8 ms·

It's Time for Americans to Get over It and Embrace the Bidet (2015)

58 points by coryfklein 2y ago

Braini 2y ago
I always had one (likely stupid) question regarding these as I don‘t own one but would very much like an improvement over the paper, so now is the time to ask the experts: Are you supposed to additionally use a hand while the water runs or is the water pressure sufficient to get completely clean?
- tpmoney 2y ago
  My personal experience (with a Luxe Neo 320, so not a fancy thing) is that water pressure is sufficient for 99%. If you've had a particularly bad day, a little TP after finishes the job.
pupppet 2y ago
I'm convinced we'd all be using bidets if it didn't have the fancy sounding name. If it was introduced as something like the Ass-Blaster 5000™ it would be in every home.
nunez 2y ago
This is a good reminder to write our bidets into our wills. I have two Washlets and a Brondell. Absolutely game-changing. I also have a travel bidet that works amazingly while I'm traveling.
onetokeoverthe 2y ago
[dead]
lenerdenator 2y ago
It's time? Brother I did that years ago. Changed my frickin' life.
- UncleOxidant 2y ago
  In what ways did it change your life?
  - nunez 2y ago
    So much less toilet paper. SO. MUCH. LESS. No more endless wiping. Your bottom's actually clean instead of "mostly" clean. Washlets in particular have filters in them that mask smells and a warmed seat.
  - switch007 2y ago
    That phrase isn't often used literally
    - lenerdenator 2y ago
      Oh, it was here.
  - j_oliver 2y ago
    no more dirty panties
  - lenerdenator 2y ago
    If you are a hirsute individual, the time and frustration of getting actually clean go down by an order of magnitude.
  - jfim 2y ago
    Didn't have to worry about running out of toilet paper during the pandemic shortages. It also does a better job of cleaning than toilet paper alone.
    - netcraft 2y ago
      how do you dry yourself after using it?
      - 2y ago
freediver 2y ago
One of the best products I use in my house. Truly an amazing quality of life hack that is severely underrated.
darth_avocado 2y ago
One of the arguments I’ve heard is that it is unsanitary. It makes no sense to me because the argument I have is that, if you accidentally tripped, fell in poo and got some on your face, would you feel comfortable wiping it with a napkin and walk around for the rest of the day? Or would you wash your face with soap?
- posix86 2y ago
  Honest, genuine question: What about water dripping on the noozle? This is my main reservation with it haha.
  - moduspol 2y ago
    What water? It depends on what model you get. On the cheaper models, the nozzle is always there, so yeah it'll be another surface that needs to be cleaned. On the more expensive models, the nozzle is in a separate chamber until it is being utilized, and has a separate mechanism for spraying / cleaning itself. That makes it a lot less of a cleaning burden.
  - slillibri 2y ago
    Toto washlets have a function to automatically clean the wand/nozzel. I expect others do as well.
  - saurik 2y ago
    Most of the bidets--even super cheap basic ones--have a mode where they can flow water over the nozzle to clean it off. Regardless: if you shoot clean water through the nozzle you are momentarily maybe going to send dirty water at your already dirty body--so, no biggie--but then the water is going to run out of stuff to carry with it, and help clean you.
- taeric 2y ago
  But most bidets don't use soap? Such that I don't really know that this is at all comparable? I'll also note that appeals to "did you fall in poo" are farcical and somewhat ignore the fact that most people don't bathe/shower every day. A practice that is surprisingly common in the US. (I gave a quick attempt to see these stats across all nations. Didn't find anything that looked good for comparisons.) I'm personally not opposed to bidets. I also don't know that I expect to see a lot of benefit, though? Would love to know why our poo habits require so much more work than most animals seem to require.
aurareturn 2y ago
After living with a bidet, it’s really hard to go back. I don’t know why America doesn’t make it standard, especially new homes. You need to run an electrical line to the toilet though which most American bathrooms don’t have.
- colanderman 2y ago
  Heck, I've got one of the unpowered Tushy models and even that is enough of a life changer that I now actively avoid using any toilet without a bidet.
- thestepafter 2y ago
  There are plenty of bidets that don’t require electricity. You can buy them as attachments to almost any toilet.
- coryfklein 2y ago
  I recommend just getting one of the no-frills affordable unpowered $40 bidets on Amazon. The idea of the water not being warm sounds much worse than it actually is, and after just a couple uses you hardly even realize the water isn't heated.
  - unclenoriega 2y ago
    I agree. I got one with a hot water connection, but after trying it with only the cold, I've never bothered to connect the hot water.
  - brewdad 2y ago
    Agreed. I have both types and they are both fine. The one with heated water and a heated seat and different spray options is obviously nicer but the Amazon special does just as good of a job getting me clean for much less money. Personally, I think an upgrade to something in $100 range is worthwhile. I've got an original Tushy (cold-water) model that is easier to control the flow. The cheaper Amazon models tend to be either off or a sharply aimed firehose at least with my water pressure.
  - 2y ago
saberience 2y ago
Once you've gotten used to using flowing water to clean yourself, going back to a place where there are no bidets (or equivalent middle-east style handheld toilet shower) and you can use toilet paper only feels like the grossest/nastiest thing. I heard someone explain it like this: "Imagine you got some shit on your hand, how would you clean it? Well you'd go to a sink and wash it off with soap and water, you wouldn't just wipe it off with some paper towels. Ok, so why do we do that with our asses?"
