Caring for your ostomy means caring for your stoma and the skin around it. The stoma does not have nerve endings, which means that if there is a problem your stoma won't feel pain. The skin around the stoma feels pain and can be damaged by leakage or irritation just like all skin.
The best way to combat this is to check your stoma daily to make sure that there is no irritation. When you are wearing your ostomy pouch, and you feel any discomfort, irritation or itchiness, you should check your stoma and the skin around your stoma as soon as possible. The stoma and surrounding skin need the same cleanliness as the rest of your body. It is a really good idea to avoid soaps with a lot of oils or lotions in them, those extra ingredients can make it hard to get a good seal from your wafer. It is not necessary to use sterile materials to cleanse your skin or stoma. You don't even have to wear gloves, you would just wash your hands after the pouch change was complete. It is a great idea to always carry extra ostomy bags and supplies with you. Make sure ostomy wafers are pre-cut at home before leaving the house, it will save time when you are doing changes in a public restroom or a friend's house. Ziploc bags are great for storing ostomy bags, wafers, and ostomy accessories.
If you are having a hard time with leaks, you might want to try some new pouches and/or wafers. Your body is unique, and not every ostomy product will work with every person. Hollister and Coloplast, and many other companies are happy to send samples so you can try out a variety of pouches. There is never a reason to stick with a bag that is not working for you! Your ostomy nurse and/or doctor are always your best resource for information about caring for your ostomy.
