How to avoid getting urinary tract infections without the obvious reasons like front to back, etc...?

Prevention
The following are a list of things that can be done to avoid a urinary tract infection. As many people, especially women, experience recurrent infections some commonly recommended preventative measures are

Having adequate fluid intake, especially water.
Not resisting the urge to urinate.
Taking showers, not baths, or urinating soon after taking a bath.
Practicing good hygiene, including wiping from the front to the back to avoid contamination of the urinary tract by faecal pathogens.
Cleaning genital areas prior to and after sexual intercourse.
For sexually active women, and to a lesser extent men, urinating within 15 minutes of sexual intercourse to allow the flow of urine to expel the bacteria before specialized extensions anchor the bacteria to the walls of the urethra.
It has been advocated by some, that cranberry-juice would decrease the incidence of UTI, by generating some metabolite inhibiting the adherence of certain pathogens (eg. E. coli) to the epithelium of the urinary bladder.

cats lick themselves

Cranberry Juice / Pills

keep yourself clean and drink cranberry juice

DO911,

Docs find that many women will NOT use the restroom even when they need to...be it from strict office rules or their (women's) twisted sense of work "discipline," it's thought to be a major cause of the run-of-the-mill UTI. It's just not healthy to "keep it in"...going to the restroom keeps the ureters (spelling?) flushed out, so that bacteria cannot hang around long enough to cause an infection.

I've read that there's been more reported cases of UTI's since thong-type underwear has gained popularity...makes sense, be it that one little "string" makes a direct connection between the two places you really don't want connected, i.e., your statement "front to back." The fact that thongs are usually made of nylon or other synthetic materials do not help matters...