shaving cream to clean dirty butts??

Nurses General Nursing

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Does anyone out there still use shaving cream to clean peri areas of stool, or to refresh smelly feet? A hospital around here has been using it for years (it works great) but doesn't know where this practice started, or if it's just here or if it's the practice in other areas as well. Any info you have would be appreciated....

Specializes in Geriatrics, DD, Peri-op.

It seems that one of the places I worked several years ago did that. I had forgotten about it because the last couple of jobs I've had (I move alot)...they don't do that.

We are a creative lot, aren't we!

Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Does anyone out there still use shaving cream to clean peri areas of stool, or to refresh smelly feet? A hospital around here has been using it for years (it works great) but doesn't know where this practice started, or if it's just here or if it's the practice in other areas as well. Any info you have would be appreciated....

Hi,

I have had coworkers at three different hospitals use this, (on armpits too). I haven't read the ingrediants for shaving foam but, the moisturizer and the cleaensure and the frangrance just must be a good combination. :)

Gen

Something to consider: if the skin is chafed and the shaving cream has alcohol in it, it might hurt quite a bit!

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I think it can be a bad idea. Most people who need us to do their peri care have a vulnerable integument. Washing down w/something as potentially irritating as shave cream is a poor idea, to my thinking. Plain water (lot of it ) and plenty of washcloths usually do the job. It just takes time, too. We use hypo-allergenic aloe wipes in our hospital, too. The same kind they use in our nursery. They smell good and are not irrititating to skin.

Specializes in med/surg, rural, ER.

I learned this trick many years ago and still use it in the ER--I use it with the sticky, clay-like BM--works like a charm! I don't find that it is irritating to the delecate skin and I always follow it up with soap to clean off any irritants in the shaving cream. I think that getting the BM off quickly is less harmful to the bottom than using 20 washcloths and scrubbing endlessly :wink2:

Specializes in Geriatrics, LTC.

I have seen shaving cream used, it was especially good on men with alot of body hair, get right in around it all. I have also seen mouth wash used in wash water of people with some really bad BO. And I have seen crisco shortening used for moisturizng and mixed with zinc to protect butts.

I've never seen shaving cream used for this. We have Aloe Vesta foaming soap that is good for peri care. That & a few warm bath wipes usually do the job.

Specializes in M/S, OB, Ortho, ICU, Diabetes, QA/PI.

we have really nice thick wipes with a special microwave to warm them up in for peri-care but we do use shaving cream for those with extra fragrant armpits and men who sweat alot or have lots of body hair - it makes a big difference - they don't smell like they need a full bath only 1 hour after they've had one...............

we also use it as "aromatherapy" for less than aromatic rooms (GI bleeds, lots o'poo, etc) - we put it in styrofoam cups and place them strategically around the room especially near vents that blow air - I think that works better than peppermint oil or the spray stuff we get from Housekeeping.........:icon_cool

Yes, I've seen it added to a lot of warm bath basins. It does depend on the cream as one poster points out, it can contian a lot of alcohol...

We don't have shave cream in our ED, so I can not say I've used it since moving out of the ICU.

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