- cassianoleal 2y ago
  Because afterwards you don't go around smearing your arse on your face, mouth, nose, door handles, computer keyboard, mouse/trackpad... As long as you wipe well, there's really very little bad that can happen before your next daily shower. Note that I have nothing against bidets, but this argument is not a very strong one.
  - saberience 2y ago
    Yeah so you go to the toilet in the morning, then you walk around the rest of the day smearing particles of feacal matter between your thighs and butt cheeks, messing up your underwear, smelling, irritating your skin. Hell, what happens if you go for a run after, sweaty ass combined with faecal matter and that sweat then running down your legs. Lovely stuff!
  - grumple 2y ago
    This is how I feel about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Ko78NEI9A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Ko78NEI9A Your poop smells. You aren't getting it perfectly clean. Some people believe they don't have to clean the lower half of their body, which is equally crazy.
    - coryfklein 2y ago
      This, compounded with the rubbing agitation you're applying to such a sensitive area, over and over and over. Why do we do this to ourselves so unnecessarily?
k__ 2y ago
Got one 5 years ago, and wouldn't go back. It's really nice, especially if you can regulate the temperature. Very refreshing in the summer. Don't even need paper anymore, it just blasts everything away, lol.
- JKCalhoun 2y ago
  Yep, after a stay in a Japanese hotel I cam home and installed one in our home.
mschuster91 2y ago
For those who got addicted to a flowing-water toilet shower and now can't (or don't want to) take a dump on a public restroom, don't worry, us Germans got y'all covered with the portable butt cleanser [1]. [1] https://www.happypo.de/ https://www.happypo.de/
- coryfklein 2y ago
  Wow why have I never thought to look for a portable bidet before! As a side note, you can get that product at online retailers by searching HappyPo, as it appears the english website is currently down.
  - grumple 2y ago
    I've got one of these: https://hellotushy.com/products/tushy-travel-bidet?variant=41293525286954 https://hellotushy.com/products/tushy-travel-bidet?variant=4... It collapses, I just throw it into my luggage whenever I'm traveling.
daft_pink 2y ago
It just costs money to get electrical lines run to your toilet and then get it installed. Otherwise, I would do it.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- stalfosknight 2y ago
  There are simple unpowered bidet seats for $25 or less that anyone can install in 15 minutes.
  - zeekaran 2y ago
    Sure but they pale in comparison to ones that have heated water. The shock of cold water on the tush is worse than a cold shower.
- thestepafter 2y ago
  You don’t need electrical lines. Check out companies such as Tushy.
- moduspol 2y ago
  You get about 80% of the value from the $30 models on Amazon that don't require electricity. I wouldn't let that hold you back.
- CGamesPlay 2y ago
  They don’t always require electricity. I heard expats in Bali refer to the popular style there as the “bum gun”, which is basically like the extendable faucet in your kitchen sink, but for your butt. Just needs water pressure.
- JKCalhoun 2y ago
  That is true. We had an outlet in all of our bathrooms (U.S.) — just not in a convenient location. So until I did bathroom remodels in each bathrooms (and made sure to put an outlet near the toilet), I had to use an extension cord.
elashri 2y ago
I introduced my landlord to bidet when I asked his permission and he liked it so much that he got several of them for other tenants (as a perk) and family members. It is a single life improvement that really helps me navigating. I work from home because the university wouldn't agree on installing it in my department building.
sva_ 2y ago
Bidets are like acid: people who try it once have to tell everyone to try it too. Personally, I find the fixation on how I'm supposed to clean my ass a bit weird.
- hoosier2gator 2y ago
  But might they also be like acid in that they could be a life-changing experience that cannot be adequately described unless personally tried?
  - sva_ 2y ago
    According to some commentators in this thread they might be.
- Volundr 2y ago
  I mean this is an article about bidets. It's sort of expected that people will share their thoughts and experiences. Outside of contexts like this the totality of my discussions about bidets has been essentially entirely limited to with the friend who helped me remove my old toilet and install my new bidet one.
hcurtiss 2y ago
I need a god damned lesson on this. I just don't get it. It's not like the bidet is a precise instrument. It does a half-assed job (literally!), and everything winds up wet and half clean. I then break a bunch of toilet paper trying to get everything dry, meaning my hands -- which I use to touch things other people touch -- are at least until washed decided less clean. I've only tried these damned things a couple times, but I definitely do not get it.
- mattnewton 2y ago
  Most bidets have an adjustment knob for the angle, and you’ll need to possibly move your tush too to line up the water to where it needs to go.
- Chris2048 2y ago
  > meaning my hands -- which I use to touch things other people touch Bidets aren't an alternative to washing hands.. you should be able to dry off without soaking them
RheingoldRiver 2y ago
I have a bidet; when I travel I bring a cheap portable bidet with me. If you are undecided about getting one installed on your toilet and having a plumber hook it up to your water line etc, you could try this one [0] for pretty cheap. It's a bit low pressure compared to the one I have installed, and it doesn't heat up the water at all, but it's still infinitely better than the alternative. [0] https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Electric-Rechargeable-Handheld-container/dp/B0BYVR1HCX https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Electric-Rechargeable-Handhe...
