A urinary catheter that is not properly cleaned can cause kidney and urinary tract infections. Two out of five urinary tract infections are attributed to the improper care and cleaning of urinary catheters.
A urinary catheter should be cleaned after it has been drained a total of three times. Thoroughly cleaning a urinary catheter system involves cleaning and sanitizing the drainage bag, tubing and insertion site.
Wash your hands and the insertion site
Proper hand washing techniques are the number one way to prevent infection and complications for people who wear urinary catheters because our hands carry bacteria that could get into the catheter system and cause an infection. Catheter wearers and their caregivers should always wash their hands with soap and warm water prior to touching the catheter tubing, drainage bag or the catheter insertion site. Always wear medical gloves if you are changing your catheter or disconnecting the drainage bag.
Cleaning the catheter insertion site is also important in preventing infection. Clean the insertion site with soap, warm water and a towel in a circular motion prior to handling the catheter system. Rinse the insertion site with warm water and pat the area dry with a clean towel.
Empty the Urine Bag
You must drain the urine bag prior to cleaning any part of the catheter system. You do not want any urine moving back up into the tubing and into your bladder while you handle the catheter.
Disconnect the catheter tube from the drainage tube at the connection valve. Swab the opening of the catheter tube with one alcohol pad, and swab the opening of a new drainage bag with another alcohol pad. Connect the new bag to the catheter tube.
Open the valve on the drainage spout at the end of the old drainage bag and allow it to drain into the toilet or a bed pan. Do not allow the open valve to touch anything, including your hands. After the old bag has drained, clean the valve with an alcohol wipe before closing it.
Clean the Drainage Bag
Pour a solution of soapy hot water into the old drainage bag. Work the solution into all four corners of the bag then allow it to drain through the drainage valve. Pour a solution of one part vinegar, three parts hot water into the drainage bag. Allow this solution to site for 20 to 30 minutes, then drain and rinse the bag a final time and hang it to dry with the valve open. Wash your hands a final time after you complete the cleaning process.
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