Steps You Can Take to Prevent and Reduce Urine Odor
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Drink Enough Fluids
Many people are worried about drinking fluids because they fear it will increase their chances of leakage. However dehydration leads to concentrated and intense-smelling urine. Try to focus on drinking six-to-eight glasses of water (or, if you’re having hydration issues, clear broth) a day; your urine should be diluted and its odor will be reduced.
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Get an Exam
Get an examination to check for infection in your bladder or urinary tract. Infection can give urine a stronger or even foul odor.
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Switch it Up
Try altering your diet; some foods and beverages cause stronger odor. For example, coffee and asparagus can give urine a distinctive and strong smell. Click here to learn more about diet and incontinence, including common bladder irritants.
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Drink Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice increases the acidity of urine, which can reduce odor.
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Take Deodorizing Tablets
Internal deodorizing products can help to neutralize urine smells. Vitamin C tablets can also deodorize urine — but they can also interact negatively with other medications or treatments, so check with your doctor before consuming tablets.
- Do not substitute in citrus juice and/or fruits for the Vitamin C tablets — citrus fruits are naturally acidic, and may only cause more odor or irritation.
Related Article: On The Go: Finding Solutions for Incontinence
Other Ways to Control Odor
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Keep Yourself Clean
Maintaining good hygiene and putting on fresh undergarments every day can work wonders for odor control. Take care to wash yourself gently and thoroughly after each episode of incontinence.
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Odor-Reducing Incontinence Products
Many people first substitute menstrual pads rather than purchase products specifically designed to trap and keep urine moisture and odor locked away. Many incontinence products are designed to help prevent odor from forming at all. Avoid perfumed products that only mask odors.
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Wash Urine Collecting Devices Thoroughly
Disinfect any reusable devices with commercial cleaners or with a solution of 1 part vinegar, 2 parts water. Avoid using bleach, which doesn’t dissolve urine crystals as well.
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Wash Bed Sheets and Soiled Clothing Often
Use white vinegar or baking soda to boost your normal detergent. When using white vinegar, put clothing and bedding through an extra cold rinse twice.
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Air Fresheners
In bathrooms and other areas where urine odor may be more noticeable, try using an air freshener that eliminates odor rather than a cloying perfume scent that only masks odors.
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Still Can’t Find the Odor Source? Try Using a Black Light
Surprisingly, you may be able to find previously soiled areas with a black light. Urine glows under the light.
Related Articles:
- 4 Helpful Tips for Managing Incontinence
- How to Stay Hydrated During Summer Exercise
- Visiting the Urologist for the First Time
- How Diet Affects Bladder Control
- Cranberries Help Urinary Tract Infections, But Not as Juice
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How about a mattress I had accident on 3 times before I began receiving your products? It’s been a while, but I still smell it. Will a pet urine product work, and do I have to absolutely soak the area as the bottle suggests?
Helpful tips
Before incontinence, my urine was odorless. Using incontinent pads & panties , the combination gives a very nasty smell even though I change often. Even tried the pure cotton ones. Could it be something in the pad? It’s not the urine. Is there anything or a pad ( I’ve tried many) that wld prevent this .? Thx. Elaine
Foul smelling while passing urine
Early morning sufficient urnie is not having foul smell but some time very small quantity of urine with dark yellow color gives foul smell.
Daily taking Supradyne Abana & Liv 52 tablets
Cause ? Treatment ?
Helpful
what is fluid
I agree with one of your writers. I am completely incontinent and use a commode. At night. The Urine in the commode from all night has no smell at all but the TENA pads and underwear I use smell so foul. I take two showers daily and use a diaper pail for the pads during the day and the smell is breath-takingly disgusting. I experimented and used. A 100% cotton towel instead of the pad – NO SMELL. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SMELL IS CREATED WHEN THE URINE DROPS ONTO THE PAD. IT CREATES THE SMELL. I will continue to experiment and report it to the manufactures .
I have been talking to my doctor and other healthcare providers about the foul odor, but they aren’t even offering any help at all. If something doesn’t happen soon, I won’t be going out at all. It is so embarrassing to have such a foul odor.
I have a super pubic catheter and I am always fighting urine odor.I change bags every other day! I have tried spraying neutralizing solution in the bag and that does not seem to work. I did have a UTI which my doctor took care with medication, but the odor comes back. Can the UTI also return? Do not laugh, sometimes I will inject some Ben Gay into the bag and it does seem to work. I will continue to try to find s reasonable solution. CHARLES RUSSELL
How can I get helped I am preabeatic everyday I smell bad is strong smell but also I sweat and and have that yellowish pee with white what to I do and I am special need I have Prader-Willi syndrome it comes with small hands so I can’t read well to clean my self down there what should I do I need help ASAP
I have a question I keep getting treated differently i.believe I smell I wash everyday with using soap down there dont know if I’m washing right what to wash n not to wash or same with wiping! I wipe front to back! I just tried yeast infection cure! What can I do! Seems li kg e I drink water but it seems like it dont help!
We are using the Pure Wick on my mother in-law and it is working great. However the urine collected smells. Is there anything that can be added directly to the collected urine to eliminate the smell
Margaret said it all.
I can’t stand the smell of urine or boom boom
If anyone has any ideas please share. I can’t get close to anyone until the matter is cleared up. ☹️
Oh boy. If I had to wash after every episode of incontinence, I would never be able to leave the bathroom and never get anything done. I go all day long. Not just little leaks. I could go in the bathroom and think I have emptied out and then go back to what I was doing before, and more would come out again.No notices or warnings. All day this happens. Dozens of times daily, maybe even a hundred.
Is there any physical exercise (yoga) to reduce bad smelly urine?