The Handheld Bidet - The Hygienic and Eco-Friendly alternative to toilet paper

So what are the advantages/benefits of the handheld bidet?

As mentioned the handheld bidet is eco-friendly. According to the National Geographic magazine, toilet paper wipes out approximately 27,000 trees a day. This figure is on the increase as growing populations adopt the western lifestyle and sanitation improvements are made in developing countries. And the increasing so-called need for “double quilted” toilet tissue will of course worsen the situation.

According to an article written by the Scientific American magazine, called “Wipe or Wash”, each year Americans use an estimated 37 billion rolls of toilet paper which requires an estimated 15 million trees, 500 billion gallons of water, 250 thousand tons of bleach and 17 terawatts of electricity.

Additionally, It has been estimated that a typical bidet uses 1/8 of a gallon each time it is used whereas a single roll of toilet paper require 37 gallons of water not to mention the 1.3 Kwh of electricity and 1.5 pounds of wood that are also used.

These figures stated above do seem a little far fetched in my opinion. Regardless, im sure you will agree that there is no comparison with regards to eco-efficiency and it's not surprising that the Scientific American refers to the handheld bidet as “a key green technology”.

The handheld bidet is hygienic! We seem to have this idea that toilet paper is in some way an evolved and sophisticated concept. If you fell over and put your hand in some excrement you wouldn't just wipe it off with some tissue paper would you? So why should this situation be any different? The handheld bidet ensures a thorough cleanse unlike toilet paper.

It is estimated that around 80% of infectious diseases are spread as a result of human contact and it has also been estimated the only half of the population actually wash their hands after using the toilet. Again, another important reason for using the handheld bidet.

The handheld bidet saves you money! Of course if you are not regularly buying toilet paper you will inevitably save money.

Ease of use and comfort! You do not need to stand up, sit down or move around. You simply place the bidet between your legs and push the button. As a result the handheld bidet can be used in nursing homes and it may possibly give elderly or physically disabled people the chance to maintain their own hygiene and of course, dignity. It will be a welcome tool for care assistants at least. Toilet paper may also potentially cause a rash or irritation whereas the bidet provides a soothing and irritation free sensation.

The handheld bidet can be used in countries with poor sanitation. As mentioned this is a major problem in South America as well as other continents.

Bidets for Elderly and Disabled Persons

There is an uncomfortable truth in the world today that could be easily addressed with modern sanitation technology. The elderly and disabled are subjected to a much more challenging set of tasks when it comes to personal hygiene. Sometimes it can be emotionally difficult or quite embarrassing when you have to ask for assistance. This can be especially true when considering that one major thing many people pride themselves in is their ability to be self sufficient and independent. Sometimes with age and disabilities it is no longer seems feasible to retain this independence. With modern day technology and recent inventions it is now much easier for disabled persons to regain and retain their independence with the aid of these new ideas.

A bidet could be just the solution you need when you find yourself alone in the restroom and not able to manage completing a task on your own. Be it that you don’t have the mobility to reach areas of your body, or lack the physical extremities to even attempt. The bidet is useful in cleansing hard to reach areas and allows the user to sit in a relaxed and  natural position while being able to entirely complete the chore at hand by doing nothing more than wait for the bidet to do its job or push a couple buttons. 

There are many kinds of bidets that any given user can choose from. Those who are elderly or disabled and find themselves having a bit of hygienic difficulty in the restroom should sincerely consider purchasing an electronic bidet. This is because electronic bidets have a myriad of extra functions that are applicable with just the push of a button. These functions may include a blow dryer, adjustable spray nozzle, adjustable water pressure, aerated water wash, water massage, heated seat, LED lights for use in the dark, hand held remote control, and a help button for just in case.

Typically bidets can cost anywhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars and are very worthwhile investments even for those who are perfectly healthy and don’t need any assistance. The possible benefits of adding a bidet to most elderly homes and rehabilitation centers could not only help create a cleaner environment, but also prove to be a genuine effort to better the lives of others. It would be a great deed by those who are willing to make the financial sacrifice so they might allow the disabled community that simple human convenience.  

History of the Bidet

If you have yet to hear of or use a bidet you’ve been missing out on one of the most convenient and effective household fixtures that the world has ever seen. That may sound like an exaggeration but the bidet can give you a sense of clean equivalent to a shower without having to take the time to wash, dry, and beautify your entire body every time you have to answer Mother Nature’s call. 

