Cleaning before selfcat

I use Kleenex brand wet wipes. Each one is packaged individually. I carry a cath and a wet wipe wherever I go. Most importantly, your cath should have a gripper slide - never touch the cath, only the slide. Both the cath and the wipe are single use.

Hi, Alex,

I use Wet Ones anti-bacterial wipes, available in individual packets or in a canister. I use the individual packets when I'm cathing away from home, and then from the canister when I'm at home. I also take D-Mannose daily. Before I cath, I always do a natural void. Next I take some toilet paper and dry the excess urine off the head of my penis. Then I clean it with a Wet One. I use Speedicath FR12s with a coude tip. And when cathing I use Jimjames "divebomb" method, holding the catheter by the funnel end. That way my fingers do not touch the catheter shaft. Haven't had a UTI in over 1.5 years now--much to the surprise of my urologist. Hope some of that helps.

Stebrunner

Alex,

Most of the time, when I am at home, I wash the end with providone iodine, which can be bought from the first aid section of a drug store, including Walmart. I use 2x2 inch guaze pads also from WM. I give one last wipe up at the opening to clean the opening and get a little iodine inside. Lately I have also been putting some iodine on a Qtip and inserting that inside about half inch to one inch. The iodine does not sting the urethra at all. Of course I wash my hands well with anti bacterial soap, and only touch the funnel of the single use hydophylic catheters. Afterwards I wash the iodine off with a paper towel, water, and anti bacterial soap. I have also found the if I bend over near 90 degrees with the thighs the catheter goes in easier at the bladder end. This is important to prevent abrasion and bleeding which can lead to UTI.

If I use the latex/red rubber catheters, I do all of the above, but also wipe the catheter down with a 1x1 inch alcohol wipe from WM. Just before inserting the cath I wash my hands with alchohol, and air dry them by swinging them forward and back, 20 to 30 times, so I don't have to touch the paper towels. With the latex/red rubber caths you have to touch the part that goes inside, so have to take these extra steps to kill any germs on your fingers. When lubricating the cath, I sqeeze the lube onto the package the 2x2 sterile gauze came in and twirl the end of the cath in it until it is coated about 2 inches up. I wash the caths with anti bacterial soap and hang them to dry. I made a hanger by screwing eye screws into a 3 foot piece of wood and laying it across the top of a shower. That way they dry without touching anything, and the water inside can drip out.

When I travel I have to make do with what I have and many times just wash the end with regular soap before inserting a single use Hydrophylic cath. Most UTIs I have had, happen when traveling.

I take 0.4mg Flomax which allows me to urinate a little on my own and postpone cathing until it is convenient, which makes a big difference.

Hope this helps,

Thomas

Chances are it's your hands that are causing the problem. Wash them well before handling the catheter and wash the catheter fully after if you don't use disposable one. Don't let your hands or the catheter touch any other surfaces once you wash and unpack.

I did the above and never once wiped my penis for a month and never got a UTI

I use baby wipes to clean the penis. I also wash my hands before I cath. Knock on wood, I have not had a UTI in over 2 years of self cathing.

My monthly supply of SpeediCaths come with Med Nap individually wrapped towelettes. My cath nurse advised against using Wet Ones.

Patrick

I would recommend the single use hydrophilic type of catheter with breakable water packet and sleeve and you never have touch it with your hand. I cathed over 2100 times this past year and never washed anything including hands with zero UTIs. I just made sure to never touch the catheter.

When I was self cathing, I used Providone Iodine swabs.

I use little alcohol pads that one gets at the drug store over the counter. Costco has 4 boxes of them for cheap. Just remember it's CLEAN intermittent Catheterization.. not STERIL. I always try to get a little urine out naturally first..usually pretty pitiful amount. But if there is a little that washed out the passage, and I can drop the catheter right in the hole, it's worked for me. If I feel a strong urge but can't get out even a drop, then I use an alcohol wipe and wipe all around the entry point. Sometimes I may get a little burn inside my penis from the alcohol but hardly noticeable to me.

thank you, everybody!

I am using touch free cats.

I am using them one time in a few days, with UTI after each use.

The last time I inserted the protective tip into my penis, but it got out and touched my penis which I washed before.

Not the cat itself, it was still inside, but only the protective tip touched my penis.

I reinserted it and came down with UTI.

I have newer touched the cat with my hands.

So i wonder, if it is right to say that if your cat's protective tip touched your penis you should throw it away?

Thank you.