Chris2048 2y ago
> Here we are in the world’s most sophisticated city er, no
teekert 2y ago
Ok so tell me, I didn’t do research but might aswell sacrifice some dignity to get some answer for a friend in here: 1. You spray water up the butt… how does one prevent everything, including underwear, from getting wet? 2. What takes the dirt away eventually? A clean towel? The force of the water? Where is it taken? With the spraying water? Into the laundry machine? I’m sure there is some excellent YouTube material that answers all my dumb wiper questions, if so please link it here for me and the other people stuck in the past. I feel like I don’t understand the 3 seashells…
- mattnewton 2y ago
  1. Water is a focused stream and I still use a small amount of toilet paper afterwards. You shouldn’t be dripping wet. 2. The water takes away (into the toilet bowl) all the soil if done right, and the small toilet paper is mostly just for drying. But you’re still using the toilet paper. Maybe there is a body type / layout difference? It feels incredibly straightforward to me but reading the comments you are definitely not alone. My suggestion would be to just try it a couple of times.
- coryfklein 2y ago
  Imagine a vertical cross-section of a person sitting on the toilet seat. The rear end is not only obstructing the flow of water out of the toilet, but it extends below the lip of the seat vertically so any extra water falls downwards into the toilet. The only time water escapes is if you absentmindedly stand up without turning off the bidet[0]. As it turns out, the water is quite effective at removing the dirt. At first I was worried it would disperse it and I'd be wiping a larger region, but in fact it's easy to quickly confirm with the white toilet paper that virtually zero waste is left remaining after only a few seconds of running the bidet. [0] This depends on the model, some Europeon models I have encountered are configured as a completely separate "bowl" and they spray aerated water with such low force that the water would never leave the bowl, whether a body is present or not.
- clavoie 2y ago
  I own the hand-held variant (IIRC the https://snapklik.com/en-ca/product/sontiy-brass-handheld-bidet-sprayer-for-toilet-cloth-diaper-toilet-sprayer-bidet-attachment-with-backflow-preventer-chrome-5/0ISR4PD76XP05 https://snapklik.com/en-ca/product/sontiy-brass-handheld-bid...). Think of it as a (very) specialized hand-held shower that's connected to (and easily within reach of someone sitting on) my toilet. Close friends of mine have a washlet integrated system that I've used before. I backed a Boaty kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boaty/the-boaty-kit-a-new-way-to-wipe-your-bum https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boaty/the-boaty-kit-a-n...) a few years ago; though those close friends of mine use regular (though _clearly_ marked) washcloths. I also happen to be a guy, so what I'm about to say applies only to my #2 process -- so no direct experience with ladies' #1 or any concern about cross-contamination by water running to the frontal anatomy (though my research back then mentioned that shouldn't be a bigger concern than without these items). 1. Within a few attempts you get very good at aiming (blind) and keeping only the inside of your bum cheeks wet. With the handheld want it's "all in the wrist", with the integrated system you get to do a silly little hip dance for 5 seconds and move on your with life. 2. It immediately joins and is flushed with the rest of your deposit. I do dry my cheeks with the boaty towels, and find it particularly pleasant and clean, at least comparatively to the previous decades of my life. So "with the spraying water?" yes, overwhelmingly, and "into the laundry machine?" trace amounts for sure, but emphasis on trace amounts. Hope this helps, I'm also a _fanatical convert_ of this new process.
saenamaen 2y ago
Already have.
netcraft 2y ago
I would venture to bet that the vast majority of Americans have never had the opportunity to try a bidet, and wouldnt know how to use one or what to expect if they did. I know I haven't. I think this is an education problem. And articles like this only serve to highlight the problem, not solve it. In ignorance, spraying water at feces on a rear, especially with no way to aim things before hand, leads me to expect a mess being sprayed around the bowl at least, and outside the bowl if you don't have a good seal. Aerosolizing feces is already a problem with the flush, now we are splashing it around? And I assume you still need to use TP to wipe up, but anyone who has used toilet paper around water knows how ineffective it is at drying things. I'm sure im wrong and theres good answers to all of these concerns - ive heard many proclamations of my savagery at not using a bidet over the years, but ive never seen these things addressed. Find a way to tell people how they actually work and I bet you would see a lot more movement. Put them in hotels or other places where people have a chance to give them a try.
- tpmoney 2y ago
