Many people who use wheelchairs often require the use of urine bottles, or "urinals," in order to use the restroom.
But carrying urine bottles around and maintaining them can be more challenging than it might seem.
Urine bottles can break and leak, especially if you knock your wheelchair even just barely against a wall or doorframe. They can also begin to smell after repeated use, especially if the urine bottle does not have a lid.
Here are some tips to maintaining your urine bottle while keeping it within reach and accessible wherever you go. These recommendations primarily apply to male urine bottles, although you can apply many of the same things to urine bottles for females.
Use a carrying bag
Using a bag to carry your urine bottle is the first step to independence when it comes to this activity of daily living.
For this, you can use the Posey Urine Bottle Holder. This is a urine bottle holder with a snap strap to hook around different parts of the wheelchair to fit snugly wherever you need it. We recommend hanging the Posey Urine Bottle Holder under your wheelchair seat in order to help keep it out of view.
With the Posey Urine Bottle Holder, you can easily reach most types of urine bottles and slip them out of the bag independently.
Keep untangled from wheelchair
Another important step to maintaining your urine bottle in top condition is to make sure to keep it untangled from your wheelchair. The reason for this is that if the urine bottle falls in between parts of the wheelchair (especially moving parts like tilt and recline mechanisms), the plastic may crack under pressure, causing leaks, or at least become dented.
Clean every day
It is best to clean your urine bottle after every use by rinsing the interior with water and two or three dabs of hand soap. However, even if you do not wash after every use, washing once or twice a day can be sufficient. We recommend cleaning with bleach or other heavy duty cleaning supplies once a week.
Taking these steps will go a long way to preventing unwanted odors, especially when you carry the urine bottle in public in a bag. Always keep the lid securely fastened to the bottle to prevent odors from escaping.
Keep extras
It's usually a good idea to keep a urine bottle at home and another in your bag so that you never forget to bring your urinal with you when you go out. There is nothing more annoying than trying to find a paper or foam cup when out and about!
Apply these wise pieces of advice to maximize your urine bottle carrying efficiency and use.
© Copyright 2016 The Wright Stuff, Inc. Articles may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission from The Wright Stuff, Inc. must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this article.
