Back from Europe and again I ask: why do Americans NOT have bidets?

[CTyankee]

Even the American women I travelled with --a great, enlightened bunch-- would not use them in the hotel! I couldn't believe it. What's the matter with us Americans? Bidets are great and refreshing; they give you separate soap and towels. I can only imagine that Europeans must think we have a pretty poor sense of bodily hygiene...

[rcrush]

1. Just go outside and I'll give you a once over with the garden hose.

That'll get ya nice and clean!

[azmouse]

2. I've never used a bidet

and would be somewhat embarrassed to have to ask someone to show me how they are used.

[CTyankee]

4. Adjust the water for the right temperature. If you are female, sit facing the wall.

The stream of water cleanses you from front to back. You don't have to use soap if you don't want to. I used it at night if I wasn't so gritty from touring around that I needed a complete shower. It was nice and refreshing. Really a simple concept...

[Skittles]

51. I honestly do not get "gritty"

[CTyankee]

61. When I am in Europe I spend a lot of time in museums, old churches and tramping around

lots of old city streets so I feel a little "gritty" by the end of the day. A great big shower is very welcome on those days...

[Kali]

3. "We" prefer plastic applicator-ed, artificially stenched, chemicals to soap and water.

[riderinthestorm]

5. This question comes up every now and then and I always wonder... do DUers have enormous bathrooms?

I mean, maybe this is TMI but my sink is located just inches from the toilet and a freshly soaped squash of toilet paper is instantly available....

The ASSumption is that Americans are just disgusting cause we don't have bidets in every bathroom. But I disagree. Unless you have an absolutely vast bathroom where your toilet is located far, far away from the sink (which in my experience, most Americans don't), a bidet is redundant....

:shrug:

Maybe there's a study that compares the environmental impact of water usage with a bidet verses the paper wastage with the standard toilet paper wad....

[EndersDame]

8. Toliet paper made from hemp would be more ecological

Itkills me that we are literally wiping our asses with our future

[JVS]

13. I've never noticed Europeans having big bathrooms with room for bidets either.

In my experience, they wipe their asses just like we do.

[Aristus]

6. Overenthusiastic use of a bidet (or douching, for that matter) will scour away the vagina's natural

"flora", the benign bacteria that fight off the nasty kind. Without the flora, a woman can contract bacterial vaginosis, which is much nastier than a quick post-coital towel-wipe. The forgoing information is medical, not sexual, so no alerts, please... O8)

[CTyankee]

29. I think you've got a misperception of bidet usage.

It doesn't seem to be a health issue for people using them and from my own experience it isn't something you'd even want to "overuse." It's a "rinse, dry and go" operation in most instances..."

[janx]

7. We have these things called SHOWERS and BATHS,

which we use with great regularity--daily, in fact.

some Americans do have bidets for butt washing, but many more just do that in the shower or the bath, and we make sure to keep clean after urinating and defecating. ;-)

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

20. We have a winner!

I can't generalize about all Europeans bathing habits but from my own personal experience this answer is a winner. My in-laws bath once a week. They take a sponge bath in the mornings so they don't reek or anything but they take an actual bath ONCE A FUCKING WEEK. Another woman I knew said she took a bath/shower every four days or so and was amazed to find out that I actually showered and washed my hair every single day. She thought bathing too often was not good for the skin and hair.

:crazy:

[hippywife]

23. But your body adapts to what it is used to.

I only shower and wash my hair every other day with sink bath in between. I, too, think that it's harmful in the long run to do it every single day.

I used to do it every day, sometimes twice if I was going out for the evening. Now, I get along just fine without all that fuss.

:hi:

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

25. Whatever is right for you

I personally would live in the shower if I could get away with it.
I feel scuzzy if I don't shower every day. Unfortunately, I've got the water bill to prove it.

My sister and I used to play a game in the shower when we were little girls. We call it "the flood." We'd turn on the shower and lay down in the tub and roll around and get water in our faces and pull ourselves up on the end of the tub screaming the flood! The flood!
My mom usually whipped our asses when we did that because there really was a flood on the bathroom floor by the time we were done.

