Bidets?

[T-man's Mama]

Thinking about bidets for some reason. Do you have one? Would you recommend it?  Just curious...does anyone in the U.S. use these?

[velochic]

I've lived and traveled abroad a good part of the last 25 years.  Dh is not American.  Even outside of the US, I don't know anyone that uses them, including his family who have them in their own home bathrooms.  We never used ours when we've had them living abroad.  I think they're losing popularity because decent toilet paper is easier to come by everywhere.  If your family would use one, then I suppose it could be worth the expense (they are insanely expensive in the US) and the space it would take up in your bathroom.

If you want to go greener to not use paper, I'd go for family cloth. Just make sure you have the disposable stuff for guests.  JMO.

[Dar]

Most toilets I've used in North Africa have had the nozzle sprayer hanging next to the toilet and often there's no TP (and if there is, it's never appropriate to flush it). I consider that sort of an integrated toilet/bidet and I really like it. Well, I like having tP to sort of dry myself off afterward, but I love having the sprayer.

I didn't see any in Europe, but Rain said they were common where she lived Russia and everyone (her included) used them.
Edited by Dar - 5/15/11 at 9:59am

[HollyBearsMom]

Love bidets and wish I had one.  They were standard it my apt's when I lived overseas.  My mom had one her bathroom here in the states and I have always said that when I finally renovate our master bath I am going to put in a bidet.

[lovebugmama]

Wish I had one.  I have used them when travelling and love that just showered feeling down there any time of the day.  Especially nice before and/or after doing the deed.

[pear-shaped]

OMG, a bidet thread! We have a bidet in each of our bathrooms. They are a must-have here in Italy; I have heard of foreigners being advised not to redo bathrooms without them because it could cause eventual resale problems. I don't know a single Italian who doesn't use the bidet. Well, I assume that everyone I know does because it's just inconceivable here that someone wouldn't...Italians think people who don't use them are, um, dirty.

I use the bidet from time to time, mostly when I have my period (it is really wonderful then!) or when I'm running late and don't have time for a shower in the morning. My husband uses it more regularly. The bidet is one of those things that make me wonder if I could ever live in the U.S. again, as I don't think I'd want to live without one. Though I suppose that if we had our own house and a bathroom big enough to install one, it wouldn't be a problem.

[T-man's Mama]

I seriously doubt I'd be able to convince hubby to install a stand-alone bidet, although those seem awesome. Maybe the integrated sprayer one that Dar mentions. Are those just as useful and, er, effective? I am also a bit worried about how my two-yr-old would react - I think he would want to use it as a squirt gun!!

Also, when you use a bidet, do you always pat dry with TP? I've heard of people using towels, so if you use towels, is there like a family towel that everyone uses, or do you each have designated towels? If so, how do you keep them straight? Do they stay in the bathroom or do you carry it around in your purse to make sure nobody else uses it? Do the sprayers get dirty? Sorry for the elementary level questioning here - my mind is very detail oriented and I have never encountered a bidet in RL. ;-)

(Pear shaped - I think you just clued me in to why this is on my mind -- currently dealing with Aunt Flo!! lol)

[pear-shaped]

At home I don't think anyone uses tp to dry off. There are special bidet-sized towels, which are a little bit larger than face cloths, but rectangular. I've always wondered about the family aspect myself, because I always see only one towel near bidets. (Of course, that's the case at our house too, because the rack above the bidet really holds only one towel. I just put my towel on a different rack that has more space.) We use different colored towels so they don't get confused. I don't know about bidets in public bathrooms...they do tend to be there, but I don't know that people really use them. It just seems to me that having to undress a bit would make it complicated. I imagine that anyone who does use those bidets would use tp or tissues, though, I can't imagine an Italian carrying around a towel in a bag or purse, people tend to be clean freaks and germaphobes here.

You know, bidets are great for toddlers! Think about it, they're just the right height for them to use as a sink. My dd loved the bidet because for a long time it was the only water faucet accessible to her so it was a great source of fun. Most regular bidets have a tap that turns such that you can direct the water flow and make a spray, ours doesn't and that always annoyed me until dd started playing with it and I was relieved, honestly! I've never seen the kind with the actual sprayer, I don't think those are common in Europe. I have heard that the sprayers get dirty, but I think that only applies to the ones in public bathrooms.

[~Amy~]

Originally Posted by Dar 

Most toilets I've used in North Africa have had the nozzle sprayer hanging next to the toilet and often there's no TP (and if there is, it's never appropriate to flush it). I consider that sort of an integrated toilet/bidet and I really like it. Well, I like having tP to sort of dry myself off afterward, but I love having the sprayer.

I didn't see any in Europe, but Rain said they were common where she lived Russia and everyone (her included) used them.

That's how it was in the dorm I lived in when I went to university in Cairo.  They were especially nice when AF was visiting.

[Arduinna]

I had a bidet seat on our toilet for years until it finally broke. I loved that thing. Had a water heater and you could control the water stream. They don't make the one I had anymore but I'd love to get another one. 

check out these http://www.totousa.com/WhyTOTO/Innovation/Washlet.aspx

[34me]

We have Toto toilets.  Would love a bidet but why would you need massage?

