Many boys struggle with aiming when peeing. This results in pee splash-back which can ruin pants, the floor, and the toilet seat.
Parents, janitors, and spouses have long chafed at male sloppiness in the bathroom. But there is room for improvement, according to a new study.
The study broke down the science of urine flow at the urinal. Here’s what they learned:
- Stand at the Right Angle
According to BowlsEye, whether you have a potty-training toddler or an older child that still has trouble with aim, pee splashback can be a messy inconvenience. But what can you do to help them improve? One of the best ways to reduce pee splatter is by standing closer to the toilet or urinal. This can help the stream hit the target with less force and less chance of squirting onto the walls.
The next step is to ensure you’re aiming at the right angle. While most people think they should aim directly into the toilet bowl, this can actually lead to more unseen spray than you might expect. A study published by BYU researchers found that aiming low (imagine the pee hitting just above the drain of a urinal) resulted in the least amount of splashback, so it might be worth trying to aim at this point instead of straight down into the toilet.
It’s also important to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart when you’re using the toilet. This will prevent your body from moving around too much, which could cause you to lose focus and squirt wee everywhere. This may be a difficult adjustment for boys that are used to squatting on the potty, but it can help you get more control over your urine stream.
Finally, it’s important to remember that pee isn’t just messy; it’s also a breeding ground for bacteria. So, don’t forget to wash your hands after you use the bathroom!
Lastly, reminding your kids that they should not pee while talking or standing up is helpful. This can also cause them to lose focus and squirt urine all over the bathroom floor. If you’re going to have your son stand up to pee, try putting a picture of the toilet on the wall above their head so they can look at it for guidance. And, of course, always teach your children the importance of washing up after themselves. Hopefully, these tips will help your children improve their aim and keep them clean and healthy!
- Don’t Stand Too Far
If your pee stream has a tendency to go rogue in the toilet, you might be standing too far away from the urinal. After a few inches, your straight blast starts to break up into droplets that create more splatter than a steady flow, researchers from Brigham Young University’s Splash Lab discovered. The best way to keep your pants clean? Get closer to the urinal at a downward slant.
According to research, Guys who stand up to pee must shoot their urine five times farther than if they were sitting, which gives the stream more time to break apart and cause more splash back. The splatter also breeds bacteria, which doesn’t bode well for the toilet seat or floor. That’s why men tend to leave a urinal between themselves and another man when they’re at the john, and even big-time athletes like Lionel Messi sit down at home instead of standing up to pee, according to Larry David on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Try standing about six inches away from the urinal to improve your aim when using a public urinal. However, the precise distance depends on the urinal, your comfort level, and your anatomy. For a better at-home aim, practice by finding a friend or family member willing to support you in your bathroom goals. Have them stand as close to your home toilet as they feel comfortable while you urinate for a few seconds, then move them a little closer and repeat the process.
The most important thing to remember is that aiming requires practice, so don’t give up after just one session. It may take a few weeks before you start to see improvements in your peeing technique, but with the right strategies, you can eliminate those pesky splashbacks and keep your pants clean. Just don’t forget to take a quick shower afterward! The warm water will help your muscles relax and prevent the splatter from bouncing off your skin. (And it’s a great excuse to wash your hands a few more times.) So, if you’re tired of cleaning wet spots off your bathroom floor and clothes, be a gentleman and try these peeing techniques that are guaranteed to work.
- Don’t Shake Too Briskly
You may have heard that you should “shake it off” while peeing, but that’s actually not good advice. Instead, you should squat or sit down when taking a leak. The reason for that is simple – there’s less chance of urine splashing all over the toilet seat and floor when you sit down. This is especially important if you use the urinal in a men’s restroom, where splashing can spread bacteria and make the restroom more sanitary than it needs to be.
In fact, when aiming at the back wall of a urinal, shaking your penis can even cause you to create more splashback than you would by standing up straight and pointing away from the front wall. This is because a shake causes the stream to move more quickly, and that increased velocity can increase the amount of fluid that’s pushed out of the urethra and into the bowl.
Aside from the extra splash leading to wet floors and soaked pants, it’s not good for you. A quick and hard shake can also cause the muscles of your pelvis to tense up, which can lead to discomfort. And if your muscles are tense, there’s a greater chance of urine seeping into your bladder and causing discomfort or infection.
If you’re a man and want to improve your aim, try to get closer to the urinal when you go in. This will decrease the impact angle of your urine, allowing you to hit the right spot with less force. Or, have a friend or family member stand close to your home toilet while you’re urinating. Practice this technique several times, and you’ll find that your aim gets better and better.
As any mother (or long-suffering wife) can tell you, men often lack a certain precision when it comes to peeing, which can be frustrating at home and embarrassing in public places. But there are plenty of ways to teach kids – and adults – how to hit their targets so that you can put an end to urine-stained bathroom tiles for good.
- Don’t Shake Your Penis
Men often dribble urine shortly after they have finished using the toilet, and their bladder feels empty. Even waiting a moment and shaking the penis before zipping up doesn’t stop this, which is called post-micturition dribbling. It’s because the muscles that surround the urethra—the long tube that carries urine out of your body—don’t squeeze as hard. This leaves a small pool of urine at a dip in the urethra behind the base of your penis. Within a minute, this extra pee dribbles out.
The best way to prevent this is to practice the stance and angle that works for you. Practice by aiming into a bucket of water that’s about the same size as your urinal and then moving back and forth to see how the stream moves as you adjust the position of your pelvis. Once you know what position you can use comfortably, you can practice in your bathroom at home.
Another reason for dribbling is that the muscles around the urethra can weaken with age or due to some neurological conditions, making it harder to propel all the urine forward. That’s why it’s important to avoid spicy or acidic foods and exercise regularly to keep your muscles strong.
A third cause of dribbling is that the men’s urinary tract can be obstructed by dried semen from previous sex or masturbation, infection, or inflammation, or if there are blockages in the prostate or urethra. In these cases, a man may have to try several tricks to get the pee stream to flow correctly, including using cranberries and washing thoroughly after sex.
Some men who dribble after peeing might think they’re just incontinent, but it can actually be a sign of rushing or trying to squirt too much into the urinal. For those with a little dribbling, the best solution is to practice good aim at the urinal and try to slow down or relax. Then the splatter might be less of a problem—and your pants will stay cleaner, too.