Colostomy care Teaching 2633
Instructed patient caregiver water will not hurt your ostomy. Normal exposure to air or contact with soap and water won’t harm the stoma. Water will not flow into the stoma. Soap will not irritate it, but soap may interfere with the skin barrier sticking to the skin. It’s best to only use water while cleaning the skin around your stoma. If you do use soap, be sure to rinse your skin well.
Reviewed December 2020
Reviewed for general reference only. Adapt to your patient, agency policy, and scope of practice.
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