Bidets have become incredibly popular across Europe. These small porcelain bowls, often placed next to toilets with an attached water spigot, are known as bidets.
Some bidets require electricity and should be connected to a GFCI outlet to reduce the risk of electric shock in wet environments like bathrooms.
Most modern bidets are integrated into toilets. To use one, sit straddled on one and press the control. A telescoping nozzle will wash you clean.
How to Use a Bidet
Bidets are popular across Europe, Asia and South America – you may have even come across one during your travels! These porcelain bowls, which sit next to toilets with water spigots and may even feature an internal nozzle to aid cleansing, can be seen everywhere from hotels to homes throughout these regions. You may even be able to find bidet seats attached directly to toilets for easy use!
To use a bidet, turn on the water and settle yourself comfortably on top of your toilet seat. Most bidets offer controls that enable you to control flow, temperature, angle of spray etc. For optimal use, water should ideally flow from front to back.
Women should use bidets with care to prevent water entering the vaginal canal or urethra, and drying anus afterward to reduce irritation and bacteria growth. You can do this with either a towel hung near bidet, or regular toilet paper.
Washing
Bidets have long been used in Europe and Asia to clean the nether regions, becoming popular in hotels there as an alternative to toilet paper which merely smears away any fecal matter. Now they’re being introduced here too as another viable solution.
Your bidet allows you to customize its water temperature and nozzle position for a personalized cleansing experience, whether that means strong sprays or soft mist. Experiment with different settings until you find what best works for you!
For optimal cleaning results, use a damp cloth soaked with mild dish detergent or vinegar (but no acetone). For bidets not attached directly to a toilet, take the following steps. Remove them and wipe down with soft cleaning cloths and cleaner. Additionally, some seats contain deodorizing filters which can be easily taken apart and cleaned using brushes.
Drying
Though some may consider bidets unsanitary or messy, they’re actually extremely clean and hygienic. Bidets help save toilet paper while also reducing plumbing clogs. Furthermore, bidets also decrease waste sent to landfills which is an issue faced by both individuals and companies alike.
As part of using a bidet, it is always a good practice to wash your hands afterwards in order to reduce bacteria and germs spreading across other parts of the body – particularly your face and hands. Soap and water may be ideal if available; or alternatively hand sanitizer may work just as effectively.
To properly dry yourself off after using the bidet, take time to carefully use a towel. There may also be a ring or hanger nearby with this purpose in mind; alternatively you could also use toilet paper or washcloth provided as well as any excess moisture dripping down from above as this could cause irritation or infection. Be sure to shake off any remaining moisture as this could be harmful for skin irritation or infection.
Disposing
Once your bidet reaches its end of life, recycling it should be an option. When recycling bidets, ensure all non-porcelain parts have been removed such as toilet seats and interior plumbing from its tank, with any water having been drained off from its nozzle and its handle/flapper parts saved for future repairs; contact your local recycling center to inquire about its porcelain recycling program.
Bidets are much more eco-friendly than toilet paper as they don’t involve the ongoing deforestation and pollution-inducing bleaching and energy production processes that go into making toilet paper, nor their subsequent water consumption; which may be limited in areas with higher water rates. Furthermore, electric bidets often include features to help users reduce electricity use such as an eco-mode that recognizes when the bathroom is not being used and switches off specific functions when not in use – eliminating carbon emission-emitting transportation to reach consumers – making bidets even greener!