One of the concerns when embarking on the journey into anal play is cleanliness. Let’s face it as erotic as anal sex is, no one wants to find mud on their hood when they pull out. Often times, this fear or surviving the embarrassment of one bad experience can be enough to detour people from anal sex.

However, with a bit of preparation, there are a few things that can be done to ensure that your anal sex is nothing but good clean fun. 

Digestive Health

A diet that’s high in natural fiber (not over processed fibers) and staying hydrated is the number one thing that you can do for digestive tract health. Fiber will cause the feces in your bowels to bind together and come out as a formed solid and drinking the proper amount of water will help things flow on a regular basis.

A quick look at how the digestive track works.

The food that you eat passes through the stomach and into the small intestines. Here nutrients are absorbed into the body. Next it passes into the large intestines where the fluid and remaining nutrients are absorbed into the body. It’s at the bottom of the large intestines where the feces is held until a build up is detected by the nerves which then single the brain that it’s time to expel the feces. The last section is the rectum, which is approximately eight inches long. It’s a common myth that this is the area where feces are held until evacuating. However, in normal circumstances, the rectum is only a passage way out.

Typically, people who have normal bowel movements don’t need to worry about internal cleanliness. A simple through washing of the outer anal area is all that’s needed before your play time.  

Anal Douching

For those who desire a bit more reassurance, anal douching remains the most popular option.

However, there’s great debate over the safety of anal douching. Many experts say that douching washes away much of the protective mucous lining of your rectum, leaving you open to infections. Also, anal douches can irritate or cause small tiny cuts in your anus making you more susceptible to infections. In addition, over use of enemas/douches can interfere with the normal workings of your bowels and possibly lead to your bowels being dependent upon laxatives to function correctly. Most importantly, water is absorbed through bowels and a sudden overload can increase blood volume. This can cause problems for those who suffer from heart or kidney diseases; including heart arrhythmia. Therefore, if you’re not in good health it’s always best to consult your physician before anal douching.

Although there are health concerns, when using anal douches in moderation, it’s believed by many to be the best option to have an overall hygienic anal experience.

How to Anal Douche

The goal of anal douching is to clean the walls of the rectum, not prompt you to have a bowel movement. Therefore, it’s best not to use enemas which contain laxatives or other medications. For anal douching only lukewarm water is needed. Also, a strong force of water or over filling the rectum with water may cause you to have a bowel movement if the water reaches the lower large intestine.  When anal douching, only approximately four to eight ounces of water at a time is needed to rinse away anything stuck to the rectal walls.

It’s always best to douche two to four hours before you play. Douching a few hours before anal sex allows your body to expel any extra water and also gives the rectum time to reproduce some of the mucus which was washed away during the rinsing.

To douche, insert the water and hold it in for about ten to twenty seconds. Then, sit on the toilet and allow the water to run back out. Remember, the goal is to simply rinse the rectum’s walls. Repeat this process until the water runs clearish, (Normally the water will never run crystal clear since the mucus lining is also being washed away). Never over douche, since this removes too much of the mucus lining and can cause health problems. I typically douche only two times a few hours before anal sex and have never experienced an embarrassing moment.

Tools To Use

Anal douches can be purchased at most local drug stores. However they are generally marketed under the name ‘rectal syringe’. These are small bulbs with a rounded tip to make insertion easier. They can also be purchased at most sex toy stores. Also, these are also available in travel size and fit in your purse. Perfect to take along on a date or a night out on the town, these allow you to clean yourself for unexpected fun.  

Anal douche hoses that attach to your bathtub are also available. However with these, it’s important to make sure that you can control the force of the water flow to ensure that damage to your rectum isn’t caused by the strong force of the water. The safest design is those that work based on gravity and not water force.

An old fashioned douche bag is another option. Although these work well, be sure to only use a small amount of water at a time and to use the anal attachment. The vaginal attachment has small holes which may not do the trick.

Enemas are a convenient, inexpensive and disposable option. However, be sure that the enema you choose is saline water. Again, other types of enemas which contain laxatives or other ingredients that work with your body to alleviate constipation can cause you have a bowel movement at the wrong time; before you play.

There’s no exact science to anal douching. Also, I’m not a medical doctor. These are just some tips and tricks to help you along your anal sex journey and not intended to over ride any medical advice you’ve received. If you experience bleeding, pain or cramping please seek medical attention as this can be a signs of serious injury to your rectum.

With a bit of preparation you can enjoy anal sex without having the fear of an embarrassing moment. The trick is to find what’s right for your body. The more experience you have with anal douching you will find the combination of time and water volume that works right for you.

When you feel clean and confident, you can relax and enjoy yourself during anal sex. I’m sure your partner will also appreciated that you’ve taken the time to cleanse yourself and make him feel more at ease also.

Have fun, relax and enjoy yourself.