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Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

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Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#121
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your butt goes deep enough into the chasm that splash only falls into the bowl, never outside. If it does, you're doing it wrong.

But how do you achieve that with those hand-sprayers? And don't droplets of black water fall all over one's hands and the sprayer when doing so? The whole thing just seems awful to me. I know, I know: I am the ignorant one. The rest of the world seems very happy with them. But I just can't figure out how to use one in a sanitary fashion.

When people say bidet, they don't mean hand sprayer. They mean a Toto which is setup to spray a jet with a diameter of like a couple millemeters at a fairly low pressure at just the anus. If it misses the anus you now have a slight bit of water on your butt cheek.

It's gentle enough that there's not much of a splash. If you're sitting correctly the black water won't run 'down' your body it will fall straight down into the bowl.

There really isn't a learning curve.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#122
post #115

For anyone interested, a hygienic shower works even better, and needs no extra space like a traditional bidet does.

It doesn’t need to use any additional space, most $40 ones just attach to the toilet seat. And you save water and time not having to take a shower.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#123
post #77

Every time I hear someone say that they stopped using toilet paper after switching to a bidet, I have some serious questions. Because I've used bidets and washlets of all kinds, and I've never met one that actually cleaned fully without also rubbing/wiping. So, ok, using wet paper can get you much cleaner and is gentler than dry paper, but blasting wet feces droplets all over the place with a jet spray alone isn't so…

Probably depends on your diet, quantity of hair, weight/cheek mass, and usual bristol score. With TP some people need a couple of sheets and they come away with a clean sheet, others need half a roll.

So what you're saying is that I need to shave my butthole, hit the gym, and lawyer up?

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#124
post #96
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'll figure it out, and you'll kick yourself for not having done it sooner. It's all much easier than you're imagining. I had the same concerns, and am a complete convert now.

At the risk of sounding naive, help me figure out what I'm missing then. I had the opportunity to use a built in style bidet when I visited Japan, and after a few days of trying, I could not figure out how to clean myself with it. There was always some residue left that had to be toilet papered off. Are you expected to use your hand to clean like you would in the shower? Because that's never been made clear to me and…

Before, not after, but yes.

Or I could have just been doing it wrong, there wasn't exactly a training class when visiting countries in which they are common.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#125

I remember being in a capsule-hotel/hostel in Japan thinking about how great the Japanese are that these seats are the default in a hostel. I have been through Africa and parts of Asia were the "bum gun" is the only resource for cleaning, no paper. Japan had the best of both worlds. I have always said I would purchase one if I ever purchased my own place. In my current rental, I would need to have a power cord come c…

There do appear to exist ones that don't need electric hookups. I'm sure it's not as nice as the fancy Japanese ones, but they do sound acceptable.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#126
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At the risk of sounding naive, help me figure out what I'm missing then. I had the opportunity to use a built in style bidet when I visited Japan, and after a few days of trying, I could not figure out how to clean myself with it. There was always some residue left that had to be toilet papered off. Are you expected to use your hand to clean like you would in the shower? Because that's never been made clear to me and…

Before, not after, but yes. Or I could have just been doing it wrong, there wasn't exactly a training class when visiting countries in which they are common.

> Or I could have just been doing it wrong, there wasn't exactly a training class when visiting countries in which they are common.

Haha exactly, that's the difficulty! You're taught these toilet habits at a young age and it's not something that adults discuss, so if you grew up in a culture without a bidet, it comes across as a baffling fixture.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#128
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been using a portable, battery-powered bidet (Toto brand) for years. The first vacation that I took to Japan sold me on them nearly instantly, but I didn't want to go through with installing them once I got home. This is a good compromise.

I think I'd prefer to use a bum gun over the whole toilet seat thing. You can really move the bum gun around more easily than you can your body and it is super easy to wipe it down to clean it.

The toilet seats have adjustable nozzles, and even can be set to spray in a pattern to get everywhere. You still need to be in the right position but it's not so difficult.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#129
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had to run a new electrical outlet for mine; plumbing a new line for it wouldn’t have been any more difficult.

This is the one issue that's stopped me. Most these attachments connect to the toilet's water supply, which is fine, except most toilet water supplies only provide cold (i.e. whatever the ambient water temperature happens to be) water which to me, is far from ideal in a bidet (it's fine for normal use though). Running hot water there is a significant undertaking if done correctly, so most options come with a small re…

Some have a line that you can run to the sink's hot water line, if that's close enough to your toilet.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#130
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tell everybody that a $50 sprayer attachment will get you 80% of the benefit of a full-on bidet toilet.

I've owned both, I agree. The other "big" feature of a plugged in biden is meant to be the blower/dryer, but at least in my one (TOTO branded) it is a waste of time. If the blower actually worked (e.g. Dyson Airblade), it would be a significant benefit, but as it stands I agree you get 80% with a simple spray toilet seat (other 20% is heated water, maybe the moving head a little, although you still have to shift your…

how do u know when ur running clear if u know what i mean? I've never used one before
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