Emptying a drainable ostomy bag is a straightforward process that takes just a few minutes once you get the hang of it. Most people empty their pouch when it’s about one-third to one-half full, which prevents the weight of the contents from pulling the seal away from your skin and causing leaks. Depending on your type of ostomy, that could mean emptying several times a day.
Drainable vs. Closed-End Pouches
Before getting into the steps, it helps to know which type of pouch you’re working with. Drainable pouches have an opening at the bottom (called the tail) that you unfasten, empty, clean, and reseal. You don’t remove the pouch from your body to empty it, and it can stay in place for several days before you change the whole system.
Closed-end pouches have no bottom opening. When they’re one-third to one-half full, you peel the entire pouch off, throw it away, and apply a fresh one. These are more common with colostomies, where output is firmer and less frequent. If you use a closed-end system, the emptying process is really a removal-and-replacement process, which overlaps more with a full pouch change than with the draining steps below.
How Output Type Affects Emptying
The consistency of what comes out of your stoma depends on where it’s located along your digestive tract. An ileostomy (small intestine) produces liquid output, often described as the consistency of oatmeal or applesauce. Because less water has been absorbed from the stool at that point, the pouch fills faster and needs to be emptied more often. A larger pouch can help space out those trips to the bathroom.
A colostomy (large intestine) produces more formed stool, especially when the stoma is closer to the rectum. Output may only pass once or twice a day, so a smaller pouch often works fine. The firmer the output, the more you may need to gently squeeze and guide it out of the tail during draining.
What You’ll Need
Emptying doesn’t require much, but having a few things within reach makes the process cleaner:
- Toilet paper or wipes for cleaning the pouch tail inside and out
- Your pouch closure (clamp, clip, or built-in Velcro, depending on your system)
- Lubricating deodorant drops (optional but helpful for reducing odor and keeping contents flowing to the bottom of the pouch)
You don’t need scissors, paste, skin barriers, or any of the supplies associated with a full pouch change. This is just a drain-and-reseal process.
Step-by-Step: Emptying a Drainable Pouch
Get Into Position
Sit on the toilet, positioning yourself far back on the seat or off to one side so the pouch tail hangs between your legs and points into the bowl. Some people prefer to stand or stoop over the toilet instead. Either way, drop a few sheets of toilet paper into the water first to cut down on splashing. You can also flush as you drain to keep things moving.
Open and Drain
Unfasten the closure at the bottom of the pouch. If you have a clamp, slide it off the tail and set it aside. If your pouch uses Velcro, unfold and separate the closure. Let gravity do most of the work. Then slide your fingers down the outside of the pouch from top to bottom, gently pushing all the contents out through the tail and into the toilet.
Clean the Tail
This step matters more than people expect. Wipe both the inside and outside of the tail thoroughly with toilet paper. Any residue left on the tail is the main source of odor between emptyings, and it can also prevent the closure from sealing properly. Take an extra moment here, especially on the inner surface.
Check for Damage
While you have the pouch open, glance at both sides and check for tears, holes, or thinning spots. If you find any, plan to put on a new pouch rather than resealing the damaged one.
Reseal the Pouch
If your pouch has Velcro closures, press them firmly together to create a tight seal. If you use a clamp, hold it open with the curved side (the hinge) facing your body. Lay the flat bar of the clamp across the tail about one inch from the bottom. Fold the tail up and over the bar, making sure the tail lies flat and the entire width sits within the bar before clicking the clamp shut. A sloppy fold here is a common cause of small leaks, so take a second to make sure everything is flat and even.
Add Lubricating Deodorant (Optional)
If you use a lubricating deodorant, you can add a few drops into the pouch through the top or through the tail before resealing. These products coat the inside of the pouch so that output slides to the bottom rather than clinging around the stoma area. They also neutralize odor inside the bag between emptyings. They come in standard bottles and single-use travel packets.
Protecting the Skin Around Your Stoma
Emptying the pouch itself shouldn’t expose your peristomal skin (the skin surrounding the stoma) to output, since the pouch stays attached to your body during the process. But the condition of your skin barrier matters every time you interact with your system. When you do change pouches, make sure the opening in the base plate is cut to fit just 1 to 2 millimeters larger than your stoma’s diameter. A gap that’s too wide lets output seep onto exposed skin, which leads to irritation and breakdown over time.
If you notice redness, rawness, or a burning sensation on the skin around your stoma, protective products like skin barrier powder, barrier rings, or liquid skin protectant films can help seal out moisture. Keeping the area dry and well-fitted is the single most important thing you can do to prevent skin problems.
How Often to Empty
The general rule is to empty when your pouch reaches one-third to one-half full. Waiting longer adds weight that pulls on the adhesive seal, increasing the risk of leaks and skin exposure. For someone with an ileostomy, that might mean emptying six to eight times a day. For a colostomy with formed output, it could be just once or twice. Many people find it easiest to build emptying into a routine: first thing in the morning, before meals, and before bed.
Emptying before the pouch gets heavy also keeps the bag closer to your body and less noticeable under clothing. If you’re heading into a situation where you won’t have easy bathroom access, empty beforehand even if the pouch isn’t one-third full yet.
Signs Something Isn’t Right
Each time you empty, you get a quick look at your output and your stoma. A healthy stoma is moist and pink or red, similar to the inside of your mouth. If your stoma looks noticeably paler than usual, or if it has changed significantly in size or appears to be protruding much more than normal, that warrants a call to your care team.
Pay attention to your output volume and consistency too. A sudden shift to no output at all, or to extremely watery output with abdominal pain and vomiting, can signal a bowel obstruction. That combination is a medical emergency.