  So things might vary from bidet/setup, but at least for my own experience with a Luxe Neo 320: Aiming really isn't a problem. For one, the water doesn't just come on at full blast, the control allows you to bring it up from off. It takes a few days to figure out where you setup is aimed and know how to position yourself there, and from that point on it's basically not a concern. Other fancier ones might have aiming capabilities that don't require you to move, I haven't found it to be something I feel I need, YMMV. Beyond that, you're sitting over everything and they aren't generally aiming far forward, so even if you miss at full blast, it's just going to hit you somewhere else. After a few years of this, the only mess outside the bowl that has ever occurred was when the dog turned it on with no one on the seat (so to that end, put the lid down). As for aerosolizing, not sure that there's been any particular studies but just speaking from a use perspective, again you're sitting over things keeping a lid on it as it were. The stream isn't exactly a pressure wash level of power (or at least, you can tune the stream to not be if you had really high water pressure) and if you were to imagine the effect of spraying a hose into a loose canvas awning hanging above you, that's generally how things happen. Lots of water sheeting of more or less straight down with a bit going to the side and down. A little wiggling about (again, since the Neo doesn't have any functionality to aim the nozzle) and you clean up even around the sides just fine and I would venture little is aerosolized and what little has been is largely contained in the same way having your lid down contains from flushes. Yes, you still want to use a few squares of TP to dry up at the end, but if you sit for a few seconds, you'll drip dry most of the way, and 3-5 squares to pat dry is considerably less than used otherwise.
manishsharan 2y ago
PSA: please use toilet paper and then use the Bidet. Imagine if your face was smeared with toothpaste. You would first need to wipe it off before washing it.
- zeekaran 2y ago
  What? No. Other way around. Blast the ass, TP as a cleanliness check and for drying.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
anthomtb 2y ago
Does being part wookie make a bidet less effective? I am asking for a friend.
- Chris2048 2y ago
  presumably, water makes cleaning hairy parts easier than dry rubbing with tp
- skrbjc 2y ago
  If you had a wookie costume and there was peanut butter spread all over it, which would be more effective: A. wiping it off with toilet paper B. hosing the costume off
seanmcdirmid 2y ago
We were thinking about a fancy Japanese setup (heated toilet seat, warmed water used to clean), but our toilet room isn't wired at all. It is a bit too cold where we are to consider an unheated solution.
- gavindean90 2y ago
  You can get ones that hook into the hot and cold water like a faucet. Not wired, but still you can get warm water.
  - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
    You would still need a hot water line in your toilet room, there is no reason to have one otherwise (especially if your washroom is separate).
    - tpmoney 2y ago
      In the US at least, it would be a rare toilet location that doesn't have hot water within reasonable range. Even places I've been where the toilet and sink are in separate rooms, it's usually separated by a single interior wall, not a huge hurdle to overcome.
      - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
        Our house was built with separate toilet rooms, which is why we bought it (wife is Asian). Anyways, if we did this, we would just rewire and re-plumb the bathroom in a huge renovation.
alsetmusic 2y ago
I came to the conclusion that if the toilet paper shortages of the pan didn’t push us to a bidet revolution, it’ll sadly never happen.
zeekaran 2y ago
Visiting Japan left me feeling spoiled. Every single place we went had a bidet. Every restaurant, bar, teahouse, mall, and the places we stayed overnight. The expensive restaurants had bidets that auto opened and auto flushed. I have a bidet on all three toilets in my home, so it feels crappy (ha) to poop at a public restroom. It's just so unclean.
7huwiymsoyn 2y ago
[flagged]
Chris2048 2y ago
you can also get handheld bidet spray guns that are installed next to the toilet and are popular in asia particularly. A bit more awkward to handle manually (easily to spray out of the bowl), arguably, but also doubles as a cleaning sprayer.
nmstoker 2y ago
There do seem to be plenty of odd reactions and a strange inability to figure out how it works from even the most brief of observations plus some obvious principles. I suppose it wouldn't be wise to get onto the similarly odd beliefs around hard driers, which many seem to believe blow concerning amounts of faeces around public conveniences!
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
LetsGetTechnicl 2y ago
Absolutely love mine, I hate using any other bathroom without one
mattjaynes 2y ago
If you don't have access to a bidet, just use the "dab of lotion on the TP" technique. Wipe like normal. Then put a bit of lotion on new folded TP and wipe. Repeat a few times until the TP is completely clean. It's not at the level of bidet, but it gets you pretty squeaky clean (try it). Best is to use thicker lotion with enough "slipperyness", like true cocoa butter, etc. Cheaper lotions generally don't work as well. Keep a small tube of the lotion in your backpack if you need it when you're out and about. (Fun fact: I submitted this technique as part of my YC application years ago and PG mentioned it to me when I ran into him at Stanford)
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
ChrisArchitect 2y ago
(2015)
Tade0 2y ago
I've had a bidet two apartments back, but part of becoming a parent for me was to discover that flushable wet wipes do an equally good job.
- skrbjc 2y ago
  "Flushable" wet wipes are still terrible for the sewer system and honestly that is misleading marketing. They still get stuck in municipal systems and anyone that runs such a system would tell you that these shouldn't be labeled so.
jpcookie 2y ago
It's stupid and unnecessary
dommus 2y ago
[flagged]
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
romwell 2y ago
I'm too lazy to bother with a bidet installation at home when the shower is right there. In public spaces, an option to use is is definitely appreciated.