:hi:

[Odin2005]

40. Eww, ONCE A WEEK!?!

:puke:

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

43. yep

Once a week. Papa's bath night is on Sundays and Mama blow dries his hair afterward. Mama's night in on Monday. Did I mention they own a flowbee and cut their own hair at home?


:rofl:

[proteus_lives]

55. Add Arabs to that list.

I've lived in dorms with large IS populations and they just don't bathe as regularly as Americans do.

I think that's why Europeans/ME folks sometimes overdose on the cologne and perfume.

[NNadir]

47. Well, if you think carefully about water use, it's just another example of US wastefulness.

[janx]

48. Not if you keep the time short.

In, wet/suds/rinse, and OUT.

[Heidi]

52. Europeans have showers and baths, too, and use them as regularly as Americans. (nt)

[mentalsolstice]

9. Handheld shower heads

They seem to work the same way. We have two in our house.

[lightningandsnow]

10. *insert sexual innuendo here*

[mentalsolstice]

11. Yes

Hand-held shower heads are pleasantly refreshing.

[JVS]

12. I never saw any. Of course, I happened to be living in Europe rather than visiting hotels.

And I can understand why people aren't exactly jumping at the chance to install what is effectively another toilet as far as the extra plumbing and floor space is concerned.

[janx]

15. Yep. It's another toilet. n/t

[JVS]

17. Yeah, fuck that. Then again, some people volunteer to put a second transmission on their car (4wd)

So I guess there's one born every minute.

[janx]

19. Now now...

:rofl:

Four-wheel-drive is actually beneficial in some respects and areas. Bidets are stupid luxuries.

[CTyankee]

26. Uh, no.

It just isn't. Of course, if you believe that, you'd best stay away from them.

[janx]

49. In terms of water use it is. n/t

[CTyankee]

59. Not sure about that. It depends on how much water you elect to use in a bidet vs. how much

each flush regularly uses...

[Quantess]

14. "they give you...towels"?

I'm not sure I like the idea of wiping with a towel.

And, though I'm not opposed to bidets, I would like to say that unlike you, I'm not worried that Europeans think we have a poor sense of hygiene. They can go ahead and think whatever they want. I'm not going to start using a bidet just to impress Europeans.

[JVS]

16. Don't you want to make a good impression?

[Quantess]

18. I'm picturing walking out of the restroom with my drawers still down around my ankles

and I bend over and proudly show off the sparkling beads of water glistening around my anus. After the applause, I pull my pants up.

C'est magnifique!

[Orrex]

36. I *thought* you looked familiar

[CTyankee]

24. The towels are there for DRYING yourself, fer gawd's sake!

And no, I am not trying to impress anybody. I just think it's a good idea...

[JCMach1]

21. We have a bidet in our villa here in the UAE

and also water sprayers.

The latter are awesome because you can actually clean your bits and pieces and not waste paper.

[EndersDame]

53. You would be wasting water though

recycled paper or hemp paper is more ecological

[JCMach1]

57. Paper will always mean big carbon footprint even if recycled

:(

Water is much more versatile in terms of use...

[hippywife]

22. I would love to have a bidet.

I really would. There are times when I think how wonderfully convenient it would be. I don't care what the naysayers in this thread say. :hi:

[CTyankee]

28. I get the feeling from several of the "naysayers" on this thread, that they're really Puritans

and they just can't bring themselves to THINK of such a thing as a bidet. Maybe we should call them "bidet biddies." :rofl:

[peekaloo]

27. You mean those damn fancy bathroom water fountains that you have to damn

near stand on your head to drink from?

*actual phrase from a former co-worker*

[CTyankee]

30. "I used it to wash my socks." and "I used it to soak labels off wine bottles."

Those were two comments from other Americans on this trip.

