One unknown luxury that has quickly made its way from the Far East to the United States is the bidet toilet seat. A bidet is a low-mounted pluming fixture or type of sink intended for washing and cleaning the lower areas of the body.
Peter DeMarco is the director of compliance engineering at American Standard. They have been manufacturing plumbing fixtures for more than 140 years and are the world's largest manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and faucets. DeMaro said that bidet toilet seats are a way for the bidet function to be provided without having the bidet faucet sitting next to the toilet.
"They are toilet seats that install on normal toilets that can provide a bidet function," he said. "And basically what they do is have heating elements that are self contained into the seat. And then a nozzle comes out and can spray the user in a manner very similar to a bidet."
If having a machine installed near your bathroom toilet that provides a spray of water sounds a little fishy to you, understand that the bidet function is prominent in over 70 percent of homes in Japan. In many countries, toilet paper is not use at all. So, what we might consider strange in the United States, others consider common.
As improvements on the bidet continued, then came along the bidet toilet seat. The bidet toilet seat provides the same function with only one difference; the nozzle is connected to the toilet seat. By having the nozzle connected to the toilet seat, the user receives the bidet function without taking up the space of having a bidet in their bathroom.
In addition to being a great space saver, DeMarco said that the bidet toilet seat is a very simple installation. But when installing the toilet seat, the consumer must be aware of the requirements to make the toilet seat work. One step that DeMarco said that many homeowners forget to consider is whether or not there is an electrical outlet nearby when installing.
"The bidet is something a homeowner can install themselves," he said, "but, you do need to have an electrical outlet very close to the installation. So if you don't have an outlet close to your toilet, then they have to have one installed or have a very unsightly extension cord running to the toilet."
Having a bidet toilet seat can also be useful in several areas besides just cleaning. Having a bidet can prevent hemorrhoids or soreness and bleeding. Those that are irritated by toilet paper will receive benefits from using a bidet toilet seat as well. Bidet toilet seats are also great for the elderly or disabled and can come with amenities such as heaters and dryers.
