Le Lavabo est le Bidache du peuple
ball_93
Bidet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A bidet (pronounced "bi:deI (UK) or bi:"deI (US), SAMPA) is a low-mounted
plumbing fixture or type of sink intended for washing the external genitalia
and the anus.
Usage
Bidets are principally used to wash and clean the external genitalia and the
anus, as well as the skin near these areas. They may also be used to clean
any other part of the body; they are convenient for cleaning the feet for
example. Most people who have never used a bidet think of it as a variation
on the toilet, but it would be more accurate to compare it to the washbasin
or bathtub. Anyone who has mobility problems and finds it difficult to get
into a bathtub, or is afraid of slipping in the shower, may find a bidet an
excellent solution for maintaining personal hygiene.
There are two common mistakes made when confronting a bidet for the first
time. The first is sitting on the bidet so the controls are behind you. When
using the bidet pictured above for example, you should face the tap (faucet)
and the wall. The second is to confuse a bidet with a urinal or toilet. You
should use the toilet before you use the bidet, think of it as a bathtub
rather than a toilet.
Bidets are made in several different designs. They may have one tap (faucet)
which pours (usually warm) water into a china basin. The basin can be
plugged and filled if necessary, or the water can be allowed to drain away.
Other bidets have a nozzle which propels an arc of water up into the air.
This jet of water is angled to connect directly with the genital area.
A toilet seat with built-in electronic controls and a twin-nozzle bidet
A bidet may also be a nozzle attached to an existing toilet, or a part of
the toilet itself. In this case, its use is restricted to cleaning the anus
and genitals. Some bidets of this type have two nozzles, the shorter one,
called the family nozzle, is used for washing the area around the anus, and
the longer one (bidet nozzle) is designed for women to wash their vulvas.
These bidets are often controlled electronically rather than with a
traditional tap (faucet), and some have an element under the seat which
heats up to dry you after washing.
Although using a bidet may include touching the genitalia and the anus with
the hands after using the toilet, it can be more hygienic than toilet paper.
In fact, most people with bidets use both, wiping with toilet paper before
washing with the bidet.
Bidets are very useful for the elderly or anyone with mobility problems and
for people with hemorrhoids.
Popularity
Bidets are common bathroom fixtures in some European countries (especially
France, Italy and Greece), Latin America, the Middle East and some parts of
Asia (particularly in Japan). They may be installed both in private homes
and hotels. In Japan, bidets are so common that they are often present in
public toilet facilities.
In Europe, the bidet is not normally used for cleaning the anus after
defecation (which is done with toilet paper), but for optional supplementary
washing, or for daily personal hygiene.
In 1999 the first "paperless toilet" was launched in Japan, a combination
toilet and bidet which also dries you after washing. Some even have
different buttons for washing the anus or the vulva. Combination
toilet-bidets are particularly popular in Japan, found in approximately 60%
of households. They are commonly found in hotels and even some public
facilities. These bidet-toilets, along with toilet seat/bidet units (to
convert an existing toilet) are sold in many countries including the United
States.
Residents of countries in which bidets in private homes are rare (the USA
and UK for example) may be totally unfamiliar with bidets and have no idea
how to use them if they encounter them (while travelling abroad for
example). It is said that many American men first encountered bidets in
French brothels during WWII and thought they were designed for the
prostitutes to douche (inside the vagina) after sexual intercourse. It is
not uncommon for people who have never used bidets to think that there is
something strange or even dirty about them, these attitudes may be difficult
for manufacturers to dispel where it is taboo to talk about toilet habits
and personal hygiene in public.
History
An 18th century etching of ladies 'mounted' on bidets
Bidet is French for pony (and in Old French, bider meant to trot). This may
seem like an odd derivation for device used to clean your posterior; it got
that name because early bidets were normally on a stand which the user would
straddle, not unlike mounting a horse.
In Greece they are called "µp??t??" - bides.
Note that Bidet is also a last name in some countries, as well as being a
type of pony and a 16th Century dagger.
The precursor to the bidet, the bidoaille, was invented in the late Middle
Ages during the Crusades, it consisted of a bowl which could be mounted by
both men and women for ease of washing.
Apparently, cavaliers would sing a famous folksong which begins: A dada sur
mon bidet... while using the bidoaille.
The bidet appears to have been an invention of French furniture makers in
the late 17th or early 18th century, although no exact date or inventor is
known. The earliest written reference to the bidet is in 1710.
The first bidet that was more than a bowl on a stand was the bidet à
seringue (syringe bidet) which was invented in 1750. It was operated with a
hand-crank and produced a jet of water.
With the Industrial Revolution the bidet became a status symbol of the new
bourgeoisie. Aristocrats used a variation called a Bidache which was
specifically designed for washing moustaches. Karl Marx used the Bidache on
trips to Paris in order to wash his beard. It is said that he liked it so
much that he argued: "Le lavabo est le Bidache du peuple" (The sink is the
bidet of the common man)!
By 1900, thanks to the plumbing improvements of the Victorian era, the bidet
(and chamber pot) moved from the bedroom to the bathroom.
See also
Toilet paper
Toilet
Domestic water system
Hygiene
External links
What's a bidet? from GoAskAlice.columbia.edu
The introduction of bidet toilet seats in Japan
Portable bidet (1928)
Barbara F. Lefcowitz on Bidets (Essay) presents elements of the
North-American attitude
Somewhat humoristic article from poopreport.com in favour of bidets
(Warning: contains photos of actual bidet usage)
Another article from poopreport.com
Blues Ma
> Bidet
>
> From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
>
> A bidet (pronounced "bi:deI (UK) or bi:"deI (US), SAMPA) is a low-mounted
> plumbing fixture or type of sink intended for washing the external genitalia
> and the anus.
>
How low ?
What about old folks who can no longer squat ?
If you have really high water pressure................................is it a
pain in the ass ?
ball_93
"Blues Ma" <2Blue...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:4072CD71...@comcast.net...
> "Ball 93" wrote:
>
> > Bidet
> >
> > From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
> >
> > A bidet (pronounced "bi:deI (UK) or bi:"deI (US), SAMPA) is a
low-mounted
> > plumbing fixture or type of sink intended for washing the external
genitalia
> > and the anus.
> >
>
> How low ?
They are widely available in many styles, and I am sure, heights. As low as
you can get?
> What about old folks who can no longer squat ?
Doctor! It hurts when I squat! Then don't squat!
> If you have really high water pressure................................is
it a
> pain in the ass ?
It is very pleasant, a comfortable thing to do. It is a stimulating
experience, and every time I use it, I say to myself afterwards, "I love my
bidet."
It has a stopper like a bathroom sink or a tub, and two faucets, controlled
by a nice chrome valve handle. You can put hot and cold water through the
front faucet to fill the bowl, or up from the bottom faucet a spray a couple
of inches in diameter, depending on how hard you have it going, how high the
pressure. I'm sure if you weren't sitting on it and turned that thing up
high, you could almost reach the ceiling. If you were sitting on it and
turned it up high, I am certain you would reach the ceiling.