with the angles a little bit to see if something works for you – then you’re not confined to emptying your pouch at home with your container.
I hope my suggestions gave you some new ideas to try and am wishing you all the best as you find the solution that works for you!
I would suggest a stainless steel container such as a pitcher. That would prevent any bacteria from finding a foothold. It will be easier to clean between uses.
This may sound a little wacky, however it works. My husband uses a tall container lined with a dog poop bag. They are scented to keep out smell. He ties if shut and puts it in a tiny garbage can lined with a plastic grocery bag. On garbage day he takes the grocery bag out and puts it in trash.
To Terence; Poop does contain a certain amount of fatty material and will eventually leave residue on the container that plain water won’t remove. I would use a squirt of good dishwashing liquid or shampoo to clean the container, maybe once a week or so. These products are made to dissolve oily materials. I’m 67 with a 2-month old ostomy and am learning a lot from these posts, thanks everyone.
Im gonna share probably the ultimate easiest way to empty an ostomy. I have on my toilet a urinal bottle that i empty in it, empty the waste in the toilet, & finally rinse the urinal bottle. This doesnt require sitting, kneeling, aiming, or pulling my pants all the way down. The whole process from start to finish takes about 2 minutes. A few notes: carry an extra urinal bottle with you when you leave the house & put it in a plastic bag for discretion. Once a week or so soak the inside with a little bleach & water. A plastic urinal bottle can be purchased from any grocery store for less than $5.00. I really hope this helps!
I use an inexpensive triangular intake/output container to empty and rinse with bleach spray every time—no smell—no germs!
Using plastic containers does work i actually hold it between my legs and aim. But my comment was to use a half cup bleach and fill with cold water let it sit for an hour and like all new and spells like beach not the other sh..
Sit your butt down and empty the bag into the toilet
To the lady who’s husband makes a mess standing up to empty. I have used this method for 4 years. I bend my knees so I’m closer to the water and put toilet paper in the bowl first. Sometimes the air trapped in the bag can explode and make a real mess, so I have learned to control that and the only mess I get is a little bit around the rim. I use toilet paper to clean up first, then I finish with a wet wipe which goes in a special bin beside the toilet bowl (Do not flush the wet wipe). I have had my bag so long I’m very good at it. PS. I clean my own mess up; your husband should do the same.