How Can I Keep my Vulva & Vagina Clean?

BY: VAGINAL HEALTH

UPDATED: 18/03/2024

General Vaginal Health . Puberty

Cleaning your Vulva

Menstrual Hygiene

Sexual Hygiene

How Can I Keep my Vulva & Vagina Clean?

Vaginal Douching

NO NO NO and please don't ever, just no.

As mentioned earlier, products like this are a recipe for infection, especially if you're squirting it all up inside.

Vaginal douching is black listed here at VH.

Want to rinse your back pipes prior to a bit of bum fun however, different story...

Healthy Lifestyle

Awareness

Most important thing is to know your normal.

If something doesn't feel or smell right then best to get it checked out by a health care professional.

But if it's a case of someone commenting on the smell of your kitty kat when you know full well you're fresh and infection free, then politely tell them to p*ss off xx

Right BIG FAT DISCLAIMER before we get into it:

• This post is NOT a promotion of vaginal scented washes, wipes or deodorants.

• Vaginal/Vulval hygiene is not based purely off of smell.

• Below are a series of tips on how to keep your intimate area healthy to avoid irritation and infection, NOT to make it smell like roses or strawberry ice cream.

The topic of vaginal/vulval hygiene can be a bit of a tricky one. Many of us seem to believe that our level of cleanliness is only based upon the smell of our intimate area.

Whether it be through lack of education or societal conditioning, this narrative can be particularly harmful for those of us with vulvas/vaginas.

Everyone has their own unique eau de pum. For some this may well come close to vanilla pods or freshly picked strawberries. However for others, it can have a little more of a particular musk.

Our vuval scent can also be an indicator for when our PH has become a little unbalanced or if we have picked up an infection. When this is the case, we urge you to please put down the F*mFr*sh and instead book an appointment with your GP or local sexual health clinic.

A change in smell is not always an indicator that you're not washing/cleaning your vulva properly. In fact doubling down on your vaginal cleansing routine could even be what has caused the irritation/change in scent in the first place!

Vuval Scent

Our vulvas only ever need to be washed with water, how easy!!

Perhaps also a clean washcloth if you find this easier than just using your hands, but soaps, wipes and branded vaginal 'cleansers' are not only totally unnecessary, but can end up causing way more harm than good.

Discharge and period blood can build up around the folds of the vulva if it is not regularly washed. Therefore, we recommend a quick daily rinse round with warm water.

Using soaps or scented products however, regardless of any 'PH balancing' branding, can disturb the delicate vaginal microbiome, leading to infection and/or irritation.

It is also recommended to wipe from front to back after using the toilet, avoiding cross contamination between the back and the front passages!

During our period, things can get a little more messy than usual. However you don't need to incessantly clean the blood away from your vulva. Washing once or twice a day is all that is necessary.

Regularly changing pads, tampons and underwear can help us to feel a little more fresh and avoid unwanted smells.

It's called getting down a dirty for a reason right? Sex isn't always the most hygienic activity, there are a number of different secretions and exchanging of fluids, and this is totally normal!

There are a few post sex practices however, that can help us get back to feeling a little more fresh:

Showering

• Some prefer to shower after sex. This can be a quick and easy was to rinse of sweat and other bodily fluids.

Post sex pee

• If your partner ejaculates in you, it is recommended to pop to the loo for a numero uno post jiggy. This can help prevent the bacteria in sperm traveling up the urethra and causing UTIs.

Using condoms or other barrier methods

• To prevent picking up any sexually transmitted infections, it is recommended to use condoms or other barrier methods when playing with non-monogamous or new sexual partners.

One thing to note though is that is totally not necessary to try and physically remove your partner's ejaculate from the vaginal canal. If you are worried about pregnancy or STI's, pop into your pharmacist for a plan B or an STI kit. Using sponges or inserting materials to try and soak up cum is probably just gonna cause an infection or you might even get something stuck up there!

A healthy diet and lifestyle can also help to keep your vagina & vulva happy and healthy.

Drinking enough water, eating your fruits and veggies, as well as managing stress and mood, can also keep your PH nice and balanced.