We all know that not many countries in the world have adopted the bidet as one of the essential bathroom sanitary fittings.
It can be said that, for once, the countries of Southern Europe are the most advanced in this conquest of civilization: in Portugal and Italy the installation of the bidet among the bathroom fixtures is mandatory since 1975. Even in France, the country where the bidet was invented, its use is almost absent.
I believe that intimate hygiene is a matter of civility and respect for oneself and for others, but it is also a matter of health for our intimate parts.
When there is no bidet there are only two options:
- find an alternative (we will see which ones)
- we postpone intimate hygiene to the daily shower
Before moving on to the alternatives, let's say a few words about postponing intimate hygiene.
I don't want to go into rough details, but the use of toilet paper removes only "the bulk" of the poop or urine, which means that what remains remains on the surface of the skin where all kinds of bacteria can proliferate, resulting in dermatological, urological problems, etc..
There are those who, after having made a poop, do not have particular problems to postpone the washing of the intimate part but for others, especially in case of presence of fissures or hemorrhoids, this can mean to meet a recurrence of the symptoms of these lesions, for them a thorough personal hygiene after doing the needs becomes indispensable and necessary.
To do the bidet, therefore, is not only a matter of possible odors that you can bring with you but it is, first of all, a matter of health.
Alternatives to the bidet for intimate hygiene
The cleaning of intimate parts when you can not use the bidet must be done with methods, let's say, alternative and the choice of these methods can vary depending on the circumstances and the environments in which we are.
For this reason I have preferred to divide the alternatives to the bidet according to the environments in which we find ourselves, always considering that the options for the most "extreme" circumstances are equally valid even when we are in a house with a common bathroom.
But let's see in which possible situations we will have to resort to an alternative to the bidet:
- bathrooms where the bidet is absent
- while travelling
- during an excursion
Some situations, as it is easy to guess, are partially superimposable.
But now let's describe the alternatives to the bidet when there is no bidet.
A Handheld Sprayer for the bathroom without bidet
When I speak of a Handheld Sprayer in place of the bidet, I speak of a tool that can be used in case we are in a home that is not ours, when we are in a private home or in a hotel, abroad.
In these circumstances we still have available the essential sanitary facilities such as washbasin, shower and toilet, so at least the water is not missing.
We can then add a Handheld Sprayer to connect to the first available faucet so that we can use it directly on the toilet.
I've already explained how to do this in the article where I talked about how to add a diverter to your faucet, but even without adding a diverter there are showerheads that you can attach to any faucet by simply tightening the appropriate adapter to the faucet.
The advantages of the Handheld Sprayers are great, they allow you to use running water of the desired temperature and to direct the water jet exactly to the area you want to clean.
These handheld sprayers can be a temporary solution, such as when traveling, or semi-definitive that we can also adopt at home in the case of small children or people who are not self-sufficient.
How to clean the bum while traveling or hiking
There are many circumstances where you can't connect a handheld sprayer to the sink simply because there is no bathroom at all.
This happens when we are traveling, in the car, on a train, or when we are hiking and camping.
It's amazing how many people there are who don't hike or camp precisely because they feel embarrassed when it's time to take care of their physiological needs.
In a way, culture has gotten the better of nature. By this I mean that we have become so accustomed to social conventions that we can no longer live in natural conditions, with all that living in nature entails.
However, even for free spirits who enjoy outdoor excursions and camping, the problem of personal hygiene arises, so much so that one of the most frequently asked questions is: "how to bidet while hiking?".
In another article I have already talked about how to take a dry shower, when there is no availability of water, so I recommend reading it.
Here, however, I would like to tell you about some tools for those who want to bidet with water even when they are outdoors or traveling.
Even while hiking we find water sources to replenish ourselves from.You can't stay long without drinking, so we can take a small supply of water with us even for hygiene of intimate parts.
Similarly, in the city there are drinking fountains from which to refuel.
This is the essential condition to feed portable travel bidet that allow us to clean the ass almost everywhere.
I believe you can find at least three different types of portable travel bidets for anus and genital hygiene:
- hand showers to add to ordinary plastic bottles
- complete portable silicone sprayers
- electric portable bidet that run on batteries
Each of these systems has its pros and cons and it will be up to us to choose the system that best suits the circumstances in which we expect to find ourselves.
Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each system.
Cap to add to common bottles
One of the most appreciated products is CuloClean. It is a product as simple as it is functional and adapts to the different mouths of PET bottles, both those of 33cl and those of one and a half liters.
The main advantage is that it is small, discreet, and you can take it anywhere without clutter.
In case of need, you can add it to the common PET bottles, be they water bottles, carbonated beverages or anything else.
All you have to do is fill a PET bottle, large or small, with water and then insert the cap on top.
At that point all you have to do is turn the bottle upside down and squeeze it with your hands (or with just one hand) to spray out the water.
Maybe at the beginning you need a bit of manual skill, even to direct the water jet well, but once you have done a little practice this is really a small object "life saver".
If you are interested in this product click on the image and you will go directly to the available options (applies to other products as well).
Happypo, silicone shower bottle for intimate hygiene
This rubber bottle with spout is one of the most appreciated systems for those who want to feel clean after having done their business.
Contrary to the system previously described, it is not necessary to use a plastic bottle (with all the noises it makes when it is squeezed) which then hardly returns to its original shape, once it has been compressed.
In this case, the silicone bottle is practical, ergonomic and pleasant to the touch; it is easy to squeeze and produces a jet powerful enough to clean the affected area.
Obviously it takes up more space in your bag and, in case of control at the airport, you might find yourself in the embarrassing situation of explaining what it is for. However (when empty) there are no problems in storing it in your bag and in your hand luggage.
The tank is available in two models of different capacities, one of 300ml and the other, more capacious, of 480ml.
In short, a good system that in addition to being hygienic is also sustainable as it reduces by a good 50% the use of toilet paper.
Electric sprayer toilet for personal hygiene
Finally, we come to the last solution, the most technological, if you will.
If the previous systems were activated by manually squeezing the bottles containing water, in this case the portable bidet is electric, powered by batteries.
This ensures a smoother and more constant flow of water compared to manual systems, in addition, the water nozzle can tilt with different gradations and can then fold completely into the body of the machine, after use.
As you can see, the systems for cleaning yourself when there is no bidet are numerous and you are spoiled for choice.