If you’re from a culture that is typically unfamiliar with the bidet it’s entirely possible that you’ve come across one before without having any idea what it was that you were looking at. So what is a bidet? A bidet is a device used to rinse both your front and back sides after using the rest room and gives you a much cleaner feeling than what you get when using toilet paper. One common type of bidet is shaped much like a flush toilet, sans water tank, with a faucet attached at the back where the tank of a toilet would be. To use this kind of bidet you straddle it much like the way you would straddle a pony while riding. In fact, the word bidet originated in France some time during the 1620’s and its original meaning is pony. It was adapted to act as a nickname that defined the bathing device around the time of its invention during the 1700’s. 

The bidet originated in France and, while no date or inventor is known for certain, the first written documentation of the bidet is said to have been during the early 1700’s. By the mid 1700’s the bidet was a popular item and in common use throughout France and the surrounding areas. During this time period it was customary to fully bathe only once per week. This added to the practicality of using the bidet as a way to keep yourself clean and odour free in the places that seem to become odorous most quickly. 

In 1960, with the introduction of indoor plumbing, the bidet was integrated into the flush toilet allowing for extra floor space and convenience in compact areas. 

During the early 1980’s the electronic bidet was invented in Japan. The electronic bidet is integrated into a flush or tankless toilet.  Popularity grew very quickly and today approximately 50% of Japanese households are equipped with an electronic bidet. Development of this product over the years has resulted in an impressively wide array of functions and options such as a heated seat, heated water, adjustable spray nozzle, retractable spray nozzle, oscillating spray nozzle, self cleaning nozzle, adjustable water pressure, aerated water wash, water massage, blow dryer, air purifier, luminous LED’s for use in the dark, automatic lid open and close, hand held remote control, blow dryer, deodoriser, and a help button for those who may need assistance. Many people are quite surprised to see this futuristic toilet in the hardware stores and have a great time fulfilling their curiosity as they explore this foreign and seemingly bizarre invention. 

Another type of recently invented bidet is the portable bidet. For those who have a real appreciation for the bidet, wish they were commonly installed in public restrooms, are handicapped and find the bidet a necessity, aren’t home owners and therefore cannot install a traditional or electronic bidet into their homes, and for those who are travellers and/or outdoorsmen, the portable bidet can be a life saver that allows the luxury of being shower fresh anywhere you might find yourself. 

Types of Bidet

What may be surprising to quite a lot of people is that there are many different kinds of bidet offering many different kinds of features. Bidets can range in price just as much as they range in style and can be easily affordable or extravagantly expensive. The most common types of bidet include individual bidets, built in bidets, handheld bidets, and electronic bidets. They each have their own their own particular pros, cons, and sense of style. 

Individual bidets are fixtures that look a lot like a sink or a tankless toilet and are usually placed next to the toilet. These are the classic style of bidet and were first invented in the 1700’s in France and are probably the most popular bidet style in Europe.  The features of this style bidet are usually limited to water temperature, plugging the basin, and direction of water spray.  

A built in bidet is either built into the interior of a toilet basin or installed as a separate piece. These bidets sometimes offer extra features that aren’t usually seen on individual bidets. These features may include an adjustable nozzle, adjustable water pressure, and self cleaning.

Hand held bidets are the most basic type of bidet and are also called garden hoses. They look just like sink hoses but are attached to the wall next to the toilet and are most commonly found in Asia where they are installed in nearly all public and private restrooms in some areas. With an adaptor kit these bidets can be modified to allow hot or cold temperature water although on their own they are not able to support any extra features or functions. 

The electronic bidet is the most recent addition to the bidet family and was invented in Japan in the 1980’s. With 20 years of development and technology behind their current design these bidets have an almost innumerable amount of features that may include a hand held remote, water massage, seat and water temperature control, a help button, and LED lights that allow you to use the electronic bidet in the dark. The most expensive bidet on the market today is the Toto Neorest 600. It is an electronic bidet with almost every feature available and has a market price of more than $5,000. Plese keep in mind that less expensive electronic bidet still include many features and when shopping for bidets ‘you get what you pay for’ does not always apply. 

There is a perfect bidet out there for every size and style of bathroom with just about any feature you could imagine. Not only are bidets a very practical item to have, they can also be quite fashionable and really make a statement.