What I can't figure out is why some DU folks are so dismissive of something so useful, unless they have some issues with their own bodies and the whole idea of a bidet is just too, er, "explicit" for them, poor things...:shrug:

[peekaloo]

31. personally

I prefer a "Water Wiggle". :-)

:hi:

[CTyankee]

32. Sounds like fun. Tell me about it! nt

[peekaloo]

33. .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D_WdavMuKs&feature=related

I'll go to my room now. :spank:

[CTyankee]

34. Aww, that's cute! I had forgotten all about them...

nt

[tigereye]

39. so where's a pic?

and the idea is that you don't really need tissue, since the water does it all?


I am serious here, I've always been curious how they worked and what the rationale is...

[CTyankee]

41. In my view, it's an "extra."

Basically, it is just a spigot of water in a toilet like bowl. You sit on it and the water cleanses vulva, anus, etc. Women use it facing the wall, men use it facing the bathroom. It is such a simple idea really and it does make you feel refreshed. Some people might use it after sex. There are some illnesses where I could envision it coming in handy (like when several of my travelling companions got an intestinal virus). I really don't understand why Americans get in such a dither over it except that even the MENTION of the thing is abhorrent to their delicate sensibilities...some DU folks need to grow up.

[CTyankee]

83. Here is a fancy bidet made by Kohler. Really pretty.

http://www.needplumbingsupplies.com/Kohler-Bidets.asp?id=9787

Many people I encounter think Kohler is a German or a Swedish company. They are surprised when I tell them they have always been located in Sheboygan WI...

[barb162]

35. There's no reason for them that a shower can't handle. n/t

[hippywife]

37. Sometimes there's not the time

or the need to get completely undressed and redo everything that's required with a shower. It's just nice to be able to tidy up and refreshen when and where needed without taking a shower and get moving to whatever or wherever you want to be next.

[quakerboy]

38. A: perhaps they do

you are aware that you can purchase a bidet attachment for your regular toilet? In all reality, that arraignment seems potentially much more sanitary.

B: When I visited Europe, I never even saw a bidet. Not one. You would think if they wanted me to use one, there would have been one available.

C: Water splashing up from a nozzle contaminated by whatever came off of the last user. For a germiphobe, or even a germ-aware, thats a bit daunting. Seems kinda contraindicated for a people that would come up with a paper toilet seat cover. Or even for some of those that dont use those. I liken it getting splashed with used toilet water. Someone else's toilet water.


I doubt Europeans will care much about our bidet usage, as long as we are running troops all over the world and eating so much that we take 2 seats on their airlines and buses. They've got bigger fish to fry, I suspect.

[wickerwoman]

95. Bingo.

I'm not a massive germophobe but using a bidet would feel too much like toilet "backsplash". There's no way those things are consistently sanitary unless someone is disinfecting them between each use.

[trof]

42. We don't like wet butts.

It reminds of of the time we spent in diapers.
An uncomfortable experience.
;-)

[CTyankee]

44. I think Europeans have diapers, too...

really, now, what do you think the little towels were for?

I found it a perfectly comfortable experience...clean and dry and just fine...

[trof]

45. I jest.

[CTyankee]

46. Well, sorry, I have to wonder, given some of the responses to my post!

Thanks, I know you have a little more awareness...dear god...

[LostInAnomie]

50. American daily showers > European butt fountains.

:patriot:

[proteus_lives]

54. I think we win on this one!

:rofl:

[CTyankee]

60. Hmm, seems to me that Europeans also have/use showers.

Come on, you know and I know that we Americans are just too prudish to have bidets...we "take showers" and those decadent Europeans just do a "butt wash." Do you know how truly ignorant (and stupid) that sounds?

[proteus_lives]

72. Prudish?

Come on, it's more like practical.

What's the point of having an extra fixture when we don't need or want it?

[CTyankee]

80. I was speculating on why. Also speculating on whether the Europeans, who are far

openly frank about sex, would wonder why we don't find bidets practical, especially after having sex. Personally, I think it is a good thing to use after sex, esp. if you are a woman who is prone to urinary tract infections (honeymoon cystitis). I've hear urologists and gynecologists recommend rinsing the vulva and urethra to avoid them. Having a bidet would make that simple...

