What Is a Bidet Toilet?

The bidet is an 18th-century invention from the European country of France that was first used by the royalty and upper classes and has been integrated into countries all over the world.

History

The word "bidet" is French and means "pony." It is a bowl that is situated lower than a toilet with a faucet (much like a sink faucet that can control water pressure and temperature).

Geography

The bidet can be found while traveling through many countries, including most of Europe (France, Italy, Spain and Greece), South America (Brazil, Argentina) and Japan.

Function

The bidet is used to clean the area around the anus after a bowel movement and also can be used to clean a woman's vulva after urination. To use the bidet, one straddles the bowl and turns on the faucet, which shoots a steady stream of water to clean the area.

Benefits

The benefit of using a bidet is that toilet paper is no longer necessary.

Features

Although the bidet is used as a personal cleaning device, the size and temperature gauge have also allowed in recent years for the bidet to be used as a baby bath and even a laundry basin.