58 points by coryfklein 2y ago

I always had one (likely stupid) question regarding these as I don‘t own one but would very much like an improvement over the paper, so now is the time to ask the experts: Are you supposed to additionally use a hand while the water runs or is the water pressure sufficient to get completely clean?

tpmoney 2y ago
My personal experience (with a Luxe Neo 320, so not a fancy thing) is that water pressure is sufficient for 99%. If you've had a particularly bad day, a little TP after finishes the job.

pupppet 2y ago

I'm convinced we'd all be using bidets if it didn't have the fancy sounding name. If it was introduced as something like the Ass-Blaster 5000™ it would be in every home.

nunez 2y ago

This is a good reminder to write our bidets into our wills. I have two Washlets and a Brondell. Absolutely game-changing. I also have a travel bidet that works amazingly while I'm traveling.

onetokeoverthe 2y ago

[dead]

lenerdenator 2y ago

It's time? Brother I did that years ago. Changed my frickin' life.

UncleOxidant 2y ago
In what ways did it change your life?
- nunez 2y ago
  So much less toilet paper. SO. MUCH. LESS. No more endless wiping. Your bottom's actually clean instead of "mostly" clean. Washlets in particular have filters in them that mask smells and a warmed seat.
- switch007 2y ago
  That phrase isn't often used literally
  - lenerdenator 2y ago
    Oh, it was here.
- j_oliver 2y ago
  no more dirty panties
- lenerdenator 2y ago
  If you are a hirsute individual, the time and frustration of getting actually clean go down by an order of magnitude.
- jfim 2y ago
  Didn't have to worry about running out of toilet paper during the pandemic shortages. It also does a better job of cleaning than toilet paper alone.
  - netcraft 2y ago
    how do you dry yourself after using it?
    - 2y ago

freediver 2y ago

One of the best products I use in my house. Truly an amazing quality of life hack that is severely underrated.

darth_avocado 2y ago

One of the arguments I’ve heard is that it is unsanitary. It makes no sense to me because the argument I have is that, if you accidentally tripped, fell in poo and got some on your face, would you feel comfortable wiping it with a napkin and walk around for the rest of the day? Or would you wash your face with soap?

posix86 2y ago
Honest, genuine question: What about water dripping on the noozle? This is my main reservation with it haha.
- moduspol 2y ago
  What water? It depends on what model you get. On the cheaper models, the nozzle is always there, so yeah it'll be another surface that needs to be cleaned. On the more expensive models, the nozzle is in a separate chamber until it is being utilized, and has a separate mechanism for spraying / cleaning itself. That makes it a lot less of a cleaning burden.
- slillibri 2y ago
  Toto washlets have a function to automatically clean the wand/nozzel. I expect others do as well.
- saurik 2y ago
  Most of the bidets--even super cheap basic ones--have a mode where they can flow water over the nozzle to clean it off. Regardless: if you shoot clean water through the nozzle you are momentarily maybe going to send dirty water at your already dirty body--so, no biggie--but then the water is going to run out of stuff to carry with it, and help clean you.
taeric 2y ago
But most bidets don't use soap? Such that I don't really know that this is at all comparable? I'll also note that appeals to "did you fall in poo" are farcical and somewhat ignore the fact that most people don't bathe/shower every day. A practice that is surprisingly common in the US. (I gave a quick attempt to see these stats across all nations. Didn't find anything that looked good for comparisons.) I'm personally not opposed to bidets. I also don't know that I expect to see a lot of benefit, though? Would love to know why our poo habits require so much more work than most animals seem to require.

aurareturn 2y ago

After living with a bidet, it’s really hard to go back. I don’t know why America doesn’t make it standard, especially new homes. You need to run an electrical line to the toilet though which most American bathrooms don’t have.

colanderman 2y ago
Heck, I've got one of the unpowered Tushy models and even that is enough of a life changer that I now actively avoid using any toilet without a bidet.
thestepafter 2y ago
There are plenty of bidets that don’t require electricity. You can buy them as attachments to almost any toilet.
coryfklein 2y ago
I recommend just getting one of the no-frills affordable unpowered $40 bidets on Amazon. The idea of the water not being warm sounds much worse than it actually is, and after just a couple uses you hardly even realize the water isn't heated.
- unclenoriega 2y ago
  I agree. I got one with a hot water connection, but after trying it with only the cold, I've never bothered to connect the hot water.
- brewdad 2y ago
  Agreed. I have both types and they are both fine. The one with heated water and a heated seat and different spray options is obviously nicer but the Amazon special does just as good of a job getting me clean for much less money. Personally, I think an upgrade to something in $100 range is worthwhile. I've got an original Tushy (cold-water) model that is easier to control the flow. The cheaper Amazon models tend to be either off or a sharply aimed firehose at least with my water pressure.
- 2y ago

saberience 2y ago

Once you've gotten used to using flowing water to clean yourself, going back to a place where there are no bidets (or equivalent middle-east style handheld toilet shower) and you can use toilet paper only feels like the grossest/nastiest thing. I heard someone explain it like this: "Imagine you got some shit on your hand, how would you clean it? Well you'd go to a sink and wash it off with soap and water, you wouldn't just wipe it off with some paper towels. Ok, so why do we do that with our asses?"

