subject: Choosing a Bidet [print this page] Ahhh, the bidetAhhh, the bidet. While it's not yet a common fixture in American households, the term itself is becoming more familiar. They've been successfully and happily used for generations in Europe and Asia and have just started gaining popularity in the United States.
So, what exactly is a bidet? It's a bit delicate, but here it goes.
Merriam-Webster defines a bidet as "a bathroom fixture used especially for bathing the external genitals and the anal region." Comfort and optimal personal hygiene are the ideas behind the fixture, but no solids are to be deposited into it.
In addition to cleaning our parts we'd normally wipe with soft, perfumed toilet paper (which, come on, it'sstillpaper) with a mild and comforting stream of warm water, bidets have proven medical benefits. It can reduce soreness after a bout of diarrhea or hemorrhoids, and it may be necessary for post-colorectal or fissure repair. Additionally, women are widely encouraged to use a bidet during postpartum.
The first bidet originated in France, when cavaliers dismounted their horses and just wanted to bathe, but had little time to do so. It allowed for partial bathing, and flat out soothed the body parts that came in intimate contact with the saddles.
Over time, the bidet has evolved into a more personal cleansing fixture. With the improved sanitation and heightened awareness of personal hygiene, its technology has also progressed.
A bidet's features combine those of a toilet and sink-which makes sense when we consider what its job is. Each is equipped with a basin, hot and cold handles, a spray and spray control, and a pop-up and drain. Bidets come in your choice of one, three or four handles, and you can even choose a horizontal or vertical spray pattern.
With that said, bidets have more in common with conventional toilets than not. They have rough-ins of 10, 12 or 14 inches (rough-in dimensions are the distance from a finished wall or floor to the center of the waste or supply opening or mounting holes), they're mounted on the floor or into the wall, and feature round or elongated bowls.
While the bidet has long been an essential part of sophisticated European homes and hotels, this "fourth fixture" for your bathroom is now gaining popularity in the United States.
