Bidets are designed to make cleaning yourself after using the toilet as easy as possible. But many prospective bidet users often find themselves concerned that using a bidet will actually make a bigger mess by getting poop all over the place.
While this logic is understandable, it’s not true – most bidets, especially newer ones, are expertly designed to clean messes efficiently, with minimal to no splash-back.
So, do bidets get poop on them? Bidets do not get any poop on them during regular use. Bidets use a targetted wand, angled so that the splashback is directed away from the unit and directly into the toilet bowl. Most bidets also come equipped with a self-cleaning function as standard.
If you’re still concerned, keep reading to discover how bidets are designed with minimal mess in mind. Spoiler alert: some are better than others.
Why Don’t Bidets Get Poop Everywhere?
The simple fact of the matter is that bidets are designed with both discreet and efficient cleaning in mind.
Designing and manufacturing a bidet is much like any other product. Before production, bidet manufacturers will typically engage in research and development, user testing, and quality assurance before ever releasing a product for public use.
These steps ensure that virtually any bidet you buy today will be safe and clean to use.
I have personally used many different styles and designs of the bidet in my life, and I have never once had a problem with the poop not going exactly where it was supposed to – far away from me.
The only bidet I don’t have much experience with is the traditional standalone bidet unit. These can be messy when used incorrectly – more on this below.
Bidets Spray Targeted and Pressurized Water
If you’ve never used a bidet before you may not realize just how finely targeted and pressurized the water stream is.
This isn’t some sloppy spray that will splash out of the bowl and make a larger mess than it was supposed to pick up. Instead, the stream on a bidet is typically a very thin pressurized stream that aims straight into the problem area.
If you’re sitting down on the toilet when using the bidet function, the stream of water will never leave the bowl.
Getting The Perfect Aim
If when using your bidet, you feel that the spray isn’t hitting the right spot, you can do two things to help get a better aim.
Firstly, and most obviously, the easiest thing to do to ensure the bidet hits the right spot is to slightly adjust your seating position on the toilet until you feel the jet hitting where it’s supposed to.
Secondly, most good bidets have the option of adjusting the spray wand itself so you don’t need to spend time wiggling to find the perfect spot.
Even better, if you’re lucky enough to have a high-end electronic bidet, you can customize the wand setting for individual users. Everyone using the bidet can have their own customized spray settings. The Toto S550e is a great example of a luxury bidet that has the option for customized user presets.
Bidet spray wands are pressurized, but not so much so that they’d fly past the intended target and create any mess outside the toilet bowl. This is of course assuming that you are sitting on the toilet using the bidet as intended.
Virtually all bidets have a way of controlling the water pressure that’s ejected. Depending on the type of bidet you have, the water pressure will either be controlled by an electronic setting, a twist knob or a lever that will let through more water pressed harder.
When first getting used to your bidet, it’s best to start slowly and gradually until you’re confident with the pressure and spray settings.
You can draw some similarities between a bidet spray wand and a pressure washer. When angled correctly, a pressure washer will remove debris at a 90-degree angle from where it’s pointed. Bidet wands are also angled to ensure that any debris is removed away from the wand itself and down into the bowl.
Wands Are Guarded, and Often Self-Cleaning
Another thing you may be wondering about is if it’s possible to accidentally poop on the bidet itself. However, there are a number of design elements that keep this from happening.
First of all, the wand does not touch the toilet water, so it won’t get poop on it directly from the bowl.
The wands are also always angled so that they don’t sit directly beneath your bum, which means that your poop will never miss the water and accidentally hit the wand.
When your bidet is not in use, wands are typically hidden behind a guard, only coming out when it’s time to spray. As I mentioned above, the vast majority of wands are also self-cleaning, which means that they rinse themselves off before and after every use.
Some high-end bidets even have cleaning functions that use Electrolyzed water with sterilizing properties. There will be no visible excrement left behind, and any microscopic particles will be washed away by the rinse.
Bidets Use Fresh Water Every Time
Another thing you may be wondering about is where the bidet water comes from. You can rest assured that the water that comes out of your bidet is as clean and fresh as the water that comes out of your sink.
It is never recycled from the same water that is in your toilet bowl, despite close proximity.
With a bidet, you’re guaranteed a fresh, clean spray of water each and every time you use it.
Standalone Bidets Increase the Risk of Generating Splash-Back
It should be noted that many older bidets are not designed as efficiently as newer models. Older bidets that are self-standing units (i.e. not attached directly to your toilet bowl) can oftentimes be more problematic than the current competition.
Standalone bidets are often harder to adjust, meaning you may have to move yourself over in order to get the job done, which can pose both an increased risk of falling and an increased risk of making an accidental mess.
Since you generally have to support yourself in an unstable squatting position, and the water isn’t going to be aimed nearly as well, there’s a much greater chance of accidental splash-back occurring with these units.
Investing in a good quality bidet faucet will go some way to solve these issues.
Should I Wipe with Toilet Paper Before Using a Bidet?
If you’re really worried about getting poop on your bidet and want to be as proactive as possible, you can simply give yourself a “pre-wipe” before turning your bidet on.
A pre-wipe with a little bit of toilet paper can get the bigger bits of poop off, meaning that there’s less chance of any debris causing a mess.
Despite the fact that most bidets won’t have any issues cleaning effectively in these situations, some bidet users still like to use a pre-wipe just to be sure.
If Bidets Get Poop Everywhere, Who’d Buy Them?
Bidets are a fantastic, eco-friendly solution to keeping clean after using the toilet.
Despite some first-time buyers having some initial concerns about how they work, bidets do a great job of cleaning effectively without any mess.
Think about it… if bidets didn’t work the way they were supposed to, why would they be so popular?