Bidets are not bad for you; in fact, doctors generally consider them more hygienic and gentler on sensitive skin than dry toilet paper. However, incorrect or excessive use can cause minor health issues.
While bidets are highly effective for personal hygiene, improper or excessive use can cause negative side effects. Common issues include disrupting the natural vaginal microbiome, spreading fecal bacteria, irritating or damaging delicate skin with high water pressure, and exacerbating conditions like hemorrhoids or anal itching.
Doctors largely view bidets as a more hygienic, gentle, and sustainable alternative to toilet paper. Medical professionals frequently recommend them to ease discomfort from hemorrhoids and fissures. However, they warn that using high pressure or failing to clean the bidet's nozzle can cause skin irritation or infections.
Using a bidet for external cleaning is highly recommended. However, intentionally spraying water into your lower colon to clean it out (sometimes called bidet enema or colon flooding) is generally not advised by doctors.
A previous study reported 10 cases of anterior fissures due to bidet toilet use for 1-5 min[16]. The author speculated that the stronger water pressure of the bidet use with a longer duration may be the causative factor of the anterior fissure.
Using a bidet is generally better than wiping with toilet paper. While dry wiping can smear residue, a bidet uses a targeted stream of water to wash away waste and bacteria. This reduces hand-to-poop contact and requires little to no toilet paper, saving money and the environment.
Skin irritation from wiping too hard usually heals within 3 to 7 days. However, if the wiping caused a small tear (anal fissure) or aggravated existing hemorrhoids, complete healing can take anywhere from 1 to 6 weeks.
You should spray first and wipe after. Using the bidet's water stream is the primary way to clean yourself. Wiping beforehand can cause smearing and spread mess over a larger area. After spraying, simply pat yourself dry with a small amount of toilet paper or an air dryer.
For a bidet toilet seat or attachment, sit comfortably all the way back on the seat and lean your torso slightly forward. This centers your body over the nozzle. For a standalone (European-style) bidet, straddle the basin facing either the plumbing fixtures or away from them, depending on the area you wish to wash.
Approximately 70% of the world's population uses water instead of toilet paper. Across much of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Southern Europe, washing is the cultural and religious standard, utilizing a variety of methods for personal hygiene.
Many people find bidets gross due to the mental image of water causing unsanitary splashing, the fear of unclean shared nozzles, or the perceived awkwardness of air-drying or manually drying off afterward.
Europeans dry off after using a bidet primarily by patting the washed area dry with a dedicated, reusable small towel or a few squares of toilet paper. For modern, electronic bidet seats, users rely on a built-in, warm-air dryer.
Gynecologists recommend white, unscented, and unbleached toilet paper, specifically favoring hypoallergenic or bamboo options. They advise against "ultra-soft" or "ultra-strong" papers that rely heavily on chemical processing (like chlorine and formaldehyde) and warn against added dyes or fragrances, which can cause contact dermatitis and disrupt your vaginal microbiome.
Cleaning the anus after defecation using an EBT contributes to hand hygiene and local comfort; however, inappropriate EBT use can cause colonic and anal damage. Here, we report a case of a patient with severe rectal inflammation and ulceration caused by excessive bidet use.
Bidets themselves do not inherently spread bacteria; when used and maintained correctly, they are significantly more hygienic than toilet paper. However, bacteria can spread if nozzles are not cleaned regularly, if the water is contaminated, or if the water stream splashes fecal matter toward the urethra.
And of course, once faecal bacteria enter the drinking water network, the consequences can be severe. This is exactly why the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) and the Australian Standard AS/NZS 3500 classify every bidet and bidet toilet seat as a high-hazard fitting (the highest risk category) by default.
The cleanest and most hygienic way to clean your bum is by using water instead of relying solely on dry toilet paper. Water effectively rinses away residue, prevents micro-tears from harsh wiping, and eliminates skin irritation.
Muslims use bidets—or similar water-based methods—because personal cleanliness and ritual purity are fundamental to the Islamic faith. Washing with water is a religious obligation, ensuring a level of hygiene that dry toilet paper alone cannot provide.
A bidet's rear wash targets the anus, whereas the front wash is designed for the vulva. The rear spray is more direct and slightly stronger for thorough cleansing after a bowel movement. The front wash is gentler, using a wider spray angle specifically tailored for feminine hygiene and menstruation.
Bidets are generally great for hygiene, but their downsides include potential skin and medical issues (like irritation, UTIs, or vaginal microflora imbalance from forceful streams), hygiene concerns regarding contaminated nozzles in shared spaces, and the upfront costs or bathroom renovations required to install them.
Using a bidet properly as a woman comes down to two golden rules: always wash from front-to-back and start with low water pressure. This ensures you are effectively cleansing without disrupting the natural pH balance or pushing bacteria toward the urethra.
Before bidet installation, use the shut-off valve to turn off the water to the toilet. Flush the toilet until the tank is empty.
Having to wipe or clean residue hours after a bowel movement usually points to stool "trapping" in the anal area, incomplete evacuation, or minor bowel leakage (fecal incontinence). Common, highly treatable causes include:
Endless wiping without feeling clean—often resulting in skid marks—usually happens because of your dietary fiber, stool consistency, or pelvic floor muscle function. It typically indicates minor fecal seepage or residue left in the anal canal rather than poor wiping technique alone.
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