Correct way to wipe...really!

[NorthernSoul]

I know this will sound like the question of an idiot, but here goes...
My niece and I had a discussion about the correct way to wipe after urinating.  We all know that when you have a bowel movement, you reach from behind, and wipe front to back to avoid infecting the vaginal area...but here is my question... When we "pee", I learned to wipe front to back, but from the front.  My neice has her daughter wipe after urinating by going front to back from behind?  How the heck can someone reach that?  Am I crazy?

[Somewhereovertherainbow1990]

I wet the tissue under the tap and dab it and then do the same with a dry tissue.

Same goes whether it's urine or faeces but if it's faeces and I'm home alone sometimes I'll wipe it quickly with a dry tissue and then blast the shower on it to actually wash the area. This also saves money on using lots of tissue trying to wipe and wash it with damp tissues and at least then you know it's properly clean and you don't irritate the skin with excessive wiping. I find wet wipes irritate the urine tract so never use them. I know in Islamic countries like Pakistan it's common practice to pour a pot of water over the area and I've tried this but find it too much hassle. Blasting with a shower head is the most efficient way to clean yourself after using the restroom. You can use this after urinating as well. You will never get an infection if you do this.

I started getting bacterial vaginosis, UTI infections and thrush in my early 20's and since actually washing the area whenever possible as opposed to smearing the urine and faeces around with dry tissue I have never had any such issue. Blasting with something like a shower head is also common practice in Japan, they even fit mini shower heads to their toilets sometimes which people reach back and use.

[Wired123]

Its easier to do it the same way all the time. You shouldnt the little ones confused. Carry wet wipes, front to back, then toilette paper to dry your feminine parts.

[Lovefacegurl]

Okay so this is kinda confusing me If u just pee wipe front to back but if u poop wipe back to front or still front to back ?!

[MonicaDarling]

Okay I wonder the same thing. I wipe from front to back always, but I put my hand in from the pelvic area even when I poop. I can reach all the way to the back. My friend reaches from her back and then wipes front to back when she pees... I just feel like that's is so hard to reach!!

[10041970]

I'm confuse simply because I don't know what the he'll people consider their front and back..so let me make it ez for u..when u poop u wrote from Ur butt coming towards Ur actual back..get it? U dint want to bring poop towards Ur vagina

[Lexi_xoxo]

I have a Question and Im afraid to ask this but here it Gose Ik it's  embarrassing at this age especially 14 my Vagina smells like fish every day but idk how to clean my Vagina I only clean it from the front but it still smells like fish a lot!!! Can anyone plz help me and I already had sex which was really embarrassing

[Lovefacegurl]

Go to the doctor u possibly have a UTI which can come from being sexually active or wven not wiping right as u can see above....

[10041970]

I'm sorry baby girl but u have an infection because yr vagina never suppose to smell like fish..EVER.do go to the doctor and get a check up .

[tz94]

summers eve products are BAD for your vag and **** up your ph levels. your vagina is self cleaning (thats what discharge is !) so when you clean it in the shower just use your hand and hot water, no soap should ever go IN your vagina. as the other person said go to your doctor if there are UTI symptoms or at the very least take antibiotics for a few days.

[sltl]

I'm getting in on this conversation really late, but wanted to relate to your comment in that I too, only wiped back to front (until I was 57 years old) with nothing ever going wrong ....that is until there was a problem!  And then had to break all those years of conditioning to learn to do it "the right way." I wasn't happy about it....not happy at all because it seemed harder and more time consuming.

[Lovefacegurl]

So how is it tht we are supposed to wipe?!

[specialmom]

I think you are a little hyper focused on wiping.  Just wipe quickly front to back and all is good.  No need to ponder it too deeply.  good luck

[justtosignup]

So I tried..to wipe from front to back, actually, in this way wouldn't u just bring the urine to ur vagina? although I know there's less virus in urine, but why would u do that?!

[justtosignup]

....r u sure u get the question right cuz i believe she is asking about how u wipe the urethra after PEEING and i doubt guys even do that...but if u r talking wiping feces i agree u should always wipe from front to back reaching from the back.

but for urine i think it's ok at least to reach from the front, either way u wipe or  u can pat just make sure do not go too far behind to anus but stay around the urethra i don't see why that should matter. it's too much of arm movement to reach from behind to wipe every time after just peeing.

just to add one note: ALWAYS WIPE AFTER PEEING! cuz I also notice some do not even wipe....

[Cupcake1833]

Your spot on, I was taught to wipe between my legs back to front for both. There is plenty of area between each section. I have never had an infection in over 70 years. I get a lot cleaner then wiping from the backend and as for standing and wiping, ooh. There is no way you can get to your craves and clean probably. I am always clean and never miss wiping back to front.

[DeerTear]

I treat them as two completely seperate areas. If I poo...I wipe from behind...front to back. If I just pee....I wipe from the front...back to front. Theres no need to wipe your butt if you only pee. Never once had a UTI or any other issues.

