Care Home Case Study – Uric Acid and Odour Control
Care Home Case Study – Uric Acid and Odour Control 21st March 2025 | By Anna Armstrong | Cleaning Tips , Environmental Health , Hygiene Following on from last weeks case study, I thought this week I’d expand and discuss the best way and the appropriate products to help to control the odours associated with incontinence. The urine odour that is associated with urinary incontinence is caused by the water products from the kidneys, including ammonia, urea and other compounds. These water products are encased by protein, which is made up of amino acids – amino acids are inherently sticky, so they stick to any surface that isn’t completely smooth. This characteristic means that uric acid sticks in between tiles, to grout and to the fibres that make up mattresses. The thing about uric acid, the smell comes from the break down of urea into ammonia. In dementia patients dehydration is an important factor, as many patients forget to drink and become de...