[MsFortune]

Love the bidet toilet seats.  I had a friend who had one.  It used heated water.  And had a blow dryer.  

The good ones are pricey but they are so nice.  

I may ask for one for Xmas next year.  

We have one of those sprayers on the toilet (it's there for cloth diapers but can be a hand held bidet also).  But the water is cold and then you are wet.

[umsami]

We use them--but pretty much all Muslims do.  

Our is just a little shower-like attachment that you can easily attach to any toilet (or sink).  You'll sometimes see them as diaper washers.  I think it was $25-30.  Works great.  

My Mom and Dad (not Muslims) had a separate bidet--but I have no idea if they ever used it.  I think it was just the thing to do when they built their house in the mid-70s.  It was a very modern house--solar stuff, etc.  My Mom used to wash her stockings in it.  LOL

[rachelalfreda]

We got a diaper sprayer and I FELL in love with it for personal hygiene!  DH likes it too. 

There is a SNL short with Zack Galaphanakis (i know i'm spelling that wrong) about bidet's - google it, you won't be sorry!

[T-man's Mama]

Hmm...interesting! I have never heard of diaper sprayers! (We did EC from birth and never used cloth diapers). So from what I can tell, a diaper sprayer looks just like the hand sprayer at my kitchen sink. Is there any difference, in general, between this and a bidet sprayer?

(By the way I love the SNL skit you mention. Hilarious!!!!)
 

Originally Posted by rachelalfreda 

We got a diaper sprayer and I FELL in love with it for personal hygiene!  DH likes it too. 

There is a SNL short with Zack Galaphanakis (i know i'm spelling that wrong) about bidet's - google it, you won't be sorry!

[umsami]

No, they look like that.  There's a valve between the toilet (or sink) that you can turn on/off.  This is the ones we've bought.  One we've had for almost 5 years--still works great.  The other two, we've had for almost 3 years now.  No issues.  I installed the first one, and DH installed the other two.

http://www.minishower.net/
 

Originally Posted by T-man's Mama 

Hmm...interesting! I have never heard of diaper sprayers! (We did EC from birth and never used cloth diapers). So from what I can tell, a diaper sprayer looks just like the hand sprayer at my kitchen sink. Is there any difference, in general, between this and a bidet sprayer?

(By the way I love the SNL skit you mention. Hilarious!!!!)
 

[Owen'nZoe]

Originally Posted by Dar 

Most toilets I've used in North Africa have had the nozzle sprayer hanging next to the toilet and often there's no TP (and if there is, it's never appropriate to flush it). I consider that sort of an integrated toilet/bidet and I really like it. Well, I like having tP to sort of dry myself off afterward, but I love having the sprayer.

I didn't see any in Europe, but Rain said they were common where she lived Russia and everyone (her included) used them.

How funny! Where did she live? I never saw one in Petersburg when I lived there (most recently in 2000), but they would have been helpful, because nice toilet paper was not always easy to come by.

DH is also from a Muslim country, and bidets are absolutely standard in the bathrooms there. He would love to have one, but I'm a little less enthusiastic, as I'm the only one in the house who will clean toilets, and don't want another thing in the bathroom to clean. ;) Also, I'm a silly American, and just don't understand the hygeine of it all...so, you turn on the water, and it comes out of a spigot in the bottom of the bowl of the bidet, then the water splashes back into the bidet...wouldn't the spigot be a bit unsanitary once it has been used?

That said, DBIL has a little sprayer that attaches right under the toilet seat at his house - it's a little different than a diaper sprayer - just a dedicated bidet sprayer. There is a little button on the side of the toilet that you use to have it squirt out water. I like that option better.  

[Dar]

She lived in Kirov, which is nowhere near Moscow or Petersburg (it's sorta near Kazan) so maybe things are still a bit more old school? She did travel to a lot of places... (Petersburg was her fave )

I'm currently living in a hotel with a squat toilet and a bucket of water... which is fine, I can deal, but I miss toilets with sprayers.

[Gingercat]

Bidets used to be very common here in Greece but modern houses do not have them due to the lack of space I guess.

Just a few weeks ago my husband installed the Mercola soft spray bidet and we're all thrilled with it!

http://products.mercola.com/toilet-bidet/

We feel so clean and refreshed, especially me when I'm having my period.

We practically stopped using TP, we each have a dedicated cotton towel that I wash with my kids' cloth diapers.

Check it out, the cost is minimal and it works perfectly!

[Liquesce]

The only way I would live without a bidet of some sort would be if I was also in a situation such that I was living without bathroom plumbing.  I don't really get the ones that are a whole separate unit though.  They sound as though they would be sort of awkward to use.

Over the past while I've been in rental apartments so I just have something like the "Mini Shower" which is portable between homes and which hooks into the main water supply to the toilet tank.  In both the apartment my husband owns and the house I own, though, it's the same basic kind of sprayers, but with their own dedicated plumbing lines, including hot water lines so you can adjust for temperature.   Much nicer, except the water in my husband's apartment warms a little slowly, so I have more than once adjusted it to be too hot.