While anal sex and anal play can be extremely hot, the reality is that unless you’re into scat (paraphilia involving sexual arousal and pleasure from faeces), douching is an important part of the process. 

“What even is anal douching”, you ask? Delicately put, it’s cleaning out your anus in preparation for anal sex or anal play. And while douching may seem a bit daunting, just think of it as having a shower for your insides – after all, “douche” just means “shower” in French. 

Here, we’ll explore how the colon is structured, the different types of douches you can use, and a few pro tips to make the process easier, and keep your bits safe. 

The colon 

The colon is shaped like a box with a tail at the base: 

1. Sphincter: your butthole muscles 
2. Rectum: the “tail”, about about six inches long 
3. Sigmoid: slightly s-shaped, it forms the “base” of the box 
4. Descending colon: the vertical “side” of the box 
5. Transverse colon: the horizontal “top” of the box 
6. Ascending colon: the other vertical “side” of the box. 

In [Part 2], we’ll understand why the structure of the colon is important. 

Types of douche 

There are a few different types of douche: the shower hose, the enema bulb, the Fleet enema and the enema bag. 

The shower douche 

The shower hose douche is the easiest way to clean out your derriere for the deep clean. You simply remove your shower hose and replace it with the shower douche. 

Pro tip: you have to be careful with a shower douche – the inside of your anus is more temperature sensitive and more delicate than skin, so make sure the water is lukewarm and at a low pressure. 

The enema bulb 

The enema bulb is a small plastic or rubber bulb – roughly fist sized – with a short nozzle. It’s a great option if you’re travelling because it’s small and discreet.

The Fleet enema 

Fleet enemas are often used in hospitals before a rectal examination or surgery, and contain saline which can help the poop to soften and therefore make it easier to expel and clean. 

The enema bag 

The enema bag is just that – a bag. It has a hose and nozzle attached to the end, similar to the shower hose douche, and uses gravity to push water into your anus. 

The water bottle 

Okay, not strictly a type of douche, but if you find yourself somewhere without a douche and you need to clean out, you can make do with a simple plastic water bottle. Just lean your bum against the top of the bottle (with lube!), push it in gently, and squeeze lightly. 

Pro tips 

1. Some people fast for 24 hours before heavy anal play. This makes the cleaning process easier with fewer chances for accidents. 
2. A healthy, fibre-filled diet and drinking lots of water will make the douching process a lot easier. 
3. Try douching a few times without having an anal play appointment scheduled. This will help you understand how your body works and how to clean out so that when anal is on the agenda you’ll be confident and relaxed knowing you are squeaky clean. 
4. Never douche with soaps, harsh cleansers, chemicals or oils or anything other than water (or saline). 
5. Don’t douche more than three times a week. 
6. Your anus is delicate. Lube is your friend. 

We welcome you with open arms to the world of anal douching - but we’re not quite done here! In [Part 2], we’ll dive into the two types of douching: the quick clean and the deep clean. So much to learn in the wonderful world of anal cleanliness.