Age of Enema Bags

On occasion we have discussed how cost effective the typical enema bag happens to be and why the manufacturers shifted to disposables. I read those posts and concluded each time, "Sure, that makes sense." Well this morning I was in the bathroom and noted that my wife had taken an enema earlier and that the bag was out drying on the towel rack. Honestly, I never gave it a close examination before but inside the collar where the plug or hose adapter gets screwed in some numbers were embossed including "03-85". This made sense because my wife bought this just prior to our wedding, but the fact that we have had the same enema bag for nearly 40 years seems just so amazing.

Interesting. I've got a Klysra bag, purchased in about 2010, which shows no signs of giving up.

And...what's this about your wife taking an enema? Enemas are meant to be GIVEN if you're together...😃

I have collected enema/douche gear for many years, buying and selling as I've been liquidating wonderful collectables.

I still have some items that are many decades old. Some are still very usable. I suspect that my fetish dates back nearly 70 years.

Doctorh3e posted: "And...what's this about your wife taking an enema? Enemas are meant to be GIVEN if you're together.."

True enough and I have given her lots of enemas over the years, but that does not diminish the fact that she still takes a fair number on her own. Now that leads me to think about how many enemas that bag has given since it was new. For many years my wife did two enemas a month but that has tapered off since she went through menopause. Still if you include those that she has given me that might equate to 1000 enemas or more in 40 years. If she paid $5 for that bag that comes out to only 1/2 cent each. If I include the price of the warm water and Ivory soap or baking soda a good enema can be had for a penny. Laxatives, suppositories, and disposable enemas don't begin to come close.

If I think back to the folding syringe that I bought in college I got less than 20 years out of it. On the other hand the combination syringe that we have had in the house like forever is still going strong. I suspect that with a little care my enema can might last a century or more with only an occasional replacement of the hose. We'll make sure to will it to our daughter.

In the house right now we have one open-top Davol fountain syringe which was acquired in 1952. Still pliable and very workable. We also have a Rexall Victoria combination syringe purchased in July 1966 which gets frequent use as a cure for my IBS.

From one of the households we cleared out as family passed away, we acquired an Armstrong Silver Leaf 2 1/2 quart fountain syringe that is nestled in its original box and has not been used in many years. It is the soft flexible rubber so very common in the 1940's and 1950's.

Many other, cheaper bags have come and gone, but these three relics remain in service here!

I have several enema cans from the early 70's. The one is ceramic coated steel and works very well. The larger of the 'stainless steel' ones seems to leach metal into the solution and has made my bowel sore on the left side from using it - I only keep it as a 'Conversation Piece'.

I have a green 'E' bag that is from the early 70's that I like for a baking soda buffered enemas on occasion, but for my more 'exotic' solutions I use a made in India plastic bucket made by Naulakha Industries - It does quite well and has no chemical smell or residue. The thing I didn't like about the plastic 'E' bucket was the nozzles that came with it - I replaced them with a 'bulbous' barium style nozzle and now it is my favorite setup. It gets used two or more times a week and cleans up with a bit of Castile soap and warm water - it is going on 5 years old.

The bag that I currently use was purchased from Walgreens about 10 years ago and is the standard drug store 2 quart bag. The bag is in decent shape but unfortunately the hose is wearing and probably has about two years left. This bag replaced a similar bag that only lasted about 5 years as the top of the bag where you hang it ripped. My all time favorite was was a clear plastic bag that lasted only about a year and that too ripped

When I first got to the point that I needed to buy my own bag, rather than the one mom bought for my sister and I at home, I only remember two chain drugstores, that was Rexall and Walgreens and at the time both of them had a selection of several bulbs and bags to choose from. There were still quite a few mom and pop drugstores that also had a good selection of enema things. Gradually all of the independents went away and the chains like CVS and Rite-Aid joined Walgreens. About the same time I noticed the quality of the bags and other parts went down too. No more folding latex bags, no more real rubber bags but something more like plastic-rubber than real rubber. In the early years I didn't so much replace a bag because it wore out but rather that I was just tired of it and something new (maybe a different color?) caught my eye. Of course the folding latex bags usually did fail after only a couple of years because the metal grommet at the hanging hole tore out of the bag. Too full, I guess.

I do remember me keeping some of the older bags for ten to fifteen years, but lately they only seem to last a few years. Most times I replaced the hose and nozzles it came with because what you get now is crap. I do not usually go over two quarts so I have found no need for one of the big silicone rubber bags but I might have to break down and get one because the old-fashioned rubber fountain syringe is getting hard to find.

