Let’s Talk Bidets
BIDET USE IS SURGING IN THE U.S. EVER TRIED ONE? HERE’S WHY WE LOVE THEM.
Bidets have come a long way. Once relegated to jokes and quizzical stares from Americans traveling abroad, bidet installations are on the rise in the U.S. as the skeptical and squeamish come on board. And why not? Bidets offer benefits to your home’s plumbing, the environment and your own self care.
SO WHAT ARE BIDETS, EXACTLY?
They’re bathroom fixtures that clean your backside with water instead of toilet paper, and they have been around for hundreds of years. Once a staple of European upper classes, bidets soon spread to Asia and other parts of the globe. Folks in the U.S. didn’t get the memo. Until now.
“People seem to be catching on to the fact that bidets can offer superior cleanliness, conserve water, and add a touch of luxury to any bathroom,” says Leah Tuttleman, interior designer for Re-Bath.
Bidets are also favored because they are better for your home’s pipes (less TP to potentially clog your pipes).
HOW DO THEY WORK?
It’s simple. Once you’re finished going to the bathroom, the bidet directs a stream of water where you need to clean. Pat dry with a personal towel or toilet paper. Some bidets even have warm air drying. Bidets can be installed as standalone fixtures, hand-held sprayers or seat attachments.
READY TO TRY?
If don’t feel like renovating your bathroom, install a Tushy toilet seat bidet attachment.
1. Turn off the water Shut off the water supply behind your toilet and the hot water supply under your bathroom sink. Flush the toilet to drain the tank. Unhook both supply lines. Just be sure to have a bucket handy so you can catch leftover water from the toilet tank, and a towel to handle drips.
2. Connect the adapters Screw the hose that came with the bidet attachment to the plastic cold-water adapter that goes to your toilet tank. Connect the adapter to the tank, then connect the flexible water supply line to the adapter. Connect the brass hot-water adapter to the hotwater supply under the sink. Connect the flexible sink line to the adapter.
3. Bring water lines to bidet Snake the hot-water tubing from the brass adapter under the sink to the toilet. Drill a hole through your vanity if needed. Connect the hot water tubing (from the sink) and the cold water flexible hose (from the toilet) to the bidet’s hot and cold water intakes.
4. Add bidet to toilet Remove your toilet seat by unscrewing the two holddown bolts at the back. Position the bidet over the bolt holes, reattach the toilet seat, turn on the water and— voilà!—you’re done!