What is a bidet? Functions, additional options, how to use

Most people use toilet paper as a hygiene product after going to the toilet. However, more and more often in apartments you can find an alternative to this "dry" method of processing leather - a bidet.

What kind of hygiene item is a bidet?

This is a plumbing device intended for washing the genitals and anus after emptying the bladder and rectum. This is a more hygienic process, during which there is a thorough but gentle cleansing of excrement without the risk of injury to the mucous membranes.

In different countries, the attitude towards this plumbing item differs. In Korea, Japan, the Middle East, Central Europe (France, Spain) and South America, they are very demanded and installed even in public toilets and government agencies, not to mention residential sector and hotels. In North America, Eastern Europe and Russia, the device is used much less, but every year it becomes more and more popular.

Who invented it?

The right to be considered the birthplace of the bidet is disputed by several countries. Some historical documents indicate that it first appeared in Italy, while others attribute its invention to the French. Representatives of the Arab world, for whom water procedures have long been an integral part of toilet etiquette, disagree with them.

The word "bidet" in translation from French - "le bidet" - means "grasshopper". Perhaps because of its original design, or perhaps because of the posture that the person wishing to use it took.

There is a version that the idea of ​​this device came to the mind of someone from the French cavalry - participants in the Thirty Years War in the 1740s. Spending most of their time on horseback, they needed to rehabilitate the parts of the body that were constantly in contact with the saddle.

It is reliably known that in Europe of the XVIII century, bidets were used by both noble persons and courtesans. The French king Louis XVI did not disdain them either. An object in the form of a tub on legs, to which a jug of water relied, was usually located in the bedroom.

Only by the beginning of the twentieth century the bidet has moved to the bathroom and supplied with a drain into the sewer. Then taps and a fountain at the bottom of the bowl appeared in it. This model is sometimes found today.

Appearance and working principle

A modern unit is most often made from sanitary ware or sanitary porcelain. He is a cross between a toilet bowl (external outline) and a bowl in the form of a bath with a drain holeleading to the sewer, which can be plugged. On it there is a device for supplying water in such a way that the jet reaches the right places.

There are many options for its modifications, both mechanical and electronic:

• a classic valve or lever crane with a straight or curved gander, mounted in the side. Water from it pours at a slight angle into the bowl, washing the contaminated parts of the seated person's body;
• nozzles located on the rim spray jets of water upward or horizontally towards the user;
• shower head connected to the mixer with a flexible hose, fixed in close proximity to the base.

Attention! If the water flow is controlled manually, do not turn it on at full power until the temperature has been adjusted.

Who is it for?

Recommended to use bidet everyone regardless of age and gender. It makes it much easier to maintain intimate hygiene. But there are some categories of people who simply need this plumbing item. Among them:

1. Women. This is especially true during the menstrual and postpartum periods, as well as during pregnancy, especially on late, when it is difficult to use the bathroom (the sides of the bowl are high, the bottom does not always have anti-slip coating). There is a chance of bumping, slipping, etc.
2. Toddlers. You need to wash them after each change of diapers, sliders or diapers so that urine and fecal matter does not irritate delicate skin. In the bathroom sink, a faucet with a low spout is usually not suitable for this purpose, and in the bathroom there is a risk of dropping the child, especially if it is mobile and weighs more than 5 kg.
3. Bedridden patients. They, like small children, need wet processing at least once a day, if, of course, there is an opportunity to bring them to the bathroom.
4. Having problems with movement, for example, due to venous insufficiency, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, diabetes. Sore feet are often an insurmountable obstacle even to showering.
5. Irritable bowel syndrome and hemorrhoids. For them, toilet paper is comparable to sandpaper.
6. Elderly people. Over the years, the body accumulates a lot of toxins, therefore, all excretions from the body (especially feces) are accompanied by a specific smell, the older, the sharper. In addition, muscle weakness, dizziness often occur, and other age-related ailments that interfere with water procedures are pursued. A bidet for them is the best option that will help them regularly maintain cleanliness and freshness.

How to use this plumbing?