[proteus_lives]

81. Once again, not needed.

Wiping off after sex is a good idea, everyone should do it. But all you need is a faucet and a towel.

I don't think bidets are about sex, it seems to be about washing off shit and piss. Which I still think it's simpler to wipe yourself and take regular showers.

[CTyankee]

84. OK, just recounting my experience. If yours is different, fine. nt

[WolverineDG]

86. ...

:spray: :rofl:

dg

[proteus_lives]

56. No thanks.

I tried one in Madrid and it seems rather pointless.

Americans on average bath more regularly so we don't need them.

[Deep13]

58. I have no freakin' idea.

Seems like a pretty good idea to me.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

62. Is this thread turning into a flame war?

Over bidets? Really, let's just flush this once and for all!

[MissHoneychurch]

63. I esp. like the comments

about Europeans not being as clean as Americans :rofl:

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

64. I'm partially guilty for that

but I did temper my statement with I can't generalize about all Europeans, just my in-laws. They are an odd pair, those two. And contrary to popular belief, Germans don't smell or over perfume themselves to cover up anything.

[CTyankee]

65. I do wonder about it, as I previously stated. Why are folks so vociferous

about this...I certainly didn't expect a flame war but some here seem to be a bit insulted...

[Bunny]

66. You posted that the "naysayers" were Puritan, afraid of their genitals, and need to grow up.

And you wonder why people are insulted?

So you're enamored of bidets. Lots of folks aren't. Big deal.

[CTyankee]

67. Well, they really started the whole controversy. Such a big deal over a sensible idea.

I drew my conclusion because I couldn't figure out what ticked them off so much by the mere MENTION of a bidet...and I never said I was "enamored". That was your term. I said it was a good idea and made sense...who's overexaggerating here and why?

[Bunny]

68. Ah. ' They started it.' I see.

Never mind that the last sentence in your OP states that 'Europeans must think we have a pretty poor sense of bodily hygiene'. :eyes:

FWIW, I never saw anyone get 'ticked off'. That's a pretty extreme characterization. I just saw people expressing their belief that it's unnecessary, redundant, whatever.

Again, why is it such a big deal to you? You like bidets, others don't. So what? You expressed your opinion, they expressed theirs. And as far as 'who's overexaggerating here and why?', I'm sure there's a conspiracy afoot somewhere.

[CTyankee]

69. No, no conspiracy. It ain't a big deal. I just asked the question. I'm a curious person.

And yes, I offered my conclusion...so sue me...frankly, beyond that I couldn't care less...

[HughBeaumont]

70. Is the water cold?

Because if that's the case, no thanks. :scared:

Also, unless that water shoots with some kind of force (which I would imagine it doesn't) and not like a drinking fountain stream, I doubt it's going to get everything up. And then there's the soap issue . . . are you implying that we'd use something non-disposable to apply the soap? Uh, NO. Is it used AFTER the "pre-rinse"?

So you're there with a wet ass and you're now supposed to "towel off". What if you aren't completely clean and how would you be able to tell prior to toweling? Sometimes the situation requires something a little bit more abrasive than just a stream of water.

Maybe it's because I don't get the routine of bidet usage, but I'll just stick to Charmin and flexible shower heads, thanks.

[CTyankee]

79. You adjust the temp and the force of flow of the water. You use the toilet paper with the toilet,

then the bidet. Or, if you are just using it as I did, to rinse before going to bed, you may not even want soap. But if you feel you need the soap, go ahead and use it, rinse and then dry with the towel. Since I use liquid shower gel instead of soap (my skin is very dry)in my shower I would use the gel if I felt it was needed, and all you need to do is squeeze the gel in your hand and apply.

I think your point about the flexible shower head makes sense and of course serves the same purpose if using it in the shower. I noticed that many European hotels had only the flexible shower head, too, not the fixed ones, but they still had the bidets...so go figure...

