There are several different feminine hygiene problems that women can encounter. And it’s not always from not cleaning regularly enough. More often than not, it’s actually from cleaning your vagina incorrectly.
It’s important to maintain a normal vaginal pH level to help keep bacteria levels healthy. There are approximately 1.4 million annual outpatient visits for vaginal candidiasis alone in the US.
Knowing how to clean your vagina is paramount to maintaining good personal hygiene and keeping bacterial infections at bay.
In this short guide, we’ll take a look at how to clean your vagina and some of the best cleaning products you can use.
How Often Should You Clean Your Vagina?
This is a trick question! The answer is never. That’s right, the ‘vagina’ is the canal that leads to the cervix. It’s inside of you. Your vagina deals with all the cleaning it needs all by itself.
It doesn’t matter if you’re on your period or you’ve just had sex, you don’t have to worry about cleaning inside your vagina, ever.
So, when we talk about how to clean your vagina, we mean ‘how to clean your vulva’. Your vulva is the name for all the external parts including the:
- clitoris
- clitoral hood
- labia
You should clean your vulva every day when you shower. You might also want to clean it after you change your tampon or pad during your period and after sex.
How to Clean Your Vagina
By now you’re screaming ‘but, you don’t ever clean your vagina!’ and that’s good. Don’t forget. However, it’s important to know how to clean your vulva.
If you want, you can use a gentle washcloth or an unscented wet wipe, but ideally you should just use a clean finger. Whatever you do, don’t try and use the loofah you use to scrub your body.
You want to rinse your vulva with warm water. You really shouldn’t need to use anything else. If you want, you can use a gentle unscented soap. Using anything else can irritate and upset your vagina’s pH level.
If you’re wondering, “what is normal vaginal pH?” then you might be surprised to learn it’s moderately acidic. A neutral pH level is 7, but the normal vaginal pH ranges between 3.8 and 5.
To clean correctly, carefully spread your labia so that you can clean in and around the folds. Be careful not to get water inside your vagina.
You should also wash your anus and perineum, but make sure you do this after you’ve washed your vulva. You don’t want to carry bacteria from your bum to your vulva by accident.
Once you’ve finished washing, pat yourself dry with a clean towel. One of the biggest causes of yeast infections in women is humidity, so try and stay dry where possible.
Now You Know How to Clean Your Vulva
So, the best way of how to clean your vagina is not to clean it at all! It will look after itself.
If you do notice any unusual discharge or odor coming from down there, don’t be tempted to try and clean inside. If you’re concerned about something, then visit your doctor.
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