Bidet - wikipedia Bidet hide This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. ( Learn how and when to remove these template messages ) This article may be in need of reorganization to comply with Wikipedia 's layout guidelines. Please help by editing the article to make improvements to the overall structure. ( June 2017 ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2011 ) A modern bidet of the traditional type Listen to this article ( info / dl ) This audio file was created from a revision of the article `` Bidet '' dated 2010 - 04 - 18, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ( Audio help ) More spoken articles A bidet ( US : / bɪˈdeɪ / ( listen ) or UK : / ˈbiːdeɪ / ) is a plumbing fixture or type of sink intended for washing the genitalia, perineum, inner buttocks, and anus of the human body, and is usually located next to the toilet. Lower - cost add - ons combining a toilet seat and electronic bidet are becoming increasingly popular as well. `` Bidet '' is a French loanword. Contents 1 Applications 2 Types 2.1 Bidet shower 2.2 Conventional or standalone bidet 2.3 Add - on bidets 3 Health aspects 4 Environmental aspects 5 Society and culture 5.1 Prevalence 6 Etymology 7 History 8 See also 9 References Applications Bidets are primarily used to wash and clean the genitalia, perineum, inner buttocks, and anus. Despite appearing similar to a toilet, a traditional bidet may be more accurately compared to a sink. There are also bidets that are attachable to ordinary toilet bowls. They have the advantage of being inexpensive and saving space. They are not meant to replace the use of toilet paper but instead to be used with soap in addition to it, after paper has been used, to achieve full cleanliness without immediately having to take a shower. Some bidets have a vertical jet intended to give easy access for washing and rinsing the perineum and anal area achieving a high level of cleanliness. Types Bidet shower Main article : Bidet shower A Finnish bidet shower. A bidet shower ( also known as `` bidet spray '', `` bidet sprayer '', or `` health faucet '' ) is a hand - held triggered nozzle, similar to that on a kitchen sink sprayer, that delivers a spray of water to assist in anal cleansing and cleaning the genitals after defecation and urination. In contrast to a bidet that is integrated with the toilet, a bidet shower has to be held by the hands, and cleaning does not take place automatically. Bidet showers are common in countries where water is considered essential for anal cleansing. Drawbacks include the possibility of wetting a user 's clothing if used carelessly. In addition, a user must be reasonably mobile and flexible to use a hand - held bidet shower. Conventional or standalone bidet A 20th century bidet ( foreground ) A bidet is a plumbing fixture that is installed as a separate unit in the bathroom besides toilet, shower and sink, which users have to straddle. Some bidets resemble a large hand basin, with taps and a stopper so they can be filled up ; other designs have a nozzle that squirts a jet of water to aid in cleansing. Add - on bidets Main article : Add - on bidet - Electronic bidet Add - on electronic toilet seat bidet In the past, getting a bidet meant installing a completely new plumbing unit into the bathroom. Newer bidets are often no longer standalone units : A bidet may be a movable or fixed nozzle attached to an existing toilet on back or side toilet rim, or a part of the toilet itself. In these cases, their use is restricted to cleaning the anus and genitals. Some bidets of this type produce a vertical water jet and others a more or less oblique one. Others have one nozzle on the side rim for both anal and genital areas, and other designs have two nozzles on the back rim, 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. Such attachable bidets ( also called `` combined toilets '', `` bidet attachments '', or `` add - on bidets '' ) are controlled either mechanically or electronically. Mechanically controlled bidets tend to be simple mechanisms manually controlled by a valve. Electronic bidets are controlled with waterproof electrical switches rather than with a traditional manual valve. There are models that have a heating element which blows warm air to dry the user after washing, that offer heated seats, wireless remote controls, illumination through built in night lights, or built in deodorizers and activated carbon filters to remove odors. Further refinements include adjustable water pressure, temperature compensation, and directional spray control. Where bathroom appearance is of concern, under - the - seat mounting types have become more popular. An add - on bidet typically connects to the existing water supply of a toilet via the addition of a threaded tee pipe adapter, and requires no soldering or other plumbing work. Electronic add - on bidets also require a GFCI protected grounded electrical outlet. Health aspects Because of the large surface of the sink, disinfection of stand - alone bidets is difficult, so microbial contamination from one user to the next could take place. Bidet attachments are sometimes included on hospital toilets because of their utility in