cassianoleal 2y ago
Because afterwards you don't go around smearing your arse on your face, mouth, nose, door handles, computer keyboard, mouse/trackpad... As long as you wipe well, there's really very little bad that can happen before your next daily shower. Note that I have nothing against bidets, but this argument is not a very strong one.
- saberience 2y ago
  Yeah so you go to the toilet in the morning, then you walk around the rest of the day smearing particles of feacal matter between your thighs and butt cheeks, messing up your underwear, smelling, irritating your skin. Hell, what happens if you go for a run after, sweaty ass combined with faecal matter and that sweat then running down your legs. Lovely stuff!
- grumple 2y ago
  This is how I feel about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Ko78NEI9A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Ko78NEI9A Your poop smells. You aren't getting it perfectly clean. Some people believe they don't have to clean the lower half of their body, which is equally crazy.
  - coryfklein 2y ago
    This, compounded with the rubbing agitation you're applying to such a sensitive area, over and over and over. Why do we do this to ourselves so unnecessarily?

k__ 2y ago

Got one 5 years ago, and wouldn't go back. It's really nice, especially if you can regulate the temperature. Very refreshing in the summer. Don't even need paper anymore, it just blasts everything away, lol.

JKCalhoun 2y ago
Yep, after a stay in a Japanese hotel I cam home and installed one in our home.

mschuster91 2y ago

For those who got addicted to a flowing-water toilet shower and now can't (or don't want to) take a dump on a public restroom, don't worry, us Germans got y'all covered with the portable butt cleanser [1]. [1] https://www.happypo.de/ https://www.happypo.de/

coryfklein 2y ago
Wow why have I never thought to look for a portable bidet before! As a side note, you can get that product at online retailers by searching HappyPo, as it appears the english website is currently down.
- grumple 2y ago
  I've got one of these: https://hellotushy.com/products/tushy-travel-bidet?variant=41293525286954 https://hellotushy.com/products/tushy-travel-bidet?variant=4... It collapses, I just throw it into my luggage whenever I'm traveling.

daft_pink 2y ago

It just costs money to get electrical lines run to your toilet and then get it installed. Otherwise, I would do it.

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stalfosknight 2y ago
There are simple unpowered bidet seats for $25 or less that anyone can install in 15 minutes.
- zeekaran 2y ago
  Sure but they pale in comparison to ones that have heated water. The shock of cold water on the tush is worse than a cold shower.
thestepafter 2y ago
You don’t need electrical lines. Check out companies such as Tushy.
moduspol 2y ago
You get about 80% of the value from the $30 models on Amazon that don't require electricity. I wouldn't let that hold you back.
CGamesPlay 2y ago
They don’t always require electricity. I heard expats in Bali refer to the popular style there as the “bum gun”, which is basically like the extendable faucet in your kitchen sink, but for your butt. Just needs water pressure.
JKCalhoun 2y ago
That is true. We had an outlet in all of our bathrooms (U.S.) — just not in a convenient location. So until I did bathroom remodels in each bathrooms (and made sure to put an outlet near the toilet), I had to use an extension cord.

elashri 2y ago

I introduced my landlord to bidet when I asked his permission and he liked it so much that he got several of them for other tenants (as a perk) and family members. It is a single life improvement that really helps me navigating. I work from home because the university wouldn't agree on installing it in my department building.

sva_ 2y ago

Bidets are like acid: people who try it once have to tell everyone to try it too. Personally, I find the fixation on how I'm supposed to clean my ass a bit weird.

hoosier2gator 2y ago
But might they also be like acid in that they could be a life-changing experience that cannot be adequately described unless personally tried?
- sva_ 2y ago
  According to some commentators in this thread they might be.
Volundr 2y ago
I mean this is an article about bidets. It's sort of expected that people will share their thoughts and experiences. Outside of contexts like this the totality of my discussions about bidets has been essentially entirely limited to with the friend who helped me remove my old toilet and install my new bidet one.

hcurtiss 2y ago

I need a god damned lesson on this. I just don't get it. It's not like the bidet is a precise instrument. It does a half-assed job (literally!), and everything winds up wet and half clean. I then break a bunch of toilet paper trying to get everything dry, meaning my hands -- which I use to touch things other people touch -- are at least until washed decided less clean. I've only tried these damned things a couple times, but I definitely do not get it.

mattnewton 2y ago
Most bidets have an adjustment knob for the angle, and you’ll need to possibly move your tush too to line up the water to where it needs to go.
Chris2048 2y ago
> meaning my hands -- which I use to touch things other people touch Bidets aren't an alternative to washing hands.. you should be able to dry off without soaking them

RheingoldRiver 2y ago

I have a bidet; when I travel I bring a cheap portable bidet with me. If you are undecided about getting one installed on your toilet and having a plumber hook it up to your water line etc, you could try this one [0] for pretty cheap. It's a bit low pressure compared to the one I have installed, and it doesn't heat up the water at all, but it's still infinitely better than the alternative. [0] https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Electric-Rechargeable-Handheld-container/dp/B0BYVR1HCX https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Electric-Rechargeable-Handhe...