There are general rules for the use of bidets for men and women. Necessary:

• sit on the bowl, depending on which part of the intimate area needs treatment. If a bidet with a shower head, then there is no difference at all;
• turn on the water supply, adjusting the temperature, and then the pressure, or set the program to "smart" technology;
• at the end of the ceremony, turn off the unit, if this is not done automatically;
• blot with a towel, preferably with a disposable (paper can) wet areas.

Attention! It is better for a woman to sit facing the tap or nozzle so that the remains of feces do not get into the perineum and pathogenic bacteria do not cause such an unpleasant disease as cystitis.

Bidet types

It can be an "independent" sanitary ware that performs only its main function. By design, like toilets, models are distinguished:

• floor;
• suspended.

The first ones are quite realistic to install on their own, it is not difficult, but they need additional space (about the same as for the toilet), and this is problematic in standard apartments. The second places take up less, but their installation is more complicated, so it is better to resort to the services of professionals.

Understanding the difficulties of installing a pair of similar units in one bathroom at once, manufacturers often offer the consumer "two in one" - a toilet with a bidet function, in which you can recover and wash. The price of such a toilet bowl varies depending on the "filling" in the form of additional amenities.

To get by with "little blood", you can purchase an additional accessory to the toilet, which can be installed without assistance:

• bidet-pad - a device that is attached to the same holes as the lid, equipped with a mixer and a movable nozzle;
• bidet attachment - a bar with a tap with a small shower head, which is mounted to a vertical surface (wall).

Such an industrial life hack without "bells and whistles" costs about 4 thousand. rub.

By the way! Sometimes a hygienic shower is also attached to the side of the bidet pad instead of the nozzle inside the toilet.

Another option is a bidet cover (or bidet seat). It is presented in two versions: mechanical and electronic. The first is equipped with only the basic functions: adjusting the temperature, pressure and direction of the jet. The second (alas, not budget) - options for increased comfort.

Additional elements

If you have a certain amount of free funds, you can afford a bidet with extended functionality:

1. The microlift on the lid guarantees a smooth lowering, and not "slamming" of the seat.
2. The thermostatic regulator allows you to set the desired leaving water temperature.
3. A charcoal filter purifies water, an ionic filter both purifies and enriches it with oxygen.
4. Electronic control using the display or remote control allows you to set one or more available programs. You can run a full cycle of all functions in the desired order from pre-wetting to automatic "cleaning", disinfecting the bidet, cleaning the nozzles after the end of the procedure.
5. The sensor for detecting and fixing a person on the device prevents the electronic bidet from starting “idle”. The cleaning cycle starts only after the photocell is triggered.
6. Heated seats will come in handy for those who have a cool bathroom.
7. Instantaneous or hybrid water heater excludes “downtime” of the unit if hot water is suddenly turned off. In houses where there is no centralized hot water supply in principle, this is an irreplaceable function.
8. The turbo function increases the power of the water supply, and the jet helps to quickly wash away all dirt without leaving any residue.
9. The built-in hydromassage system operates in different modes: vibration, pulsation, waves.
10. The backlight is useful for users with poor eyesight.
11. A hair dryer eliminates the need for a towel.

What to look for when choosing?

If you decide to install a bidet in your home:

• decide where to place this device so that it does not interfere with the rest of the plumbing and furniture;
• if there is enough space in the combined bathroom, you can choose a free-standing floor-standing model, if the dimensions small or the toilet is located separately from the bathroom - it is better to do with a special cover or hygienic shower head;
• provide for the supply of water and drain to the desired place;
• choose sanitary porcelain or sanitary ware, but with a high-quality, preferably water and dirt-repellent coating;
• read the documentation carefully, ask for a quality certificate and a warranty card;
• check the complete set of the product;
• if you are not sure that you can install plumbing yourself, invite an experienced specialist;
• read the instructions before use, especially if it is an expensive model with a remote control and additional options.

The presence of a bidet in the bathroom, according to the unanimous opinion of doctors, helps prevent the development of inflammation in the intimate area, diseases of the genitourinary system and rectum. Take care of yourself and your loved ones, because proper hygiene is the key to your long and healthy life.