To Bidet or Not To Bidet

Bidets are primarily used to wash and clean the external vulva and the anus, as well as the skin near these areas. They may also be used to clean any other part of the body; they are very convenient for cleaning the feet, for example. Despite appearing similar to a toilet, it would be more accurate to compare it to the washbasin or bathtub. In fact, the bidet is used by some for a baby bath, though there are some who recommend against this. Anyone who has mobility problems and finds it difficult to get into a bathtub, or is afraid of slipping in the shower, may find a bidet an excellent solution for maintaining personal hygiene.

Users who are unfamiliar with bidets often confuse a bidet with a urinal, toilet, or even a drinking fountain. The user should use the toilet before using the bidet; its purpose is to wash afterwards. It is generally understood that the user should sit on a bidet facing the tap and nozzle to clean the genitalia, or with their back to the tap and wall to clean the anus.

Bidets are made in several different designs. They may have one tap which pours (usually warm) water into a china basin. The basin can be plugged and filled if necessary, or the water can be allowed to drain away. Other bidets have a nozzle which propels an arc of water up into the air. This jet of water is angled to easily attain the perianal and genital area. A bidet may also be a nozzle attached to an existing toilet, or a part of the toilet itself. In this case, its use is restricted to cleaning the anus and genitals. Some bidets of this type have two nozzles, the shorter one, called the family nozzle, is used for washing the area around the anus, and the longer one (bidet nozzle) is designed for women to wash their vulva. These bidets are often controlled electronically rather than with a traditional tap, and some have an element under the seat which heats up to dry the user after washing.

These bidet toilets are becoming increasingly popular in countries like India, where use of just dry toilet paper to clean the perianal area is considered dirty and unhygienic; however, the nozzle is controlled with an external tap within the reach of the hand. Traditionally, local style squatting toilets have been more common in India and are more convenient to most Indians, especially of the lower generation. But with the rise of westernization, western style pots have started becoming more common, and the most convenient way to wash the perianal area with these pots is simply to attach a bidet nozzle.

Some bidet users feel using a bidet is more hygienic than toilet paper.[citation needed] However, most people who have access to a bidet usually use both, wiping with toilet paper before washing with the bidet. Bidets are very useful for the elderly or anyone with mobility problems and for people with hemorrhoids. People usually use toilet paper or a small towel that they hung next to the bidet for drying, which is usually changed daily.

Bidets are common bathroom fixtures in some European countries (especially Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal), some Latin American countries (especially Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela; there they are found in approximately 90% of households), the Middle East and some parts of Asia (particularly in Japan). Although France is the country where the word bidet originated, not every house is equipped with one, especially the smaller or cheaper flats. Residents of countries where bidets in private homes are rare may be totally unfamiliar with bidets and have no idea how to use them if they encounter them.

It is said that many American men first encountered bidets in French brothels during WWII and thought they were designed for the prostitutes to douche (inside the vagina) after sexual intercourse[citation needed]. These attitudes may be difficult for bidet manufacturers to dispel if it is taboo to discuss toilet habits and personal hygiene in public, as is the case in many societies.

In contrast, residents of countries where the bidet is found in almost every private residence, find it difficult to change their habits when they travel in countries where bidets are rare. The only alternatives to a bidet in such cases is to use the bathtub or a showerhead (if it can reach the toilet).