# How does a bidet work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593 "2010-09-21T23:27:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593/41 "2012-05-03T16:51:57Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > While living in Italy and working at an army base, I noticed most American couples used them to hold flower arrangements, plants, or reading material.šŸ™‚ **smithsb** Using it for reading material is VERY bad. A lot of the Americans I knew in Saudi used the bidets for reading material, including myself. This is all good until the tap gets turned and you have 5 pounds of wet newsprint.šŸ˜ƒ Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![ecoaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/85e7bf/32.png) [@ecoaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecoaster)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593/42 "2012-05-03T16:53:30Z")
You know what I never understood? Why donā€™t more of us (adults) use wet butt wipes to clean up after taking the browns to the Super Bowl? I use the flushable ones, and my ass is always clean!!! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593/43 "2012-05-03T16:55:52Z")
_sings_ Ah, bidets are here again. _flees_ ---
**Author:** ![arana1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7c8e57/32.png) [@arana1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arana1)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593/44 "2012-05-03T17:10:12Z")
BIDET WATER IS CLEAN AFTER ALL: i found an answer to my worries: > [@](#): > > A big concern among the toilet-paper crowd when they are first faced with using a bidet is how to clean it. Since youā€™ve got it shooting water into your sensitive parts, itā€™s a fair anxiety too. Too much can go wrong, after all, that can lead to some costly medical bills if the thing proves unhygienic. > > The good news is that bidets are considered the most sanitary cleansing for your private areas for good reason. Read on and find out why. > > 1. Unless you buy a poorly-designed, third-rate variety, dirty water from your posterior will never land on the nozzle, in a circular pattern that many people are afraid of. Bidets are tested many times to ensure that only clean water ever touches you down there ā€“ guaranteed. > > 2. Toilet seat bidets from popular manufacturers like Coco, Brondell and BioBidet are maintenance-free. Their nozzles and jets often come with a self-cleaning feature too, making it unnecessary to clean them yourself. > > 3. In case you want to clean them yourself for your own peace of mind, simply wipe the areas down a damp cloth. Some bidets, especially the more expensive models, also have a ā€œquick releaseā€ feature that allows you to disassemble it in a jiffy, so you can clean each part individually. > > 4. For both carbon and iodine external water filters, bidet owners are advised to replace them every six months. Most manufacturers recommend using an iodine filter for best results. from an external site (reviewbidets dot com) > [@](#): > > taking the browns to the Super Bowl hahaha never heard that onebefore, good one! ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593/45 "2012-05-03T17:19:09Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > [open on exterior, Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California] > > [dissolve to interior, suite bathroom] > > \ That was awesome! ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593/46 "2012-05-03T17:58:36Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > It gets you so much cleaner than toilet paper can. Iā€™ve always wondered this. In the case of solid wasteā€¦does it really get you cleaner? Or is it just a false impression after being wetted and dried? My experience with cat or dog poop that hits the ground is that, if there is any residue, no amount of garden spraying or water hosing short of a paint-stripping pressure washer will clean the surface. Physical wiping with a paper towel, sponge, etc is required to clean the surface. Iā€™m incredibly skeptical of a gentle low pressure stream actually cleaning anything. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593/47 "2012-05-03T18:22:02Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > Iā€™ve always wondered this. In the case of solid wasteā€¦does it really get you cleaner? Or is it just a false impression after being wetted and dried? > > My experience with cat or dog poop that hits the ground is that, if there is any residue, no amount of garden spraying or water hosing short of a paint-stripping pressure washer will clean the surface. Physical wiping with a paper towel, sponge, etc is required to clean the surface. Iā€™m incredibly skeptical of a gentle low pressure stream actually cleaning anything. Read the posts ā€“ most of them observe that you are supposed to wash in a normal manner, and donā€™t suggest relying on the gentle stream itself. So you would, ideed, be doing physical scrubbing with a washcloth or your hand or something. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593/48 "2012-05-03T19:56:44Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Read the posts ā€“ most of them observe that you are supposed to wash in a normal manner, and donā€™t suggest relying on the gentle stream itself. So you would, ideed, be doing physical scrubbing with a washcloth or your hand or something. Thanks, I may have misunderstood gaffaā€™s post where he/she said ā€œso much cleaner than toilet paper canā€ to mean that toilet paper was not being used as a buff before the polish. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-bidet-work/554593.md?page=2)