Bidets

Sometimes, the bidet is located near the toilet, attached to the wall: it looks something like a low sink or a toilet with a faucet. However, many modern bidets are built into the toilet seat, so you don’t need to get up to straddle another fixture.

These are the two main types of bidet: the standalone bidets found in Europe, and the toilet-seat bidets, embodied on the seat cover or fixed on back or side toilet rim, (called add-on bidets), that are common in Asia.

• Standalone bidet: These bidets are separate fixtures which usually sit right next to the toilet. Sometimes, however, you’ll find them across the room, or down the hall. Either way, you will need to use the toilet, then stand up and move over to the bidet. This is the original model of the bidet that originated in 18th-century Europe.
• Add-on toilet seat bidets: Many bathrooms in Asia and America don’t have the space to accommodate a separate fixture next to the toilet – so many toilets are designed with built-in bidets or fixtures that fit over the toilet seat. This way, you don’t need to get up to clean yourself.

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 when menstruating and prevent or minimize the occurrence of yeast infections or vaginitis, smell and can help relieve period pain.
• You can use a bidet to quickly wash your feet.