shaving cream to clean dirty butts??

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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....

yep....i have used shaving cream for bottoms. works wonders.

suebird :p

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Specializes in Neuro, Acute, Geriatrics, Rehab, Oncology.

I am a shaving cream to bottom devotee. I have also used an entire bottle of lotion to a hairy bum . These are both soooo much easier on the Pt than using the institutionally washed cloths or the synthetic cloths that come in a tub to scrub tender areas!

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I never use it straight, I'll squirt a little in a basin of water during a bath....makes the patient smell good and the aloe is nice too. Since, during a bath the butt and peri area are last, we're not using the bath water at that point....I spray the peri-spray on, usually quite a bit, and let it "soak in" if it's really dirty, then wipe with a plain warm water wash cloth. Same for really poopy butts, works great. Aloe vesta lotion afterwards smells nice and makes for a slightly easier clean up afterwards. What drives me nuts is the sensicare cream we use for protection on broken down bottoms.....when the patient has a BM, it's so hard to keep clean, since you're not supposed to scrub the cream off, it's kinda nasty, hard to keep cleam, wip off the BM satisfactorily without damaging the skin.

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Where I work we have a foam specially formulated for cleaning skin of bm/urine.

It's called Carrafoam. It looks like shaving cream, is in a can and comes out simliar to shaving cream.

But it is specially formulated for the job.

There are links for places to buy it all over the net, if anyone should want their facility to try it.

I think a salesman came to our place and we keep it on hand all the time now.

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Specializes in Long-term care.

I became a CNA in May of 2004 and have worked for one nursing home since. During a conversation with my DON I mentioned that I saw one of the other experienced CNAs using shaving creame to provide peri-care. (I did not know this was against company policy)

She immediately flew off the handle and told me that if I ever saw it happening again to report it and if she caught anyone doing the same, they would be terminated on the spot. According to her, shaving cream is horrible to use on bottoms in long-term care and it breaks down the skin slowly. Also, (this is repulsive) I have seen a CNA apply the ALCOHOL GEL to the orifice of a person who would not stop having a BM, just so she wouldn't have to keep cleaning them up. I think THAT should be grounds for immediate termination/losing certification. IMHO

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.

I have found shaving cream good at cutting the cr** on many bummies, but you still have to do a regular wash in addition. I like the baby oil gel for barrier on normal bums. Then things slip off easily....

Sort of nip it in the bud....or butt?

My heavens! this is a tacky post!

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The Queen of Clean says that shaving cream is just whipped soap. It also contains moisturizers and sometimes aloe. Heck, I'd try it :p

A couple of weeks ago our DON posted this note at the nurse's station: "Do NOT leave shaving cream out where it can be seen." Curious, I asked another nurse what was so bad about shaving cream being left out. She proceeded to tell me that often the CNAs use it to clean BM off butts, but that it is against (state?) regulations. Now, this brings up a whole 'nuther can of worms about why it's okay to use as long as no one knows you use it. Hmmm. :madface:

Anyway, while helping clean up a resident last night I happened to see a can of shaving cream on a bedside table and decided to read the ingredients. It was Colgate in a orange bottle. It has PROPANE and all kinds of other icky sounding stuff. I then checked out my DHs Colgate for SENSITIVE SKIN this morning, and it also has propane AND butane!!

Doesn't sound like anything I'd want used on MY butt. And I don't know of any soap with propane or butane in it.

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I would think it would be fine unless it is alcohol based.

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Specializes in Home care, assisted living.

The other night I got an idea. I heard someone mention that they don't like using Desitin Creamy on their child because it just slides off, unlike regular Desitin. What do ya think? Would Desitin Creamy be a good alternative?

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:Santa2: Looks like this santa has been playing with the shaving cream::wink2:

Anyways. . .Many years ago, when I was training in the unit by a very "seasoned" nurse, she taught me to use the shaving cream for the really messy, sticky, smelly, clean ups. Never knew the reason WHY but it really works great! If you follow with soap/water/drying, you do not get skin break down. Patients feel clean and fresh and the smell is controlled.

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Well, I really don't know about ligering smells b/c I work part evenings and nights a 12 hour shift 6p-6a. Since I don't work days or evening while the patients are up, I don't know. When I change my incontinent one's in bed is first wipe the BMwith an unsoiled part of the diaper, then with the draw pad, and the the sheet (if they put an extra one under the draw pad), then I wipe with water and a cloth. Not a warm cloth mind you (not by choice. Is it just me or does every one have to deal the water that takes 20 minutes to warm up?

Sometime some of then will have their person Peri-Care spray that claims it is all you need to clean (yeah right!), I use it for the refreshing smell. But anyway since I am in and out, I not around long enough for the smell to last. But the shaving cream thing is new to me. Nice to know I guess. Oh yea, we use Sealant on those with heavy irritation.

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OK, very interesting conversation--- only nurses are so concerned with poo and hairy butts.... Now this is slightly off subject; but once the butts are clean, why not put some more shaving cream on there and actually shave it? I have done this with long term pts who are demented or unconscious. It does make clean up the next time much easier. All my coworkers have appreciated it AND I think it is cleaner for the patient.... As stated earlier be sure to use shaving creme without alcohol OR menthol..... dan

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