@Cheryl77177 Cara has a rather nice yellow bag that I have found at a locally owned pharmacy. I can't say if it is made for them or if it is even made to any specification they may have other than it is made in China. Now Cara has a rather nice bulb with a soft easy-to-squeeze rubber-like bulb that I bought (and like) from the same pharmacy and it is made in the USA. Longevity unknown.

I just received two of the standard red closed top bags from AliExpress. To my surprise, they are genuine rubber with that familiar smell. They were advertised as 1200 ml and I thought that would be great to have two of these hanging above me for just the right amount of water. I measured their capacity and it’s about 1800 ml each. They weren’t very expensive either.

The first enema bag I bought was a Faultless Folding Syringe because it was small and easy to hide. At the time I had not yet come out to my wife that I gave myself enemas for fun. Once I decided to get her involved, I bought a Faultless combination bag because the closed top bag could be used in the bedroom without worrying about spilling it. Over the years I bought many different bags, mostly just to try each type of bag I saw. Some of the most convenient bags I kept for years but some got pitched after one use just because I didn’t like it.

As others have said, there has been a noticeable change in the quality of the bags available at the local level as well as them disappearing from most stores that used to stock them. Some of the materials used today may last as long, or longer, than the old rubber bags but the feel and smell of the rubber is not the same. I like the looks of the typical red rubber enema bags of days past.

After fifteen plus years of use, the hanging hole suddenly failed, dumping four liters of soapsuds on the bathroom floor. Saddened by the loss of my favorite enema bag I decided to try saving it. Using a quarter inch leather punch, I made two holes several inches apart in the heavy flap. I then fastened a short three inch loop of Nylon cord as a hanger. I am happy to report that after a dozen or more full bag enemas, my Klystra bag continues to perform as before with no apparent wear to the new holes I made.

My much loved amber latex bag hit the floor today. The latex bag just separated from the firmer black rubber collar, sending two quarts of water onto the floor. I was trying out my new latex double balloon nozzle from Medtech300 when this happened. Bummer. Some months ago, I had purchased a Sanger three-quart closed top red rubber bag from Medtech300 and was disappointed to find that the hose was connected to the stopper and the nozzles screwed on instead of slipping into the tube. No chance of using other nozzles or tubing. (The stopper is not a standard size, so I couldn't just substitute another.) My first and only experience with the bag was disappointing. But today, needing (wanting) to have an enema even after the disaster with my favored amber latex bag, I pulled out the Sanger, filled it up, and gave myself an enema. I was surprised. The enema entered very slowly, so I could relax and enjoy a slow but inexorable filling of the colon. And the expulsion was similarly prolonged. I liked it. I'd love to find another amber latex bag, which I doubt I will ever find. But for the moment, the slow filling Sanger will do just fine.

The old days of latex bags was my favorite. What do you think has led to the total disappearance of latex bags in favor of silicone?

I believe the disappearance of those latex bags had as much to do with allergies to latex, as with anything else. They weren't as durable as the heavier rubber gear either. With douching being discouraged, the latex folding/travel bags were also becoming somewhat obsolete.

I think I've tried a lot of things in my enema life. And like fashion, preferences often changed.

When my big journey began, rubber, latex, enamel, glass and Bakelite were the predominant materials. If you pressed your nose in drugstore windows, red was the dominant color, interspersed with black nozzles, amber-colored latex, white enamels or glass syringes; As I said, red was dominant.

The time came when you realized that you were going back to the “old” things. When reading many posts from predominantly older members, similar attitudes emerged. And that's no coincidence.

The sight of bulging amber-colored latex bags excited me, even today. Unfortunately, their lifespan is quite short. They tend to crack at the hanging loops. The bags themselves also quickly gave in to signs of age.

The old red rubber proved to be very durable. I have a box filled with all kinds of bags, a cupboard full of rubber bulbs. When you open it, it still gives off the smell I love so much.

Newer, more modern materials may represent modernity, but for me these in no way replace the old rubber...

@Red bag in NY: This bag replaced a similar bag that only lasted about 5 years as the top of the bag where you hang it ripped.

I did find a good solution to this problem and many years ago bought a brass grommet at Lowes to reinforce the hanging hole on the bag. Works like a charm, too.

For the last 15 years I've used a traveling folding, disassembling bag, bought very cheaply in an Italian pharmacy. Brand PIC. .The best for traveling. Does not take space in a bag, Holds two quarts, the nozzle is on the small side, but others can be adapted. It followed me all over the world and enjoyed with wife and occasional friend.