Growing up, women were always taught to keep their lady parts clean. But apparently, there are many things you can do wrong while trying to keep it clean. It’s not something they actually teach in school, so a lot of girls out there might not be aware that they’re guilty of committing some vaginal cleaning mistakes. Here are seven of them that you should stop doing, stat!
1. You’re wiping back to front.
Yes, my friend. You have to stop wiping back to front, butt to vag. When you wipe back to front, you’re going to get your butt bacteria in your vagina, which could cause all sorts of problems. Don’t wipe back to front; dab gently instead.
2. You’re using scented soap.
Scented soaps smell nice, but better not use them for cleaning your vagina. Our girls down there already have a good bacterial ecosystem that keeps the vagina healthy.
3. You’re douching.
Douching is supposed to clean out vaginal canal, but your vagina already does that. Douches mess with your pH balance and flush out the good bacteria, so trust your lady part–she got the self-cleaning part down pat.
4. You’re Not Swapping Condoms
This is pretty much the same as wiping back to front. Avoid getting butt bacteria into your vagina by making sure you change condoms if you switch between vaginal and anal sex.
Apart from the bacteria transfer, this also ensures you are protected from sexually transmitted infections.
5. Your underwear is too tight… or too wet/
Bacteria tend to hone into warm and moist surfaces, so better use dry and clean cotton undies all the time. When swimming, switch to clean undies instead of letting your wet bathing suit dry out.
6. You don’t change pads often enough.
Remember what we said about wet undies or bikini bottoms? Keeping your vagina dry also applies when you get your monthly cycle. Sodden pads make for feeding grounds for bacteria, so make sure to change pads every few hours.
7. You don’t have a balanced diet.
So it’s true that what you eat directly affects your vagina, so make sure to eat nutritious food to make sure your vagina is also in tip-top shape.
Stay clean and dry, ladies!