All women have some vaginal discharge. This is normal. Many women have increased discharge once in a while. The discharge can become a problem when it is excessive in amount or when it is associated with itching, irritation or an unpleasant odor.

Excess discharge can be removed two different ways. The first of these is douching. This means rinsing the inside of the vagina with water. In order to do this you need to have a reusable douche set up. Go to any large pharmacy and pick one that looks like it would be comfortable for you. Fill the douche reservoir with warm water and add a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice. The amount is not critical; approximately a tablespoon will do. The function of the vinegar or lemon juice is to lower the pH and make it slightly acid like the vagina should be. You may also use about a teaspoon or boric acid crystals or powder. A douche like this can be used with no harmful effects because it is completely natural. Some doctors believe that this type of douching increases the risk of pelvic infections and ectopic pregnancies. I am not convinced that this is true, but it might be. To be on the safe side you might consider the alternative method discussed next.

A second method of removing excessive vaginal discharge is called finger douching. You can do this in the shower by rinsing your fingers off and putting one or two fingers up inside your vagina as far as they will go. Remove your fingers and you will notice some discharge sticking to your fingers. Rinse this off and repeat the process until you can put your fingers inside your vagina and no discharge sticks to them. It is important to rinse your fingers carefully because any soap on your fingers might be irritating to the inside of the vagina.

Douching is rarely necessary, but it may decrease the risk of vaginal and bladder infections. Some women prefer to douche as a matter of personal hygiene. You may choose to douche frequently or not at all. If you're interested in advanced vaginal hygiene...

Commercial douche products, deodorant tampons, deodorant pads and feminine hygiene sprays should be avoided. They may contain ingredients to which you should be allergic. Disposable douches containing only vinegar and water are acceptable, but they're not very economical.

Sleeping without underwear is a good idea. This allows your genital area to be drier and cooler.

NEVER use pads, tampons or panty liners for discharge. If you and your physician can't cure the problem, switch to cotton underwear and accept that you're going to be doing more laundry.