There's a reason why portable bidets are the trendiest bathroom accessory as of late. Remember approximately 100 years ago when people were hoarding toilet paper, and many of us thought that we'd have the pandemic under control by summer? Sigh. While toilet paper is easier to find now, there's actually a pretty compelling case for ditching it in favor of bidets—even if you're out and about. ( Following safety guidelines, of course.) Also known as mobile toilet showers and traveling butt showers, portable bidets are bidets you can take on the go. Our butt has several parts, with the least hygienic—and hardest to reach—being your inner butt cheeks and your actual external hole," says Dr. Goldstein. "To use our scrub, I recommend wetting all areas in the shower, placing a dollop in your palm, and then gently scrubbing in concentric circles from the outside in, making bigger circles as you progress. You don't need to grind it in, nor should you go inside your actual hole, but you should feel the exfoliants working their magic." And so, that's what I've been doing every time I step under the stream. Electrical toys: Unplug the toy, and clean according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure not to submerge the cord or any electrical parts in water. Allow the toy to dry thoroughly before using it again. I use hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant, and dilute this in water as per the instructions on the container. Hydrogen peroxide naturally breaks down to water and oxygen, and when diluted properly, is effectively a mild bleach that is safe for the environment when used in small amounts.

Unfortunately, the correct way to wipe your butt might elude you. Joel Krachman, M.D., is the Chief of Gastroenterology for New Jersey-based AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center. According to Dr. Krachman, there aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to wiping, except that you probably shouldn’t do it hard and/or fast.

The do’s and don’ts of cleaning your butt

Dr. Goldstein says while there’s a lot to think about, there’s a secret to optimizing your poops and pooping habits: “The key really is in what we eat, our daily supplements, and working out to create a homeostatic relationship so that we poop like most dogs. Soft, yet formed, with no wiping required.” How do you clean your bottom if you can't reach? Take an over-the-counter (OTC) stool softener. It can reduce straining that can worsen hemorrhoids. If you experience significant anal itching or have a hard time feeling clean, you may have hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the rectum that may be around the anal opening, called external hemorrhoids, or inside the anal opening, called internal hemorrhoids. To use, empty out the saline water out of the douche -- "saline is a laxative and you DO NOT want that going into you if you're about to bottom." Refill with water from the sink or shower at a temperature "a little cooler than room temperature." Insert the head of the douche inside your butt -- using a little bit of lube helps -- and squeeze.

Bowel training. Bowel training involves teaching yourself to go to the bathroom at around the same time each day. It may reduce the likelihood of fecal incontinence. A 2014 study followed women with vaginal human papillomavirus HPV who used a sex toy and cleaned it. The results showed that in some instances, HPV was still present on the vibrator 24 hours later.This suggests that sex toys can carry bacteria and spread infections. The most significant risk may be when a person uses the same sex toy with different people during the same sex session or within a short time frame. Anderson, T. A., et al. (2014). A study of human papillomavirus on vaginally inserted sex toys, before and after cleaning, among women who have sex with women and men. [Abstract].

Anal douching isn’t something you need to do every day, but there may be some circumstances where you need to feel very clean — like if you’re having receptive anal sex. If this is the case, you can consider anal douching. Be sure to wash all parts, including cloth attachments. For example, wash a cloth strap-on harness in the washing machine if the label indicates it is safe to do so. A high-fiber diet can help keep stools firm and regular. This helps keep the anus clean and reduces the risk of an encounter with poop during anal sex. Let’s start by clearing one thing up: Unless you urgently feel like you have to use the bathroom, or you have health issues that affect your gastrointestinal system, you’re probably not going to spontaneously poop during sex. A finger, penis, or sex toy would go in your rectum during anal sex, and that part of your body isn’t where your poop lives. (It’s stored further up and out of reach in the sigmoid colon until a muscle contraction called a “mass movement” empties it into your rectum.) Woodman-Maynard, E., et al. (2009). Women who have anal sex: Pleasure or pressure? Implications for HIV prevention.Anal skin tags are skin growths that develop from recurrent friction, irritation, or inflammation. Common causes include: