How Do You Use a Bidet Toilet Seat?
We’re here to answer the questions you’re too shy to ask! As bidet toilet seats continue to make their way into American homes, you may soon find yourself in someone’s bathroom wondering, “how do you use a bidet toilet seat?”
Are you trying to use a bidet that’s a separate fixture in the bathroom, instead? Find the standalone bidet instructions here. You can also find instructions for using hand-held bidet sprayers.
The Bidet Toilet Seat, Explained
Let’s start with a little bidet primer. Simply, a bidet is a bathroom fixture used for cleaning yourself with water after a trip to the toilet, often taking the place of toilet paper.
People have been using bidets for a long time. Up until very recently, a bidet was a separate porcelain unit in the bathroom, often mistaken for a very short sink or even a second toilet.
Flash forward to the 1980s, when Japan introduced the world to an innovative space-saving design that made it easy to add a bidet to any bathroom: the Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat. Today, over 80% of homes in Japan use bidet toilet seats. This smart toilet seat attaches on top of the toilet, replacing the existing toilet seat. A simple DIY connection below the toilet’s fill valve delivers clean water to the bidet seat. These seats also include advanced features like memory settings, internal water heaters, heated seats, and warm air dryers.
Though Americans are used to cleaning themselves off with only dry toilet paper, cleaning with a bidet is considered the best way to get clean in most other countries. After you use a bidet toilet seat, you’ll realize that using toilet paper alone is uncomfortable, ineffective, and old-fashioned!
How to Use a Bidet Toilet Seat
Step 1: Take care of business.
If you’re using a bidet toilet seat, you don’t need to move to use the bidet when you’re done; you’re on it already. So get comfortable on that heated seat!
Even though you’re still on the toilet, your bidet wash will always be clean and hygienic. The bidet nozzle remains retracted inside the bidet seat until you press the wash button.
Once you start your wash, the nozzle’s position and spray are calibrated to be out of the way of any dirty water. The nozzle also automatically self-cleans for every use. Some bidet toilet seats even use silver nanoparticle technology to sterilize the nozzles for extra peace-of-mind.
Step 2: Start your bidet wash.
When you’re ready to use the bidet function on the bidet toilet seat, simply press the Wash button on the remote control or panel (likely mounted on the wall or attached to the seat). The spray nozzle will extend beneath you.
There may be a brief pause before your wash starts as the nozzle cleans itself and the water heats up.
Nervous about your first time using a bidet toilet seat? Before you use the bathroom, get a feel for the wash. Hover your hand over the toilet bowl and press the Wash button. You’ll see the nozzle extend and you can test the temperature, pressure, and angle with your hands – not your highly sensitive parts.
Step 3: Make adjustments.
As the bidet begins spraying you, adjust the spray so it’s comfortable and hitting the right spot.
When you use a bidet toilet seat, it’s easy to customize your spray settings. The water temperature, water pressure, nozzle position, and spray width can all be adjusted on the control panel. Some people prefer a very strong, narrow spray, while others like a softer, wider spray. Experiment to see which settings you like best!
When you’re finished with your wash, press Stop on the control panel. The nozzle will clean itself and slide back into the bidet seat.
Step 4: Dry off.
If there’s toilet paper available, you can simply pat yourself dry. You’ll only need a couple of squares!
Some bidet toilet seats include warm air dryers. To start drying, press the Dry button on the control panel. Air drying completely will take a few minutes, so if you are in a rush, use a bit of toilet paper to start the process.
Many people prefer to dry themselves with a designated wash cloth or towel, just like you’d dry off after a shower. These towels usually hang right near the bidet.
Now that you know how to use a bidet toilet seat, are you ready to give one a try?
We hope you’re more comfortable with how to use a bidet toilet seat. If you’re not trying one right now, you’ll likely have the opportunity to do so soon, as more and more Americans add these smart toilet seats to their homes.
If you’re already convinced, Brondell is here to help put a bidet in your bathroom! With a wide range of innovative bidet toilet seats, bidet attachments, and bidet sprayers designed for the American bathroom, it’s never been easier to stop wiping and start washing.