[DrJimi]

The correct procedure is front to back, and it is based on proven infection cause analysis.
BUT, if you reach in front of your legs or behind them, makes absolutely no difference to the hygiene aspect. Perhaps as much as 60% of women find it difficult to reach behind properly!
Dr Jim

[ladyteata]

THIS IS SOME VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL LADIES TO KNOW CAUSE I'M IN MY FIFTY AND MY 29 YR OLD DAUGHTER IS SCHOOLING ME ON LIFE MATTER. AFTER ALL THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO DO THINGS.

[sissyann]

I wondering if I have,had,a urinate and Bm same time Do i have,to,wipe Bm first,then wipe urinate front to back. Probatic Flroriz3 it will wotks well ??.,plz let me know. I have,had Uti many,times. I want to get all better. No more uti.....

[harmony613]

The Initial question was NOTabout whether to wipe from front to back. The question was about THE POSITION OF REACHING FROM BEHIND to wipe (the vaginal area (as you wipe from f to b) or REACHING BETWEEN YOUR LEGS to wipe the vaginal area as you wipe from f to b) Zoo READ THE QUESTION PEOPLE! I personally reach between my legs to wipe my vaginal area (from front to back) and reach AROUND BEHIND to wipe from front to back after.a bowel movement because it doesn't make sense to reach around your back side to wipe the front area as long as you are wiping front to back the shortest route (between the legs) is okay.

[suggi]

What if you have a prolapsed urethra and any wiping at all - toilet paper, baby wipes, anything - even if soap gets there I bleed so I can not wipe after urinating.  I never got infections but have one now.  Any suggestions.  I get washed after a BM.  I do soap up the hair area in front and pray it doesnot get on my urethra.

Thanks

[oddoneiguess]

I have always took care of my hygiene, with not having issues and wipe twice after pooing. Oddly enough, I wipe from the back where I wipe back to front, and don't cross the "boundary line". But I roll my toilet paper as i wipe so no same area is hitting or smearing anything. Then wipe again on the va-j-j, front to back, and picking up anything I may have left behind on the first time around. This way I don't have the "brown stain" in my crack ;)

[S3ns3l355D4WN]

To be honest also wiping back to front can cause old urine odor in the whole area not very attractive.

[GinaBalena]

For as long as I can remember I have always wiped from front to back. My husband walked in on me wiping one day and said that I was doing it wrong, but when I tried it his way... I felt so nasty doing it that way. I'm not saying that people that do wipe that way are nasty, I'm just saying that it's not for me. I will never wipe that way again for as long as I live or as long as my mind stays with me... LOL!

[Sue446]

The right way to wipe after you urinate is from the front to the back.
The doctor told me that if you do it from the back to the front you can come down with a urinary tract infection real bad.
Please try it from the front to the back as I do it because coming from
experience I  have had real bad UTI infections from doing it the back to front and now I do it from the front to the back and have not had any UTI infections.You should also take Probiotic Acidophilus I take it and it works really well.It helps relieve occasional constipation,gas & bloating and naturally promotes regularity,healthy digestion and
intestinal health.

[hayleybug]

i am a woman, and i've always wiped back to front.  having said that, it is not like i'm wiping over my vagina after a bowel movement.  just dont wipe too far up.  i'm over 21 years of age, and i have never had any kind of problems or infections, yeast or otherwise, down there,so i say front to back only is a myth as long as you dont overshoot your boundary.  i think a more important thing to talk about on the lines of vaginal infection causes is proper cleaning.  you should never use soap or douches, only warm water, and to do this pretty often.   too often, or using soaps and douches, will cause you to kill the good bacteria that protect us from such infections.  but again, wiping back to front or front to back does not matter as long as 1) you dont overshoot your boundary (ie you had a bowel movement, dont wipe across your vagina) and 2) proper, regular (not excessive) cleaning of your privates.     now to those worried about fecal matter and bacteria getting to your privates.... every time you pass gas, you are releasing fecal matter and bacteria that, especially when sitting in a chair or something, can make its way into your vagina.  plus it can get on your underwear (and i'm not talking about obvious skid marks, just usual unseen matter) and as we all know, underwear can sometimes slide around.  so, in conclusion, back to front is just fine provided you do the two things i mentioned above.

[animal_24]

Yeah when i first learned "the correct way to wipe" i was a bit suprised but i did hear that if you can't reach or have trouble wiping front to back you can pat dry.  Even though you may not have a bowel movement it is possible to spread bacteria by wiping "back to front".

[JoAnnaRF]

I don't think it really matters which route you take, as long as you go front to back when you get there. I also agree that it is best to practice the front to back method even after only urinating. There can always be traces of fecal matter (if only microscopic) left behind, no matter how well one wipes.
--J

[Jah02e]

About wiping front to back...I have always been told to wipe that way no matter what it is that you are doing.  When I urinate I wipe that way, b/c along time ago I didn't really care so I would wipe back to front or front to back which ever was the fastest and I would always get an infection from wiping the wrong way.  So no matter you go about doing it as long as you wipe front to back for both urinating and bw then you are ok.

[monkeyflower]

It doesn't matter how you wipe after urinating. You really only need to wipe front to back after a bowel movement.