How to Get Rid of Poop Smell That Lingers on Hands

Causes of Lingering Poop Smell on Hands

It’s common for subtle smells to initially linger after using the bathroom and properly cleansing your hands. However, a persistent potent poop odor on the skin despite vigorous washing signals deeper issues are at play. Reasons why you might continually battle embarrassing smells on your hands include:

Incomplete Hand Washing

Germs and microscopic fecal matter easily hide in nail beds, crevices, and skin pores if you don’t wash long enough with soap and warm water each time. Consistently skipping steps leaves waste particles behind.

Failing to Pre-Wipe Thoroughly

Not properly wiping with toilet paper first before standing can lead to contamination on hands from residual mess. Always wipe completely until paper is clean to limit hand contact with feces and odor transfer.

Contact with Other Soiled Areas

Bacteria moves easily from a dirty bum or particle-laden underwear to hands and vice versa. Any particles lingering in pubic hair, on clothes, or bedding also raise odor transfer chances during bathroom use or changing.

Skin Absorption

Fecal odor compounds can permeate deeper into the skin’s surface and pores after repeat exposure, especially if you have any small cuts or eczema cracks in the skin. This makes smells harder to wash off.

How to Eliminate Poop Smell from Hands

Use these proven cleansing and deodorizing tips to tackle stubborn poop smells that linger on hands between bathroom visits:

Scrub Under Warm Running Water

Each time, thoroughly lather hands with soap and vigorously scrub every surface from nails to knuckles under warm running water for 20+ seconds. Rinse and repeat if any odor remains.

Target Nail Beds and Cuticles

Use a small specialized scrub brush to manually clean underneath nails, cuticles and crevices where germs hide. Soak hands first to soften skin for better cleaning access if needed.

Apply Hand Sanitizer Gel

Follow hand washing by rubbing an alcohol-based sanitizer gel all over hands until fully dried to further kill bacteria missed by soap. This helps deodorize skin.

Spritz Antibacterial Spray

Mist your hands liberally with antibacterial spray containing cleansing agents like benzalkonium chloride or benzethonium chloride and allow to fully dry. Reapply anytime smells return.

Wipe Lemons Over Hands

Rub cut lemon halves over clean hands to utilize citric acid’s powerful deodorizing abilities. The acidic juice helps destroy odor causing bacteria, leaving fresh citrus scent behind.

Why Smells Linger and How to Prevent It

Even after washing thoroughly, many people struggle with poop smells reappearing on hands within hours. Understanding why this occurs empowers you to better prevent it.

Bacteria and Particles Hide in Skin

Microscopic waste material and odor causing germs deeply penetrate porous hand skin and cling to rough areas around nails, knuckles, and cracks.

Dead Skin Cells Accumulate

Smells get trapped in the natural dead skin cell build up constantly shedding from your hands no matter how often you wash.

Scrub Hands Before Washing

Before wetting hands, vigorously rub them together to help dislodge clinging particles. Soap and water then better targets leftovers.

Clean Under Nails Daily

Use a nail brush, toothpick or flosser to manually remove germs hiding within nail beds and fingertips whenever you wash hands.

Moisturize After Washing

Apply moisturizer post-washing while skin is slightly damp to seal in moisture and prevent cracks and tiny cuticle tears where smells collect.

Upgrade Hand Soap

Choose antibacterial soaps containing odor fighting ingredients like eucalyptus oil, lemon verbena, or sandalwood smell nicer and kill more germs.

Hand Sanitizer vs Soap and Water for Poop Smells

While hand sanitizer is convenient for killing some bacteria, it has limitations fighting stubborn poop odors compared to thorough hand washing.

Sanitizer Doesn’t Remove Waste

Alcohol gels applied to dirty hands don’t physically wash away feces particles. Tiny bits with clinging odor causing germs often remain untouched.

Smells Return Quicker

Since hand sanitizer doesn’t flush waste down the drain, smells tend to relapse faster as lingering bacteria continue growing back.

Better With Visible Soiling

When hands are visibly dirty from bathroom use, always opt for warm water, soap and scrubbing first. Sanitizer works better as an extra deodorizing step when no soil is visible.

May Dry Out Skin Over Time

Frequent use of alcohol/ingredient laden sanitizers can cause dry, cracked skin allowing smells to deeply set in. Moisturize after to counteract.

Home Remedies to Remove Poop Smells from Hands

In addition to vigilant hand hygiene, home remedies help refresh and deodorize hands plagued by stubborn bathroom smells between washes:

Baking Soda Scrub

Form a gritty paste by mixing 1 Tbsp baking soda with enough water or lemon juice to form a spreadable consistency. Gently scrub over hands, let sit 5 minutes, then rinse clean.

Vinegar Rinse

Pour undiluted white vinegar over washed hands until soaked. Let set 1 minute for the acetic acid to kill odor causing germs, then rinse with water and pat dry.

Lemon Juice Dip

Squeeze fresh lemon juice into a bowl. Submerge just hands for 5+ minutes to benefit from citric acid fighting stubborn smells.

Essential Oil Rub

Apply a few drops each of eucalyptus, peppermint and tea tree essential oils onto your palms. Rub hands together allowing oils’ antimicrobial compounds to cut odors.

When to See a Doctor About Smelly Hands

Occasionally struggling with subtle bathroom odors on hands after washing is generally normal. However, if you continually battle very unpleasant or downright foul waste smells between showers no matter how thoroughly you cleanse, seek medical attention to identify if an underlying condition requires treatment.

Signs of Bacterial Overgrowth

Consistent heavy scents of decay could indicate an overabundance of odor causing bacteria not sufficiently killed by normal cleaning. Skin infections may develop.

bowel Leakage Concerns

Uncontrollable fecal leakage accidents related to bowel conditions like irritable bowel syndrome could be transferring smells and bacteria to hands frequently.

Diabetes Warning Sign

In diabetics, unmanaged blood sugar allows yeasts and bacteria to rapidly multiply with smelly skin infections as a common side effect. Seek medical help managing glycemic control.

Allergic Skin Reactions

Rashes, skin inflammation and excess dryness from new products or antibiotic use can worsen hand odor issues. Evaluate any soaps, wipes or medications used.

Proper Hand Hygiene Moving Forward

Guarding against future bathroom smells lingering on hands involves reassessing hygiene habits. Ensure you:

Wash Hands After Every Bathroom Use

Both urine and feces transfer germs to hands that cause odors, so wash every time as a rule of thumb.

Scrub Entire Hand Surfaces

Clean all areas from fingernails, knuckles, and wrists to finger pads, the back of hands, between fingers and underneath nails where bacteria colonies hide.

Wash Hands Before Preparing Food

Avoid spreading germs by always washing with soap before eating meals or handling kitchen items others may use. Don’t recontaminate cleaned hands.

Upgrade Hand Soaps

Choose better quality antibacterial liquid soaps with essential oils and odor eliminating compounds that work harder between bathroom uses.

Stopping smelly hands involves thorough hand washing technique coupled with targeted cleaning of nail beds and using deodorizing lemon juice, vinegar and other home remedies. See a doctor if potent odors won’t resolve or underlying medical issues are suspected. Consistent hygiene prevents embarrassing odors from returning quickly.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.