Questions about how bidets work

Forums: T M I, Plumbing, Bidets
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Ok, this might be a really dumb question, gross as well, but I'm going to ask. I really don't know.

I know the mechanics of a bidet, although I've never used one.

If the bidet is squirting up water onto your butt to clean it, isn't at least some of the dirty water falling back down on the mechanism? So, the next person to use it is getting water squirted up that is coming out of a germy spigot. That's not cool.

Also, um, how forceful is the stream of water to clean yourself? I can't imagine there being enough force to really clean, without soap, and the assistance of a hand, washcloth etc.

Finally, I know newer models have driers, but what was the person supposed to do before that? You've just had water squirting up all over the place, it doesn't seem like you could just stand up and pull up your clothes without a big mess.

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Type: Question • Score: 14 • Views: 8,102 • Replies: 65

View best answer, chosen by chai2

@chai2,

Stop making people blush, and watch youtube videos on it privately.

Here this may be helpful.

1 Reply

@aspvenom,

I watched those videos already.

They don't answer my questions.

What's to blush about?

1 Reply

@chai2,

I thought it was a drinking fountain.

seemed outta place to me...

(you gotta get on your knees and all)

3 Replies

@Rockhead,

I hadda girlfriend who had one in her house, she used it as a water fountain for her dogs.

1 Reply

@chai2,

I like them.

They didn't strike me as unsanitary.
Maybe I didn't know enough.

0 Replies

@Rockhead,

Knees? I don't think so. The one in the video seems to be the same height as the toilet.

When I've visited Japan for a business trip, I've used these. It is surprising at first, but the water is warm.

The ones in Japan are different, and everything is automated. You sit in the same place, you press the button, it sprinkles water, then lather of soap, then water, then dryer dries your arse, all the while a generic music is played. But it does feel quite cleaner than toilet paper.

1 Reply

@Val Killmore,

I used to travel in a higher style than I now do.

many a fancy hotel room has one. like most of the other over the top features of the room, I never thought to try and use it...

room service rocks, though.

1 Reply

@Rockhead,

So did I, but in the case of Italy in the late eighties and nineties, a lot of even one stars had bidets, in my experience - well, they revamped very old buildings to drain bathrooms after Il Boom, a period of the country's growth and if there was room and money they added double fixtures when they could re do the plumbing.

My favorite thing was the whole bathroom-floor drain - no shower stall, just a central drain. I liked that. Ran into a few of those, I'd call them as in larger bathrooms, but not what we in the US would think of calling large.

Major hazzerai, I'm sure. Bathrooms in old buildings are often raised, thus to accommodate a drain above grade. I've stubbed my toe badly trying to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, forgetting the short marble step up, more than once.

0 Replies

Motel 6 doesn't have those.

0 Replies

@chai2,

think of it as a mini-carwash

2 Replies

@ehBeth,

I would think it IS cleaner than just TP. I mean - as long as I get to dry off when it's all over...

and smoke a ciggie.

Wink

0 Replies

We had one growing up in Argentina. It served as a yacht basin for my flotilla of toy boats.

0 Replies

@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

think of it as a mini-carwash

They have brushes. This thing dont got no brushes.

1 Reply

@dlowan,

dlowan wrote:

ehBeth wrote:

think of it as a mini-carwash

They have brushes. This thing dont got no brushes.

don't you have these?

1 Reply

@chai2,

Quote:

If the bidet is squirting up water onto your butt to clean it, isn't at least some of the dirty water falling back down on the mechanism?

This is quite alarming - I've tried to use a bidet once - but I thought it was just a rather large water fountain.

0 Replies

@Rockhead,

well - some one else thinking like me...

1 Reply

@Linkat,

if it's just you and me, that might ought to worry the crap out of you...

1 Reply

@Rockhead,

the good news is then - at least I will know how to use the bidet correctly afterwards.

0 Replies

@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

dlowan wrote:

ehBeth wrote:

think of it as a mini-carwash

They have brushes. This thing dont got no brushes.

don't you have these?

So, am I to take it that the job is done by pure water pressure, no hands involved?

Doesn't seem like that would get me clean enough.

I'm still concerned about the poopy water running off of the person who used it before, getting all over the thing that shoots the water up, then you come along and use it. That's gross.

From what I understand, bidets were invented when showers were not the norm in homes.

Since it would appear you'd have to strip from the waist down to avoid getting your clothes wet, I'll just stick with my shower, which has a hand held.

Why can't you just squat over the edge of the bathtub, clean up with water from above (and using soap), or at least butt level, letting the dirty water go down the drain?

3 Replies

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