Chris2048 2y ago

> Here we are in the world’s most sophisticated city er, no

teekert 2y ago

Ok so tell me, I didn’t do research but might aswell sacrifice some dignity to get some answer for a friend in here: 1. You spray water up the butt… how does one prevent everything, including underwear, from getting wet? 2. What takes the dirt away eventually? A clean towel? The force of the water? Where is it taken? With the spraying water? Into the laundry machine? I’m sure there is some excellent YouTube material that answers all my dumb wiper questions, if so please link it here for me and the other people stuck in the past. I feel like I don’t understand the 3 seashells…

mattnewton 2y ago
1. Water is a focused stream and I still use a small amount of toilet paper afterwards. You shouldn’t be dripping wet. 2. The water takes away (into the toilet bowl) all the soil if done right, and the small toilet paper is mostly just for drying. But you’re still using the toilet paper. Maybe there is a body type / layout difference? It feels incredibly straightforward to me but reading the comments you are definitely not alone. My suggestion would be to just try it a couple of times.
coryfklein 2y ago
Imagine a vertical cross-section of a person sitting on the toilet seat. The rear end is not only obstructing the flow of water out of the toilet, but it extends below the lip of the seat vertically so any extra water falls downwards into the toilet. The only time water escapes is if you absentmindedly stand up without turning off the bidet[0]. As it turns out, the water is quite effective at removing the dirt. At first I was worried it would disperse it and I'd be wiping a larger region, but in fact it's easy to quickly confirm with the white toilet paper that virtually zero waste is left remaining after only a few seconds of running the bidet. [0] This depends on the model, some Europeon models I have encountered are configured as a completely separate "bowl" and they spray aerated water with such low force that the water would never leave the bowl, whether a body is present or not.
clavoie 2y ago
I own the hand-held variant (IIRC the https://snapklik.com/en-ca/product/sontiy-brass-handheld-bidet-sprayer-for-toilet-cloth-diaper-toilet-sprayer-bidet-attachment-with-backflow-preventer-chrome-5/0ISR4PD76XP05 https://snapklik.com/en-ca/product/sontiy-brass-handheld-bid...). Think of it as a (very) specialized hand-held shower that's connected to (and easily within reach of someone sitting on) my toilet. Close friends of mine have a washlet integrated system that I've used before. I backed a Boaty kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boaty/the-boaty-kit-a-new-way-to-wipe-your-bum https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boaty/the-boaty-kit-a-n...) a few years ago; though those close friends of mine use regular (though _clearly_ marked) washcloths. I also happen to be a guy, so what I'm about to say applies only to my #2 process -- so no direct experience with ladies' #1 or any concern about cross-contamination by water running to the frontal anatomy (though my research back then mentioned that shouldn't be a bigger concern than without these items). 1. Within a few attempts you get very good at aiming (blind) and keeping only the inside of your bum cheeks wet. With the handheld want it's "all in the wrist", with the integrated system you get to do a silly little hip dance for 5 seconds and move on your with life. 2. It immediately joins and is flushed with the rest of your deposit. I do dry my cheeks with the boaty towels, and find it particularly pleasant and clean, at least comparatively to the previous decades of my life. So "with the spraying water?" yes, overwhelmingly, and "into the laundry machine?" trace amounts for sure, but emphasis on trace amounts. Hope this helps, I'm also a _fanatical convert_ of this new process.

saenamaen 2y ago

Already have.

netcraft 2y ago

I would venture to bet that the vast majority of Americans have never had the opportunity to try a bidet, and wouldnt know how to use one or what to expect if they did. I know I haven't. I think this is an education problem. And articles like this only serve to highlight the problem, not solve it. In ignorance, spraying water at feces on a rear, especially with no way to aim things before hand, leads me to expect a mess being sprayed around the bowl at least, and outside the bowl if you don't have a good seal. Aerosolizing feces is already a problem with the flush, now we are splashing it around? And I assume you still need to use TP to wipe up, but anyone who has used toilet paper around water knows how ineffective it is at drying things. I'm sure im wrong and theres good answers to all of these concerns - ive heard many proclamations of my savagery at not using a bidet over the years, but ive never seen these things addressed. Find a way to tell people how they actually work and I bet you would see a lot more movement. Put them in hotels or other places where people have a chance to give them a try.

