Do you start out every day by cleaning yourself with a dry paper towel? If you accidentally got poop on your arm while changing a baby’s diaper, would you dab it with a napkin and call it clean? The answer to both of these questions is a resounding no. Yet for some reason, certain people continue to believe that after they defecate or urinate, their nether regions are perfectly clean merely by swabbing them with dry toilet paper. If you’re one of those people, it’s time for you to learn about bidets.
Bidet toilet seats are commonplace in most countries throughout the world. They are widely viewed as beneficial to your health and hygiene as well as the greenest bathroom choice for the environment. In Italy, the government made it law to install a bidet in at least one bathroom in every home. Italians passed this law in 1975!
In Japan, bidets are so wildly popular that the government installed them in public restrooms. Bidets are common in Africa, the Middle East, Europe… yet, here in the United States, bidets are not yet the norm. Since Covid hit, Americans are adding bidets to their bathrooms in record numbers because bidets obviously reduce your need for toilet paper – which is a great thing during a pandemic that caused a run on toilet paper. But overall, many Americans are still rather confused by these high-tech toilet add-ons.
Americans’ Most Common Questions and Misconceptions About Bidets.
How Do Bidets Work?
Long ago, bidets were a separate bowl that sat next to your toilet bowl. After you finished using the restroom, you would stand up and move yourself over to the bidet bowl to clean up. Now, however, most bidets are electric, which means you plug them in. And there’s no standing up and moving bowls anymore. Today’s modern bidets are placed directly on your toilet, in place of your current toilet seat.
To be clear, non-electric bidets exist as well, but the big difference with non-electronic bidets is that the water used to clean you is not heated. With non-electric bidets, you are getting the cold water that comes directly from your pipes. The lack of water temperature and water pressure control is why non-electronic bidets are significantly cheaper. With electric bidets, different types of tiny heating devices are installed in the bidet unit to give the user either continuous warm water or warm water for a certain amount of time (for example, 30 seconds).
Now, to get back to the initial question “how do bidets work?” After you do your business, you keep sitting on the toilet seat, then press a button to begin your wash. It’s like sitting on top of a water fountain… a fancy, heated water fountain with myriad options to get you 100% sanitized. On some models, you may even be able to select an oscillating wash. Plus most fancy bidets come with heated toilet seats, night lights, built-in air deodorizers and self-cleaners, remote controls, and slow closing seats and lids that never bang shut. Side note: fancier bidets like the TOTO S550e which retail over $1000 and up , typically have more options to control your wash – like you can set the precise temperature for the water and the exact water pressure you desire. Like anything else, you pay for what you get!
Is Using a Bidet Uncomfortable?
In short: no! In fact, it’s quite the opposite, especially if you have a medical issue like hemorrhoids, fissures, constipation, or incontinence. Think about it: if your sensitive area were distressed, would you rather repeatedly rub it with dry, scratchy paper, or use a soft stream of soothing warm water? Women who have recently given birth will tell you that they prefer a bidet cleaning to wiping with paper. Further, many people who started using bidets due to necessity from an injury like a broken arm or a dislocated shoulder, will tell you that after experiencing a bidet’s comforts, they will never go back to a regular toilet. Granted, if you choose a non-electric model of bidet, you will not be able to heat the water stream, so the cold water may be shocking to your bum. But if you go with an electric model, the water will be heated and relaxing. Bidets also allow you to select if you want a high-pressure wash or a gentler spray.
In sum, due to your options for water temperature and water pressure, you are certain to have a comfortable wash experience that is also more effective than toilet paper.
Are Bidets Sanitary?
Some people have the mistaken notion that bidets are unsanitary. On the contrary, bidets might actually be more sanitary than cleaning with toilet paper. The main reason for that is because when you use a bidet, your hand is unlikely to come in contact with your waste – which is the primary bathroom hygiene issue people encounter when using toilet paper alone.
In addition on the hygiene front, some women wonder if bidets will accidentally spray fecal matter into their vaginas. Again, no. Just like women are taught to wipe front to back, bidet nozzles are positioned to clean in the proper direction. Users can actually select where the nozzle sprays by choosing a posterior or feminine wash. Further, the nozzle appears and retracts only when the bidet is in use, so it’s not sitting out exposed to the air. The nozzle also self-cleans between washes. Some bidet models have even upgraded to stainless steel nozzles for a more sterile surface.
Bottom line – no pun intended – using a bidet is highly sanitary.
Are Bidets Primarily for Women?
An unusual misconception some men have is that bidets are primarily for women. This is totally incorrect. Bidets are for anyone who uses the bathroom. As we just stated, you can select feminine wash or posterior wash based on your particular needs, but since all humans make waste, all humans can benefit from bidets.
Final Question: If I Install A Bidet, Will I Have a Line Around the Block of People Who Want To Use It?
Educated guess—yes! Seriously though, once you experience the perks of a bidet – from a completely clean bum, to the heated toilet seat, to the warm air dryer, you will wonder why you didn’t get a bidet a long time ago. And you’ll talk so much about it to others that you just may end up with a gaggle of people waiting to try your new bathroom upgrade.
If you are now convinced or even remotely curious about getting a bidet, I’d recommend checking out our guide for the Best Bidet Toilet Seats of 2020. It will help give different options of bidets that may be a good fit depending on your preferences!
Author Biography
Jensen Lee is the Founder and Managing Member of bidetsPLUS, an online retail store specializing in bidet toilet seats. Prior to bidetsPLUS, Jensen held management positions in technology-related fields, in both the U.S. and Europe. He has held the position of Product Manager of Global Network Services for British Telecom. Most recently, he held the position of Executive Director of Product Marketing at AT&T Interactive, AT&T's internet advertising division.
