TRADITIONAL WATER DOUCHING

For many flushing enthusiasts around the world, old-fashioned water flushers work just fine and get the job done. To the untrained eye, simple tap water seems to be the safest and most sensitive thing to use as a rinse.

Unfortunately, this is not the case.

If you choose to regularly use tap water in your anal douche, you can cause a complete electrolyte imbalance in your body, which can cause some serious problems for your health.

To help with this, it's common practice to mix tap water with other substances or liquids to dilute and rebalance the vitamins and minerals in it. These can include vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, herbs and plants, lemon juice, milk, and more.

Just like any other rinse, if you start mixing things with water, you need to understand the effects of each ingredient and how they interact.

LESS COMMON TYPES OF DOUCHING

For some people, the water isn't enough to rinse off. These people use a variety of different fluids in their rinses, and some are very keen that their choice is the best option. These fluids include:

• Salt Water or Epsom Salt Water: The majority of people will use either salt water, or Epsom salt water in their enemas. These are the simplest liquids for the single purpose of rinsing out your rectum.

  

  Epsom salt makes your digestive system absorb more water, having a similar effect to laxatives. Regular salt does the opposite, causing less water to be absorbed and allowing less waste out of your rectum. Choosing is a simple matter of deciding how much waste you want to expel!

• Lemon Juice: A commonly used liquid in household cleaning. Many people also like to use lemon juice as a douching solution. This can cause extra muscle cramps though, so take extra care if you use this liquid.
• Yoghurt: Yoghurts contain many beneficial living bacteria which can help your digestive system. Using a yoghurt solution in your douche can not only help to clean your rectum, but also provide the colon with this beneficial bacteria. This can aid with problems like irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.

• Coffee: Coffee enemas are a divisive topic. They are often touted as a miracle cure, claiming to cure all kinds of ailments, even cancer! However a growing body of medical evidence leads us to believe that using coffee can also cause a lot of damage to your body. In general we would avoid this liquid.

  
• Barium: Barium isn't a liquid you'll be using commonly at home. However you may be given a barium enema at the hospital as it allows your intestines to show up in X-rays!
• Fleet Enemas: These are a specific type of douching liquid commonly recommended. Fleet enema solutions are not easily absorbed by the rectum and colon, and as a result are recommended for constipation relief.

There are many examples of rinses not on this list, and you'll likely find countless other recipes online!

Whichever you decide to use, make sure you know what effect it will have on your body, as this may change how you use them or how often you flush.

Some fluids are more dangerous than others and can have long-term effects on your body if used incorrectly or too frequently.

TEMPERATURE OF YOUR DOUCHING LIQUIDS

It should be obvious by now that there are many varieties of these liquids. Even if you don't use them as a rinse, their temperatures in traditional use are quite different.

This can make your fluid temperature very strange when you put fluids into your anus. Should you heat them to body temperature like water?

Some you can heat to the same temperature, some may require cooling, and some may require a completely different temperature.

For example, boiled coffee enemas can burn your rectum, but refrigerated yogurt won't feel much better either.

This can create some balancing act as you try to find the ideal fluid temperature for your rinse of choice.

With a few, you might be able to find a guide on the best temperatures from the people who use them.

For others, you just have to use your best judgment. If you're not sure, it's best to choose body temperature.

Finding the ideal fluid and temperature for your rinse can take some work. It's definitely worth doing, though, because you can enjoy rinsing even more when you find the perfect combination. They may also be more pleasant and comfortable!