A bidet. We got one with heated water and seats and going to the bathroom feels super luxurious now. Not to mention all the toilet paper we save and increased hygiene.
Reddit loves bidets. Has for years. Based on all the glowing comments, I bought one and installed it. Even after some practice and experimentation, I wasn't clean nor felt clean. Plus, the bidet added numerous crannies for urine spray to accumulate. I went back to wiping and discarded the bidet.
> The real protip, which feels weirdly inappropriate for HN, is shaving down there.
I've heard very much the opposite.
Or at least, shaving down there makes it amazing for a day or two, but then the hairs start growing back and it's stubbly at first, which makes it INSANELY itchy.
My experience is that this happens the first few times and it gets less bad on regrowth each time.
I did an experiment when I started shaving my legs where I only shaved one for a while and then later shaved both, only the one that hadn’t been shaved multiple times was painful when the hair regrew.
What's the famous story about the guy who Nair'd this region as a joke/prank and he didn't realize the side effect of: the hair down there acts as a buffer for the scent so flatulence comes out much much worse?
Temperature control of the water and seat are the killer app, pressure control and nozzle width are really nice too. Blow dry, not so necessary, takes a while.
One thing is I find that it's really water pressure dependent. At least with the class of no-frills, not-expensive toilet attachment ones I buy.
I moved recently and at the new house water pressure overall is noticably lower and it's far more difficult and slightly frustrating. If I hadn't learned/trained/experinced on higher water pressure I probably would agree with your assessment.
There’s a wide range of how effective they are. Some people are happy with cheap toilet seat attachments but there’s a reason people spend significantly more on expensive toilets.
> Even after some practice and experimentation, I wasn't clean nor felt clean. Plus, the bidet added numerous crannies for urine spray to accumulate. I went back to wiping and discarded the bidet.
This is one of the reasons I haven't looked into a bidet more. I'm no stranger to waiting until I can be comfortable taking care of business, but to be dependent on an appliance to do something as fundamental as using the bathroom, seems a bit too far.
Now, if I lived in Japan, somewhere famous for the widespread adoption of high-tech bidets, sure, it makes sense to adapt. But in basically all of America and Western Europe, it's still a luxury that if I adopted it now, I would be much more uncomfortable anytime I need to go to the bathroom away from home.
Problem here is getting electrical to your toilet location? I was thinking about that too, but I didn't feel like making the leap to hiring an electrician to install / create a new outlet there.
I use something called a Tushy. It's purely mechanical. Downside is it's not heated, but that's proven fine for me. Took me about 15 minutes to install and I'm no plumber. No leaks, though I did have to check for them during install and tighten things a bit to get it right.
Search for 'Brondell swash nonelectric', available at costco and jeffazon. I have this and the electric version, and I find the non-electric is good enough and a fraction of the price.
140 year old victorian home. I managed to run a new 12 gauge circuit to my second floor bathroom myself to get an outlet in the right place. Took me a few hours to puzzle through how to get the line up there without breaking open a wall, but I managed it in the end.
Its going to be a _little_ tricky to get lines to the other bathrooms, but I'll figure it out when the time comes.
Yes. Not to overshare but I find that failure to actively dry changes the biome back there; in short it can get itchy. Just pulling up and heading off is not enough (use a small towel). That said though, it is great.
I am using a small hygienic shower with the button for more than a 15 years. It is really easy to install, a skilled plumber will do it in an hour, putting a T-connector where the toilet takes its water. Did it in every place I rented since. 10/10, highly recommend.
On days I don't work from home, I try to always use the bathroom at the office instead of at home because the bidet makes it so much nicer. It's a small thing but it makes me feel like royalty.
If you want heated anything or a blower, you'll first need to consider how you'll get power to your toilet's location. If, however, a cold water bidet is fine then just grab a cheap LUXE.
A TOTO WASHLET is still the gold standard though. That's what I own, and it has been great. Only thing I wish was slightly better was the blow-dryer. The pre-rinse/pre-mist is legit good in terms of keeping the toilet cleaner for longer.
PS - Quick note about mechanical bidets like the LUXE, it has no sensors/safety features. So if a child goes in, turns it on, and runs away it WILL flood your home. TOTO and similar quality bidets automatically turn off the water when weight isn't detected on the seat.