maintaining hygiene. Warm - water bidets may harbor dangerous microbes if not properly disinfected.. Environmental aspects From an environmental standpoint, bidets can reduce the need for toilet paper, saving households money on paper products and allowing users to reduce their carbon footprint by reducing their paper waste over time. Considering that an average person uses only 1 / 8th gallon of water for cleansing using a bidet, much less water is used compared to the amount of water required to make toilet paper. An article in Scientific American concluded that using a bidet is `` much less stressful on the environment than using paper. '' Society and culture This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2015 ) Prevalence Bidets are becoming increasingly popular with the ageing community, or for use among people with physical disabilities. These combined units make independent toileting possible for many people, affording greater independence. These are often special units with higher toilet seats allowing easier wheelchair transfer, and with some form of electronic remote control that benefits an individual with limited mobility or requiring assistance. Bidets are common bathroom fixtures in many southern European countries, especially Italy, where they are found in 97 % of households ( the installation of a bidet in a bathroom has been mandatory since 1975 ), Spain, and Portugal ( installation is mandatory also since 1975 ). Additionally, they are rather widespread, although not standard, in France, and within Europe are often found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, and Greece. Outside of Europe, they are very popular in some South American countries, notably in Argentina and Uruguay. Electronic bidet - integrated toilets, along with functions like toilet seat warmers, are commonly found in Japan. In northern Europe, bidets are rare, although in Finland bidet showers are common. Bidet showers are also common in South - East Asia, South Asia and Middle East. In 1980, the first `` paperless toilet '' was launched in Japan by manufacturer Toto, a combination of toilet and bidet which also dries the user after washing. These combination toilet - bidets ( washlet ) with seat warmers, or attachable bidets are particularly popular in Japan and South Korea, and are found in approximately 76 % of Japanese households as of 2015. They are commonly found in hotels and even some public facilities. These bidet - toilets, along with toilet seat and bidet units ( to convert an existing toilet ) are sold in many countries, including the United States. Bidet seat conversions are much easier and lower cost to install than traditional bidets, and have disrupted the market for the older fixtures. Acceptance worldwide is facilitated by cultural preferences for washing, as well as poor quality and availability of toilet paper in many parts of the world. After a slow start in the 1990s, electronic bidets are gaining increasing popularity in the United States. In the UK, toilet - integrated bidets with drying facility are becoming more widespread for use among people with physical disabilities. Etymology Bidet is a French word for `` pony '', and in Old French, bider meant `` to trot ''. This etymology comes from the notion that one `` rides '' or straddles a bidet much like a pony is ridden. The word `` bidet '' was used in 15th century France to refer to the pet ponies that French royalty kept. History The bidet appears to have been an invention of French furniture makers in the late 17th century, although no exact date or inventor is known. The earliest written reference to the bidet is in 1726 in Italy. Even though there are records of Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily, requesting a bidet for her personal bathroom in the Royal Palace of Caserta in the second half of the 18th century, the bidet did not diffuse in Italy until after WWII. The bidet is possibly associated with the chamber pot and the bourdaloue, the latter being a small, hand - held chamber pot. Historical antecedents and early functions of the bidet are believed to include devices used for contraception. Bidets are considered ineffective by today 's standards of contraception, and their use for this function was quickly abandoned and forgotten with the advent of modern contraceptives such as the pill. By 1900, due to plumbing improvements, the bidet ( and chamber pot ) moved from the bedroom to the bathroom. This was common in French palaces. In the United States in 1928 John Harvey Kellogg applied for a patent on an `` anal douche ''. In his application, he uses the term to describe a system comparable to what today might be called a bidet nozzle which can be attached to a toilet to perform anal cleansing with water. In 1965 the American Bidet Company featured an adjustable spray nozzle and warm water option seeking to make the bidet a household item. The early 1980s saw the introduction of the electronic bidet from Japan, with names such as Clean Sense, Galaxy, Infinity, Novita and non-electric chrome plated brass attachments such as Gobidet. These devices have attachments that connect to existing toilet arrangements, and can be used for