Everything You Need To Know About Bidets & How To Install Them

Bidets are more popular these days and before buying, understand what to look for in a bidet, how to install a bidet, and where to find a good one.

Bidet is a new extension to your washroom commode. These are getting very popular these days and many fancy apartments, hotels, and even private buildings have bidets in their bathroom. So, if you get a new bathroom made, you should get a commode with a bidet to complement it.

But what is a bidet, and why is it so popular? And if it is so popular, what are the things you should know before you install one for your bathroom? Well, this article will help you answer all these questions.

What is a Bidet?

A bidet toilet is a sort of water sprinkler that shoots a stream of water at your private regions after you are done answering nature’s call. This way, you get a clean bottom without the use of any toilet paper.

This is very popular in Western Europe, Japan, the Middle East, western Africa, and many other developed countries. It is also gaining more popularity in America and Asia.

In recent years, sales for bidet has sky-rocketed all across the world. There are many types of bidets. Some bidets are installed separately next to the commode, while some can be installed inside the commode.

Why are Bidets Getting so Popular?

Bidets were already very popular in many European countries, Middle Eastern Countries, and Japan. But in the past few years, they have become quite popular in America. The main reason behind it is the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Because of the pandemic, many people are getting quarantined, and they need to buy different supplies. This is putting huge pressure on the market as they are not being able to supply for the excessive demand. Toilet paper supplies are facing this shortage the most.

Because everyone is getting quarantined, many people are buying a large number of toilet papers and the market is running out of it.

To get out of this crisis moment, people direly needed an alternative. That is when bidets come to shine.

Bidet became a perfect alternative for toilet paper. Although more expensive than toilet paper, it has a better and safer use.

One online bidet retail store TUSHY had its bidet sale increased by ten times than it was before the pandemic. Because of the current ongoing pandemic, and the need for an alternative for toilet papers, bidets gained its popularity.

Types of Bidets

There are different types of bidets but here are some of the most common and useful ones-

1. Freestanding bidet

These are the common and most widely used bidets. They are placed right next to the toilet.

They have the appearance of a large basin equipped with aqua jets. These aqua jets shoot water out of them to help clean your bottom.

2. Handheld bidet

They are similar to hand showers but are attached to your toilet. Water comes out of a nozzle that is manually installed beside your toilet. As it is handheld. It is possible to control the direction of the water stream.

3. Built-In Bidet

Built-In Bidets are ones that are already installed in your toilet. After you are done doing your duty in the toilet, you flush the toilet and a stream of water shoots out of the bidet vertically and cleans your genitals.

4. Warm Water Bidets

This is the most expensive one out of the bunch as it can be installed as a freestanding bidet, handheld, or even built-in.

The difference is it is connected to the warm waterline of your bathroom and shoots out warm water for a much warmer and more comfortable wash.

Places Where You Can Find A Bidet

Well, this mostly depends on the place you are living in and the market available there. Local home improvement stores might have the bidet you are looking for. However, if you cannot find the perfect bidet, you can always try looking for them online.

Many retail stores sell bidets online. Online retail stores such as TUSHY, Bidet King, Toto, and Bio Bidet are good places where you can find a wider variety of bidets.

Things to Look For in a Bidet

Bidets have many cool features, and they certainly make the bathroom look luxurious.

If you have enough space in your bathroom and want to use that extra space, you can get a free-standing bidet. Some people do not enjoy this feature as this eats a lot of space and also makes the bathroom appear small.

It also hampers the beauty of the bathroom. However, one benefit is that it can be used for multiple purposes and not only for cleaning the personal areas of your body.

If you are on a tight budget, then your best choice would be a handheld bidet. While looking for a handheld bidet, make sure that the nozzle and the waterline are connected properly or water might not come out of the nozzle properly, leaving your nether regions rather unclean. There are various designs available, you can go with the one you like.

If you want one on the more expensive side and have an elegant yet extremely effective bidet, then warm water bidets are the best choice. They are installed in your toilet.

No need for a separate bidet and no need for manually using a handheld bidet. This warm water bidet is installed in your toilet and can do everything just with the press of a button.

For this, you need to look for the attachment of the bidets. These bidets are attached in between the bowl and the seat of your toilet. Some bidets come with seats, so you can replace the toilet seat with the one with bidet, and it will look the same.

One last thing that you should look for is the dimension of the bowl. Some toilet bowls are elongated while some are round. Nowadays there are square-shaped bowls as well.

So, while choosing a bidet, you need to make sure that it complements the dimension of the toilet. A bidet for round toilets will not work well with an elongated toilet and vice versa.

Installing The Bidet By Yourself

It all depends on what type of bidet you are using. For attachable water bidets, you can just place them in between the seat and the bowl. Then connect the bidet with the water tank of your toilet, and you have yourself a nice working bidet.

Handheld bidets can be installed in the same way. You get a pipe, attach a nozzle on one end, and attach the water tank on the other end. This way, you will have a perfectly functioning handheld bidet.

The problem occurs with warm water bidets and free-standing bidets. They are much more complex. For freestanding bidets, you need to place an entire structure in your bathroom and connect it with the waterline of your bathroom.

If you do not have proper knowledge in this matter, you might damage the bathroom or the water line and cause serious trouble. The same goes for warm water bidets so be extra careful and avoid mistakes when installing.

They need to be connected to the warm water line in your bathroom, and if you do not know what you are doing, you might damage the waterline. So for these cases only, hire a professional plumber and get things done with no trouble.

Bidet Attachments

If you are going to install the bidet by yourself, you need some attachments to hold the bidet in place and to make sure it functions properly. The attachments you need are:

• Brass valves
• Connecting lines made of metal
• Braided PVC housing
• A nozzle with anti-bacterial features that has warm water and cold water options

Bidets Are More Environment Friendly

At first glance, it might seem like bidets are using more water than normal, so how come it is more environmentally friendly? Well, if you think deep, you will find the answer.

The alternative to this is toilet paper where water is not used. But what is toilet paper made of? Trees. Every day about 27,000 trees are used to produce toilet paper.

If you think about it, the trade-off is pretty good. Water is much more available than trees. Another thing to consider is the packing, manufacturing, and shipping of these toilet papers.

All these processes are also not environmentally friendly. So even if it does not look like bidets are more environment-friendly than you should twice think.

Final Thoughts

Bidets can be an excellent choice for your toilet, and they can also save you a lot of hassle. You do not need to use your hands to clean your private parts because the bidet will do it for you. Therefore, you will be much cleaner.

So, if you are making a new house and are making a plan for your bathroom, consider using a bidet as this feature adds to the quality of life that you will enjoy. Do not forget that you are also helping the environment by using a bidet.