tpmoney 2y ago
So things might vary from bidet/setup, but at least for my own experience with a Luxe Neo 320: Aiming really isn't a problem. For one, the water doesn't just come on at full blast, the control allows you to bring it up from off. It takes a few days to figure out where you setup is aimed and know how to position yourself there, and from that point on it's basically not a concern. Other fancier ones might have aiming capabilities that don't require you to move, I haven't found it to be something I feel I need, YMMV. Beyond that, you're sitting over everything and they aren't generally aiming far forward, so even if you miss at full blast, it's just going to hit you somewhere else. After a few years of this, the only mess outside the bowl that has ever occurred was when the dog turned it on with no one on the seat (so to that end, put the lid down). As for aerosolizing, not sure that there's been any particular studies but just speaking from a use perspective, again you're sitting over things keeping a lid on it as it were. The stream isn't exactly a pressure wash level of power (or at least, you can tune the stream to not be if you had really high water pressure) and if you were to imagine the effect of spraying a hose into a loose canvas awning hanging above you, that's generally how things happen. Lots of water sheeting of more or less straight down with a bit going to the side and down. A little wiggling about (again, since the Neo doesn't have any functionality to aim the nozzle) and you clean up even around the sides just fine and I would venture little is aerosolized and what little has been is largely contained in the same way having your lid down contains from flushes. Yes, you still want to use a few squares of TP to dry up at the end, but if you sit for a few seconds, you'll drip dry most of the way, and 3-5 squares to pat dry is considerably less than used otherwise.

manishsharan 2y ago

PSA: please use toilet paper and then use the Bidet. Imagine if your face was smeared with toothpaste. You would first need to wipe it off before washing it.

zeekaran 2y ago
What? No. Other way around. Blast the ass, TP as a cleanliness check and for drying.
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anthomtb 2y ago

Does being part wookie make a bidet less effective? I am asking for a friend.

Chris2048 2y ago
presumably, water makes cleaning hairy parts easier than dry rubbing with tp
skrbjc 2y ago
If you had a wookie costume and there was peanut butter spread all over it, which would be more effective: A. wiping it off with toilet paper B. hosing the costume off

seanmcdirmid 2y ago

We were thinking about a fancy Japanese setup (heated toilet seat, warmed water used to clean), but our toilet room isn't wired at all. It is a bit too cold where we are to consider an unheated solution.

gavindean90 2y ago
You can get ones that hook into the hot and cold water like a faucet. Not wired, but still you can get warm water.
- seanmcdirmid 2y ago
  You would still need a hot water line in your toilet room, there is no reason to have one otherwise (especially if your washroom is separate).
  - tpmoney 2y ago
    In the US at least, it would be a rare toilet location that doesn't have hot water within reasonable range. Even places I've been where the toilet and sink are in separate rooms, it's usually separated by a single interior wall, not a huge hurdle to overcome.
    - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
      Our house was built with separate toilet rooms, which is why we bought it (wife is Asian). Anyways, if we did this, we would just rewire and re-plumb the bathroom in a huge renovation.

alsetmusic 2y ago

I came to the conclusion that if the toilet paper shortages of the pan didn’t push us to a bidet revolution, it’ll sadly never happen.

zeekaran 2y ago

Visiting Japan left me feeling spoiled. Every single place we went had a bidet. Every restaurant, bar, teahouse, mall, and the places we stayed overnight. The expensive restaurants had bidets that auto opened and auto flushed. I have a bidet on all three toilets in my home, so it feels crappy (ha) to poop at a public restroom. It's just so unclean.

7huwiymsoyn 2y ago

[flagged]

Chris2048 2y ago

you can also get handheld bidet spray guns that are installed next to the toilet and are popular in asia particularly. A bit more awkward to handle manually (easily to spray out of the bowl), arguably, but also doubles as a cleaning sprayer.

nmstoker 2y ago

There do seem to be plenty of odd reactions and a strange inability to figure out how it works from even the most brief of observations plus some obvious principles. I suppose it wouldn't be wise to get onto the similarly odd beliefs around hard driers, which many seem to believe blow concerning amounts of faeces around public conveniences!

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LetsGetTechnicl 2y ago

Absolutely love mine, I hate using any other bathroom without one

mattjaynes 2y ago

If you don't have access to a bidet, just use the "dab of lotion on the TP" technique. Wipe like normal. Then put a bit of lotion on new folded TP and wipe. Repeat a few times until the TP is completely clean. It's not at the level of bidet, but it gets you pretty squeaky clean (try it). Best is to use thicker lotion with enough "slipperyness", like true cocoa butter, etc. Cheaper lotions generally don't work as well. Keep a small tube of the lotion in your backpack if you need it when you're out and about. (Fun fact: I submitted this technique as part of my YC application years ago and PG mentioned it to me when I ran into him at Stanford)

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ChrisArchitect 2y ago

(2015)

Tade0 2y ago

I've had a bidet two apartments back, but part of becoming a parent for me was to discover that flushable wet wipes do an equally good job.

skrbjc 2y ago
"Flushable" wet wipes are still terrible for the sewer system and honestly that is misleading marketing. They still get stuck in municipal systems and anyone that runs such a system would tell you that these shouldn't be labeled so.

jpcookie 2y ago

It's stupid and unnecessary

dommus 2y ago

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romwell 2y ago

I'm too lazy to bother with a bidet installation at home when the shower is right there. In public spaces, an option to use is is definitely appreciated.