Anal cleansing

Anal cleansing is the hygienic practice that a person performs on the anal area of themselves after defecation. The anus and may be either washed with liquids or wiped with toilet paper or other solid materials. In many Muslim, Hindu and Sikh cultures, as well as Southeast Asia, water is usually used for anal cleansing using a jet, as with a bidet, or most commonly, splashed and washed with the hand. Some people follow this up with toilet paper afterwards for drying purposes.

In other cultures (such as many Western countries), cleaning after defecation is generally done with toilet paper only, although some individuals may use water or wet wipes or gel wipe as well.

In low-income settings of developing countries or during camping trips, materials such as vegetable material, mudballs, snow, stones, sticks and leaves are sometimes used.

Having a hygienic means for anal cleansing available at the toilet is important for overall public health. The absence of anal cleansing material in households can in some circumstances be correlated to the number of diarrhea episodes per household.

The use of toilet paper for post-defecation cleansing first started in China. It became widespread in Western culture. In some parts of the world, especially before toilet paper was available or affordable, the use of newspaper, telephone directory pages, or other paper products was common. The widely distributed Sears Roebuck catalog was also a popular choice until it began to be printed on glossy paper (at which point some people wrote to the company to complain). With modern flush toilets, using newspaper as toilet paper is liable to cause blockages. This practice continues today in parts of Africa; while rolls of Western-style toilet paper are readily available, they can be fairly expensive, prompting poorer members of the community to use newspapers. Sometimes a gel or foam is applied to paper to clean pores and moisturize skin.

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