Wash your hands for 40 to 60 seconds using soap, or 30 seconds using a hand sanitizer. This is a recommendation from both nurses and the WHO (World Health Organization).
Hear from continence nurses and get advice on good hygiene in connection with intermittent catheters. Good hand hygiene reduces the risk of urinary tract infections, and when asking nurses what the biggest challenge is, they answer unanimously: the power of habits!
People are trained in clean intermittent self-catheterization (CIC) at the hospital, but when they return home, they wash hands as they have always done.
“Why does it have to take so long?”
This is the most common question when talking about hand hygiene. Their best advice – after the rule of not touching the catheter itself – is to be patient and take time to wash and sanitize hands. If you are in a place where you cannot wash your hands, then at the very least you should use the hand sanitizer.
When it comes to intimate hygiene – i.e. ensuring that it is clean around the urethra for catheterization – continence nurses recommend cleaning the meatus (urethral opening) every time you catheterize. When cleaning the urethral opening, you may shower and wash with soap and water, or use a towelette, baby wipe, or swab.
Intimate soap can help maintain the acidic environment that keeps your skin healthy. Use each towelette or swab only once. Reuse of the same towelette, baby wipe or swab can spread germs.
- To clean a penis: the foreskin of uncircumsized/intact penises needs to be retracted prior to cleaning and catheter insertion. With a moist towelette, swab or baby wipe, wash in a circular motion starting at the tip and working outward. Never wash back and forth over the urethral opening.
- To clean a vulva: with one hand, separate the labia and wash thoroughly. Be sure to wash from front to back and never go back and forth across the urethral opening.
Access our hand wash and hand disinfection guide excerpt from our Take Care booklet below.
