Many women and girls feel paranoid about how they smell “down there” — you are not alone! The truth is, every female has her own signature scent, and if you have a sexual partner, your partner probably doesn’t mind it a bit. At the same time, if you’re feeling a little insecure, then it won’t hurt to make sure that you’re covering all of the bases when you wash your vagina. You deserve to feel clean and confident.
Daily Vagina Washing Routine
1. Lather up a washcloth with some mild natural soap and water. Avoid using soaps with heavy perfumes, which may irritate the sensitive skin around your vagina.
2. Clean the folds around your clitoris. Use your fingers to pull your labia away from your clitoris. Gently scrub the skin on both sides of your clitoris with the washcloth.
3. Wash your vulva and your vaginal opening. Also, scrub around your bikini line.
4. Scrub your perineum. The perineum is the area between your vagina and your anus.
5. Wash your anal area last. Keep your washcloth from touching your vaginal area after you’ve washed your anus. Doing this will ensure that you don’t drag rectal germs toward your vaginal area. These germs can cause you to get urinary tract infections.
6. Wash your vagina at least once per day. If you have sex, you may want to wash it a second time to feel fresh and clean, although washing after sex will not prevent pregnancy on its own.
Keeping Yourself Smelling Fresh
1. Trim, wax, or shave your pubic hair. Thick pubic hair can cause you to sweat down below, which may make you have some issues with odor.
2. Stay clean during your period. Change your pad or your tampon frequently, according to the directions on the package. If you’re worried about how you smell when you’re having your period, you can wash your vagina 2 or 3 times a day.
3. Wear cotton underwear. Breathable fabric helps to prevent vaginal odor.
4. Try a reusable pantyliner. The idea of reusing and washing your pantyliners may seem strange at first, but the cotton will help your vagina to breathe while absorbing any excess discharge. If you like the way they make you feel, you can graduate to reusable cotton menstrual pads or menstrual cups.
5. Bathe as part of your foreplay. So, are you worried that your partner won’t like your scent? Take a shower or a steamy bath before you have sex. Let your partner wash your vagina for you. Who knows? It might lead to all kinds of fun.
How to flush out period blood
Again, the vagina will naturally keep itself clean, so even during your period, you don’t need to worry about doing a vaginal douche or flushing out menstrual blood. However, during this time you might want to focus more on keeping the wider perineal area clean (this is the area of skin between the vagina and the anus), but this can be done by simply rinsing with warm water.