Can Smart Toilets Help Prevent Urinary Tract Infections? —Here’s the Answer

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are commonly ascribed to poor personal hygiene, with around 98% of them being due to unclean bathroom conditions. UTIs are generally bacterial or fungal infections that affect the urethra, the urinary bladder, and in worst cases, the kidneys as well. Multiple studies over the past years show that women are much more prone to contracting UTIs compared to men, around thrice as much. But how does it tie back to smart toilets and bidets?

Some people believe that smart toilets are less hygienic than regular ones, and using bidets can cause UTIs. But that’s far from the truth. In fact, studies show that the rate of UTIs has dropped significantly with smart toilets in use. Especially for women and the elderly, the improvements in health and hygiene are visibly great. However, personal hygiene practices and how one uses a smart toilet or bidet influence the outcome. Improper use can indeed result in contamination, which may lead to UTIs.

Here we discuss whether smart toilets can actually prevent urinary infections, and how to use them correctly without getting a UTI.

Do Smart Toilets Cause or Prevent UTIs?

Almost all smart toilets today come with bidet sprays and an auto flush for hands-free hygiene. Some even have UV-disinfection or similar features to reduce the need of manually cleaning the bidet nozzle by yourself. These greatly help minimize UTI risks, though they can still happen if you’re not careful enough. Spraying from back to front has a chance of forcing contaminants into the urethra and is not advisable. Smart toilet bidets can be easily aligned for front-wash instead, which is recommended.

Bidets use a pressure and temperature-controlled stream of water for gentle washing, without any cross-contamination. Toilet paper is coarse, rubs harshly against your skin, and can cause irritation. Wiping with toilet paper can leave behind residual waste and smear bacteria around the nether region, increasing the risk of UTIs. Throwing away used toilet paper safely can be another hassle. But with self-cleaning bidet nozzles in smart toilets, you don’t have to bother with disposal.

Heated toilet seats don’t seem like a big deal at first, but play an important role in preventing urinary infections. A significant amount of bacteria and contaminants are spread through contact with toilet seats. Heat reduces bacterial and fungal growth, thereby decreasing the chances of getting UTIs. Besides this, dry and sanitary toilet seats can provide comfort during winter or after surgery. Some smart toilets, like that of BioGiene’s, have self-sanitizing functions for keeping the seats clean after every use.

Using Smart Toilets Properly to Avoid UTIs

It’s evident that smart toilets are quite effective in reducing urinary infections, but how should you use one correctly? Mentioned here are a few of the things to keep in mind when using a smart toilet:

1. Water Safety is Important

If you do end up getting a urinary infection while using smart toilets, it’s more like the effect of using unclean water. The misconception that ‘smart toilets cause UTIs’ mostly arises from this reason. Always check the water quality, temperature, and pressure before using smart toilets and bidets.

2. Keep Yourself Clean and Dry

Humidity greatly increases the chance of infections, especially during menstruation or after post-partum surgeries in women. Use a tissue or towel to pat-dry yourself thoroughly after using the toilet. Some smart toilets even come with simple dryer technology that could dry your nether regions after using the bidet.

3. Electric Toilets are the Ideal Option

Electric smart toilets have features like automated flushing, self-sanitizing, toilet seat heating, and others that regular toilets don’t have, which can be highly beneficial in improving personal hygiene and controlling UTIs.

Upgrading Bathroom Hygiene with Smart Toilets

Better bathrooms mean fewer chances of urinary tract infections. Women, the elderly, or people with some specific health conditions are most benefited from using smart toilets. Don’t make the same mistake as others when using smart electric toilets. Find the perfect one to upgrade your bathroom with BioGiene today.