How to Use a Bidet
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Chances are, if you're traveling through
Europe,
Latin America, East Asia, or the Middle East, you'll eventually encounter a
bidet in the
bathroom. It's traditionally a basin near the
toilet that's used to clean the
genitals and anal area after using the
toilet or whenever a "freshening up" is needed. While your first encounter with a bidet can be a little daunting, they are actually very simple (and hygienic) to use.
[edit] Steps
- Use the toilet first. The purpose of the bidet is to help clean off after toilet use. While some people believe that using a bidet is a hygienic substitute for toilet paper, many choose to use both.
- Straddle the bidet. On most standalone bidets you can either face the bidet's water controls or you can face away from them, as you would on a toilet. It is easier to control the flow and temperature of the water if you face the controls, but if you are wearing pants you will generally need to remove them in order to straddle the bidet in this manner. There are a variety of bidet designs, so the configuration of the jets and the area of your body that you wish to clean may dictate which way you need to face.
-
Adjust the temperature and jet strengths for comfort. If the bidet has both hot and cold water controls, start by turning on the hot water. Once it's hot, add the cold water until you have a comfortable temperature. (In normally hot climates, such as the middle east, you should start with the cold water. The water will not need time to heat up and you may end up burning sensitive areas if you turn the hot water on first.)
- Be very careful when turning on the water, as many bidets can produce a very high jet of water with only a slight turn of the control.
- Be sure that you know where the water will be coming from ahead of time, or you could end up with a surprise shower.
- You may find that you need to hold the control to keep the jets on.
- Position yourself over the water jets so that the jets hit the desired area. For some bidets you can continue to hover above the bidet or you can sit down on it. Note that most bidets don't have seats, but are still meant to be sat upon; you just sit directly on the rim. Some bidets do not have jets, but instead simply have a faucet that fills the basin, as you would fill a sink basin.
- Clean anal area and/or genitals. Generally, you simply allow the jets to clean the desired area without having to use your hands. If there are no jets, you will need to use your hands to assist in bathing. You can use soap if you want to, applying it just as you would in the shower.
- Dry your skin. Some bidets have a built-in air dryer that you can use. For others, simply pat dry with toilet paper. Many bidets have a towel on a ring positioned next to the bidet, but this is often intended for drying hands.
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Rinse out the bidet. Once you are off the bidet, run the jets at very low pressure for a few seconds to rinse the basin and keep the bidet fresh.
- Wash your hands with soap and water, as you would any time after using the toilet.
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A bidet built into the toilet. This one is in Japan, where automatic built-in bidets are extremely popular.
The steps for using a modern bidet that is built into the toilet are essentially the same as those described above except that you simply remain seated on the toilet to use the bidet. These may be electronically controlled, or they may have controls positioned next to the user. Some of these include two nozzles, a short one for washing the anus, and a longer one that women can use to wash their genitals; others have one nozzle with two settings.
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A bidet that can be installed in a toilet
You can also buy a bidet to install on your own toilet. Some of these require electricity, but others don't.
- Some additional benefits of using a bidet are:
- People with limited mobility, such as the elderly, disabled, or ill can use a bidet to maintain cleanliness when using a bathtub or shower is uncomfortable or dangerous.
- They are especially helpful for people with hemorrhoids, since they reduce the amount of repetitive wiping that is needed.
- The use of a bidet can help women to prevent or minimize the occurrence of yeast infections or vaginitis.
- You can use a bidet to quickly wash your feet.
- Some countries are especially known for having bidets: South Korea, Japan, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Lebanon, and India.