[Zomby Woof]

71. I lived in Spain, and we had 2 bathrooms with them

My mom used them to hold potted plants, LOL (the bathroom did look nicer). There were lots of cultural adjustments we were happy to make, but the bidet never caught on with our family. Some of my friends' younger siblings stored their bath toys in them, and even one enterprising sort kept a goldfish in one.

I still laugh at the scene in 'Crocodile Dundee' where Dundee is in the hotel trying to figure out what it is. That was me, at the age of 8, in our hotel room during our first day in Spain. :D

[Iggo]

73. Because it's Fray-unch. (n/t)

[cemaphonic]

74. Do you have one?

If not, why not? There's at least part of your answer.

Also, Europe is hardly uniform on bathroom facilities. I've seen gleaming bathrooms where they give you a steaming hand towel and a mint, all the way down to little more than a hole in the ground.

[CTyankee]

77. No, but I wish I did. My bathroom is far too small. If I had the luxury of designing my own new

house I would have one installed, but I don't.

I encountered bidets for the first time on a trip to Europe I took with my mother many,many years ago. I was a teenager and didn't think too much about them (my mother also didn't really want me to ask about them either!). Nobody talked about them back home in Texas so I forgot all about them. But since I've been retired I have been doing more European travel. Hence my questioning now. That's really all there is to it...

[CTyankee]

85. I must say I was pretty unhappy with hole in the ground toilets that I encountered

in some parts of Italy...usually, minor train stations and smaller towns or more rural areas. At this point, I am too old to balance myself properly with them...

[Roon]

75. rush limbaugh admitted that he has a bidet and uses it..eom

[Throd]

76. Because soccer is boring.

Seriously, when I first saw bidets in Spain my reaction was "Well there is an answer to a question I never asked".

[dugaresa]

78. funny but Americans buy Cottonelle Flushable wipes and yet don't understand a bidet?

[GoneOffShore]

82. Bidets - not just for the cleaning

They have another, much more fun use. Similar to that hand held shower.

IBTL

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

87. You dirty bastard, you figured out a way to lock this shitty little monster

I'll go along with it and postulate that American's don't have bidets because American men are too afraid their wives and loved ones will jump on those fuckers every night before bed and turn up the jets and have the time of their lives.

Can we flush this now????

Love ya mods.

ITBL

[CTyankee]

90. Wow. You want so badly to turn this into a sex thread to get it locked. How sad.

I guess I have the answer to the question in my original post...

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

91. I was joking

I think you're taking this thread a little too seriously. I don't care if you use a bidet, sand paper, wet wipes, etc. Does this need to be a 90+ thread of people arguing over how to clean their genitals?

[CTyankee]

92. Again, wow. I don't manufacture responses to my post. If they do , they do.

If not, not and I don't really care. What IS your problem?

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

93. I have no problems

I'm European ya know. I've been riding my bidet for the last 25 minutes and I'm too tired to talk to you right now. Have a good evening.

[CTyankee]

94. Well, of course. Bless your heart. You have a good evening, too!

[Spider Jerusalem]

88. Not a common thing in the UK

and I haven't really seen them in Europe either...hotels, sure, private homes...not really. More Europeans than Americans live in urban settings in flats/smaller houses, less space in general for things...the extra plumbing fixture and the added space it requires make it a luxury that the average person isn't going to have, especially in densely populated cities where housing is at a higher premium.

[Orsino]

89. Because we think our shit doesn't stink.

We are Americans, goddammit.

[Forkboy]

96. Because with American politics we have enough stuff going up our asses.

[yellowdogintexas]

97. after 3 weeks in Spain, I came home wishing I had one.

My aunt, who lived in Spain for 3 years, told me she was really going to miss having one when she returned to the US.

There was a bidet in every hotel room we used, and we stayed in a wide range of lodging, and some of those bathrooms were small.

I have every confidence the bidets in the rooms were cleaned daily along with the rest of the fixtures in the bathrooms.