Bidets are primarily used to wash and clean the genitalia, perineum, inner buttocks, and anus. They may also be used to clean any other part of the body such as feet. Despite appearing similar to a toilet, it would be more accurate to compare it to the washbasin or bathtub. Bidets once served as a practical way for couples to prepare themselves before sex, as well as to rinse themselves afterward.
It is generally understood that the user should sit on a bidet facing the tap and nozzle for washing the genitalia, and should sit with back to the tap and wall when washing the anus and buttocks. For a thorough cleaning, the user should use a hand to scrub the area with soap after wetting, then rinse. A dedicated towel or wipe is often available for drying.
Bidets are made in several different designs. They may have one tap 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 easily reach the perianal and genital area. Those types providing higher pressure offer a more thorough cleansing. The choice of materials may vary from easily cleaned stainless steel to the more common plastics used to manufacture household items.
A modern bidet
Bidets are common bathroom fixtures in many southern European countries, especially Italy, where they are found in 95% of households, and Portugal, where bidets are in the majority of flats.[citation needed]. Additionally, they are rather widespread, although not standard, in Spain; and occasionally are found in Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Malta and Greece. Although France is the country where the word bidet originated, not every house is equipped with one, especially the smaller or cheaper flats as well as recent constructions[citation needed]. Bidets can be found in some countries in the Americas (especially in South America and is a standard feature of homes in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. They are common in Arab countries in the Middle East, such as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and in the Maghreb, especially Egypt and Morocco). Much of East Asia, particularly in Japan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea use bidets as well. However, in some Muslim countries and in South-East Asia, bidets are less likely to be separate fixtures, as they are in Europe, but often are a small hose with a nozzle, similar to a sink sprayer, called a health faucet. The sprayer-type bidets are sold to Muslims as "shataf," which permit the user to comply with Islamic laws about using the toilet and the cultural preference of using water instead of paper.[3].