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Honest question: Can a bidet user explain why bidets are superior to just having a nearby faucet to dampen the toilet paper, like this?: https://d193qi3ct19t6b

Honest question: Can a bidet user explain why bidets are superior to just having a nearby faucet to dampen the toilet paper, like this?: https://d193qi3ct19t6b.cloudfront.net/products/24229/regular/350x350/24229.jpg https://d193qi3ct19t6b.cloudfront.net/products/24229/regular... Having a separate system and jet of water seems like a lot more complexity with increased risk of splash. And the cleaning properties of dampened paper seem strictly better than a stream of water. Just like I wouldn't wipe off poo from my arm with dry paper, I also wouldn't just run my arm under water without also mechanically scrubbing it. Obviously, most toilets without bidets don't have faucets close enough to reach from the toilet, so a bidet might be an improvement over the status quo. But it seems way easier to install a small faucet than a stand-alone bidet, and way less maintenance to have a small faucet than one of those built-in water jets for toilets.

ars 9y ago
The bidet does not need to be stand alone. You can get them for under $30 that attach under the seat.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
adiabatty 9y ago
Before I put a bidet attachment on my toilet, my flushable-wipe usage was about a median of 3 and a mean of probably 4. Sometimes I just had to keep wiping to make sure _everything_ was gone from underneath, and I make sure my wipes are extra-wet with witch hazel. Now, my flushable-wipe usage has a median and mode of 1, with a mean of maybe 1.2. The long right-hand tail is considerably shorter and not as tall. All this is probably better for the environment since it probably uses less stuff to get the extra water to my house than it does to get the extra processed butt wipes to my house. Also, I get a cleaner clean with fewer wipes going down the pipes, which reduces the likelihood that the pipes will clog. The Cottonelles I use don't clog my pipes generally, but I've used (and stopped using!) other brands that have. As for the splash? Well, I've got TP right there if my cheeks and perineum get too wet. It's not a problem.
- jessriedel 9y ago
  Sure, spraying with a bunch of water will minimize paper usage, just like lightly dampening the paper with water will minimize water usage. But both amounts are so trivial compared to the water and paper product usage by a typical person that most of us aren't optimizing for this.
inapis 9y ago
>Can a bidet user explain why bidets are superior to just having a nearby faucet to dampen the toilet paper, like this? Water pressure. I live on the 5th floor of a 16 floor building with the water tank at the top. The pressure of the bidet is enough to clean everything off in seconds. The risk of splash is only when you use it incorrectly. Just sit for a minute or two extra to let gravity do it's work on the excess water present on your butt. >Having a separate system and jet of water seems like a lot more complexity I don't think so. In India, we just attach it to a normal water valve. The same one to which we attach taps, flush tanks, showers etc. It's a pretty standardized attachment.
- jessriedel 9y ago
  Sit for a minute or two on the toilet waiting for all the water to drip off?
neeleshs 9y ago
Even in the USA, it is fairly trivial to attach a bidet. Being from India, I could not live without it and went on to install it in all our bathrooms. Takes less than 30 minutes to install one, and you can order one from Amazon
- jessriedel 9y ago
  But they break and make cleaning more difficult.
  - rootusrootus 9y ago
    I've been using a $30 bidet for a couple years now with not a hint of trouble. Figured I'd test the concept out before dropping real money on a Toto, then realized that I actually like the water cold. I clean the toilet the same way I always have -- with a toilet brush. The bidet does not really change that process meaningfully.
    - jessriedel 9y ago
      I guess my experience living in a house with one of these in-bowl bidets was very different. It introduced more nooks and crannies than a simple bowl, and necessitated more frequent cleanings.
kalleboo 9y ago
Where I live, toilet paper is mandated to dissolve in water at a certain rate (to avoid clogging the sewage), and that rate precludes dampening the paper sufficiently.
- jessriedel 9y ago
  I guess? I don't know if your paper dissolves vastly faster than the standard stuff in US and Canadian stores. I haven't had a problem, but to each his own.

ars 9y ago

The bidet does not need to be stand alone. You can get them for under $30 that attach under the seat.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

adiabatty 9y ago

Before I put a bidet attachment on my toilet, my flushable-wipe usage was about a median of 3 and a mean of probably 4. Sometimes I just had to keep wiping to make sure _everything_ was gone from underneath, and I make sure my wipes are extra-wet with witch hazel. Now, my flushable-wipe usage has a median and mode of 1, with a mean of maybe 1.2. The long right-hand tail is considerably shorter and not as tall. All this is probably better for the environment since it probably uses less stuff to get the extra water to my house than it does to get the extra processed butt wipes to my house. Also, I get a cleaner clean with fewer wipes going down the pipes, which reduces the likelihood that the pipes will clog. The Cottonelles I use don't clog my pipes generally, but I've used (and stopped using!) other brands that have. As for the splash? Well, I've got TP right there if my cheeks and perineum get too wet. It's not a problem.

jessriedel 9y ago
Sure, spraying with a bunch of water will minimize paper usage, just like lightly dampening the paper with water will minimize water usage. But both amounts are so trivial compared to the water and paper product usage by a typical person that most of us aren't optimizing for this.

inapis 9y ago

>Can a bidet user explain why bidets are superior to just having a nearby faucet to dampen the toilet paper, like this? Water pressure. I live on the 5th floor of a 16 floor building with the water tank at the top. The pressure of the bidet is enough to clean everything off in seconds. The risk of splash is only when you use it incorrectly. Just sit for a minute or two extra to let gravity do it's work on the excess water present on your butt. >Having a separate system and jet of water seems like a lot more complexity I don't think so. In India, we just attach it to a normal water valve. The same one to which we attach taps, flush tanks, showers etc. It's a pretty standardized attachment.

jessriedel 9y ago
Sit for a minute or two on the toilet waiting for all the water to drip off?

neeleshs 9y ago

Even in the USA, it is fairly trivial to attach a bidet. Being from India, I could not live without it and went on to install it in all our bathrooms. Takes less than 30 minutes to install one, and you can order one from Amazon

jessriedel 9y ago
But they break and make cleaning more difficult.
- rootusrootus 9y ago
  I've been using a $30 bidet for a couple years now with not a hint of trouble. Figured I'd test the concept out before dropping real money on a Toto, then realized that I actually like the water cold. I clean the toilet the same way I always have -- with a toilet brush. The bidet does not really change that process meaningfully.
  - jessriedel 9y ago
    I guess my experience living in a house with one of these in-bowl bidets was very different. It introduced more nooks and crannies than a simple bowl, and necessitated more frequent cleanings.

kalleboo 9y ago

Where I live, toilet paper is mandated to dissolve in water at a certain rate (to avoid clogging the sewage), and that rate precludes dampening the paper sufficiently.

jessriedel 9y ago
I guess? I don't know if your paper dissolves vastly faster than the standard stuff in US and Canadian stores. I haven't had a problem, but to each his own.