bathrooms lacking the space for both a separate bidet and toilet having advantages such as instant heating warm water, night lights and a heated seat. See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bidets. Look up bidet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Toilets in Japan Toilet seat Washlet References ^ Jump up to : Manjoo, Farhad ( April 29, 2015 ). `` Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat Is the Luxury You Wo n't Want to Live Without ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 10. Jump up ^ J UOEH. 2014 Jun 1 ; 36 ( 2 ) : 135 - 9. A survey on bacterial contamination of lavage water in electric warm - water lavage toilet seats and of the gluteal cleft after lavage. Katano H1, Yokoyama K ^ Jump up to : `` Wipe or Wash ? Do Bidets Save Forest and Water Resources ? ''. Scientific American. Retrieved 3 September 2016. Jump up ^ Decreto ministeriale Sanità, 5 July 1975, art. 7. Jump up ^ Decreto - Lei n. o 650 / 75 de 18 de Novembro ( in Portuguese ), 18 November 1975, art. 84 Jump up ^ `` Bidets in Finland '' Jump up ^ `` In modern world, even toilets are becoming paperless ''. The Augusta Chronicle. March 13, 2014. Retrieved 2015 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Toilet Timeline ''. World Toilet Organization. Archived from the original on December 20, 2009. Retrieved 20 Dec 2009. Jump up ^ Diseases of the Colon & Rectum ( Volume 49, Number 7 ) pp. 1082 - 1083, doi : 10.1007 / s10350 - 006 - 0553 - y Jump up ^ `` Toilet Timeline '' on the World Toilet Organization website Jump up ^ Storia del bidet, Un grande contenitore ideologico ( History of the bidet ) ( in Italian ). Castelvecchi. 2003. ISBN 9788882101114. Jump up ^ Made in Naples. Come Napoli ha civilizzato l'Europa ( e come continua a farlo ) ( Made in Naples. How Naples civilised Europe ( And still does it ) ) ( in Italian ). Addictions - Magenes Editoriale. 2013. ISBN 8866490393. Jump up ^ Bullough, Verne ( 2001 ). Encyclopedia of Birth Control. ABC - CLIO. Jump up ^ Museum of Contraception and Abortion. `` The bidet is for vaginal rinsing ''. Jump up ^ A United States patent US1787481 A, John Harvey Kellogg, `` Anal douche '', published Jan 6, 1931 hide Toilets Equipment Automatic toilet paper dispenser Ballcock Bedpan Bidet Bidet shower Brush Cistern Commode Electronic bidet Flushometer Roll holder Seat Seat cover Self - cleaning toilet seat Toilet Toilet paper Trap ( U-bend ) Types Aircraft Arborloo Blair Bucket Cathole Chemical Composting Container - based Dry Dual flush Flush Freezing Head ( boat ) Hudo ( Scouting ) Incinerating Latrine Low - flush On - board Passenger train Pay Pit Pig Portable Potty Public Sanisette ( self - cleaning ) Space Squat Treebog Urine - diverting dry Vacuum Washlet ( combined toilet and bidet ) Cultural aspects Accessible Adult diaper Bathroom privileges Feminine hygiene Honeywagon ( vehicle ) Incontinence pad Islamic toilet etiquette Istinja Latrinalia Privatization of public toilets Sex segregation in public restrooms Toilet god Toilet humor Toilet paper orientation Toilet - related injuries and deaths Toilet Twinning Unisex public Vacuum truck Jobs and activities Manual scavenging Slopping out Toileting Toilet training Washroom attendant Urine - related aspects Female urination device Interactive urinal Pissoir Pollee Urination Urinal Urinal ( health care ) Urine collection device Urine diversion Feces - related aspects Anal cleansing Defecation Defecation postures Fecal sludge management Flying toilet Open defecation Scatology Places Outhouse Rest area Shit Museum Sulabh International Museum of Toilets Toilet ( room ) Toilets in Japan Historical terms Aphedron Chamber pot Close stool Garderobe Gong farmer Groom of the stool Night soil Pail closet Privy midden Reredorter See also History of water supply and sanitation Sanitation Sewage treatment World Toilet Day Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bidet&oldid=855381024 '' Categories : Bathroom equipment Plumbing French inventions French words and phrases Hidden categories : CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) Wikipedia articles needing reorganization from June 2017 Articles needing additional references from January 2011 All articles needing additional references Articles with multiple maintenance issues Spoken articles Articles with hAudio microformats Articles including recorded pronunciations ( US English ) Articles needing additional references from June 2015 Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015 All articles containing potentially dated statements All articles that may contain original research Articles that may contain original research from February 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Башҡортса Català Čeština Deutsch Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Ido Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Kaszëbsczi Lëtzebuergesch Lumbaart Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Slovenčina Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 粵語 中文 26 more Edit links This page was last edited on 17 August 2018, at 21 : 35 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the sink that looks like a toilet
Answer: bidet