What does a Bidet do?
Maybe you heard about bidets on the internet. Maybe you visited a hotel or a friend’s house and saw a bidet (pronounced beeday) in their bathroom. If so, you probably wondered what a bidet is for and whether you should consider getting one yourself.
So what does a bidet do?
A bidet is simply a means of cleaning yourself after going to the toilet. It does this using a jet or spray of water directed towards your bottom. This allows you to clean yourself much more thoroughly than using toilet paper. Rather than wiping and, by definition, smearing remnants of poo around, a bidet will efficiently and cleanly wash the poo away.
Although you may use a couple of sheets of toilet paper to dry yourself afterwards, you will be using a fraction of the amount you normally would. This is good for your wallet and also good for the environment. If you buy a more up-market bidet, you won’t even have to dry yourself either. Many more expensive bidets have an integrated drying function. Warm air will be directed onto your nether regions to dry you after the ‘wash cycle’.
Why use one?
By far the biggest reason people use bidets is the increased personal hygiene they offer. The feeling of being truly clean after you go to the toilet is simply great. Also, if you have sensitive skin using a gentle spray and a pat dry is much more comfortable than repeatedly rubbing with paper.
Other people might also be attracted by the fact that using a bidet causes less harm to the environment. Toilet paper production is notoriously bad for the planet. Apart from all the trees which are cut down to make paper, harmful chemicals such as chlorine are used to bleach the paper and huge amounts of water and electricity are used in its production. Multiply luxury toilet paper is particularly bad, as it contains a low amount of recycled paper.
Finally, some people opt for a bidet sprayer instead of a toilet seat bidet. These consist of a hose with an adjustable spray nozzle on the end. Easily plumbed into your existing toilet, the spray head is normally stored on a wall mount next to the toilet. These are a cheap option which can be used for more than cleaning your bottom. They fact that they’re separate from your toilet means you can use them for cleaning almost anything (pets, shoes, the toilet itself…).
There are 3 main reasons to use a bidet
- Whichever kind of bidet you choose, they provide a hygienic means of cleaning yourself after going to the toilet
- Bidets save on the on-going cost of toilet paper
- They reduce your impact on the environment
