It’s something we all do without thinking, several times a day. But wiping over and over again after using the bathroom could actually make things worse rather than better… According to a physiotherapist specializing in pelvic health, you should never go over the toilet more than three times. Why? And how can you do it differently without feeling uncomfortable? We’ll explain everything.
Too much wiping = risk of irritation
Have you ever experienced that awkward moment when, despite several swipes of paper, you still feel like it’s not clean ? You’re not alone. And yet, insisting isn’t the solution: on the contrary, it encourages what specialists call « fecal smearing. » In short: instead of cleaning thoroughly, we end up spreading residue over an already sensitive area … Hello redness, burning sensations, and irritation.
This is what Georgia Reupert-Allen, an Australian physiotherapist specializing in the pelvic floor, explains in a video that has gone viral on social media. According to her, if you feel the need to wipe again and again, it’s because the sphincter hasn’t finished its job properly.
A simple and surprising solution: pelvic contractions
Rather than unrolling half a roll of paper, Georgia suggests a very simple method: performing progressive pelvic floor contractions , just after going to the toilet. The goal? Stimulate the internal muscles to promote a more complete evacuation, and thus limit residual traces.
