Bidets are useful bathroom fixtures that have recently come up as a popular alternative to toilet paper.
Different kinds of bidets are on the market today, ranging from warm air dryer options to portable or standalone bidets. However, if you don’t dry yourself properly after a bidet wash, it may cause several issues, such as skin infections.
In this blog post, we will walk through the importance of you to dry after using a bidet.
How Do You Dry After Using A Bidet?
1. Maintain Personal Hygiene
Drying yourself after using a bidet is essential to maintain your personal hygiene. If you leave your skin damp and then wear clothes over it, you will end up creating the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria and fungi. Hence, you should always ensure that your skin is dried after using a bidet to maintain a clean and fresh feeling, minimizing unhygienic practices.
2. Prevent Irritation And Infections
If you wear clothes over damp skin after using a bidet, there is a high chance that a particular region will not be able to breathe properly. As a result, you will end up suffering from chaffing, irritation, and skin infections. Using proper air drying techniques after, say, using a portable bidet, can help prevent such issues.
3. Prevent Unpleasant Odors
Along with skin irritation and infections, not using an air dryer after washing with a bidet can lead to unpleasant odors too. This happens due to the buildup of dampness on your skin and can be a very embarrassing situation to be in – especially in public.
Using tools like a warm air dryer can help you prevent such issues.
5 Ways For You To Dry After Using A Bidet
1. Use A Cloth Towel
One of the easiest methods to dry yourself after using a bidet is to use a bidet towel. You can invest in either use-and-throw bidet towels or reusable towels as per your preferences. The latter option is more environment-friendly, as you can wash bidet towels to dry yourself without creating much waste.
It would help if you kept your bidet towels only to maintain hygiene after bidet washes and change them occasionally. After you complete your bidet cleaning process, pat your genitals gently before drying using your towel.
2. Toilet Paper
If you don’t have a bidet towel, you can consider using toilet paper or paper towels to dry yourself after using a bidet. You can take two to three sheets of toilet paper and dry your genital areas using them.
Make sure that you do not apply excessive pressure while drying yourself using toilet paper. Unlike a bidet towel, toilet paper is not reusable and does not provide the same level of comfort and softness.
3. Handheld Air Dryer
Handheld air dryers designed specifically to be used after washing with a bidet have become a popular alternative to bidet towels and toilet paper. They look just like hair dryers, but their purpose is to expose your genitals to warm air after every bidet wash to dry them.
These dryers have risen in popularity because there is less scope for skin irritation in this case due to no physical contact. They are an environment-friendly alternative to the previous two drying methods and are convenient and hygienic.
While using a handheld air drier after washing with a handheld bidet, simply point the drier towards the desired areas to let the airflow dry the region.
4. Install An Inbuilt Air Dry Technology
If you don’t want to invest in external drying methods such as little toilet paper rolls, etc., opt for the best bidet converter kit with inbuilt air drying technology. Some luxurious toilet seats come with bidet attachment and air dryer technology preinstalled, which is why you will not have to invest again and again in drying resources.
Most bidets with this technology activate the air drying mechanism as soon as the cleaning process is done. The best part about using such bidets is that you can customize water pressure, hot water, or cold water controls and choose from various spray mode options for an optimal experience.
5. Natural Air Drying
If you have the luxury of time, you can try natural air drying after using a bidet too. This can be especially useful if you do not like using a cloth or paper towels, electronically controlled dryers, etc., to dry your genitals. The method works best if you live in normally hot climates.
After you are done washing with a bidet, simply remain seated on the toilet seat. You can lightly pat a cloth towel or toilet paper during this process if you do not want to sit for too long.
Natural air drying will allow your genital skin to breathe properly, which is a rare occurrence because of wearing pants constantly. This process is also very beneficial for people with sensitive skin who cannot afford to burn areas by excessive use of toilet paper and towels.
Tips For Drying After Using A Bidet
1. Pat, Don’t Rub
It may seem tempting to rub your genitals quickly after washing with a bidet, especially if you are in a rush. However, doing so can lead to skin irritation and many more inconvenient conditions. And it would help if you always refrained from rubbing your skin too harshly.
Opt for a patting motion instead, so take your toilet paper or cloth and gently pat on your genitals. This method of drying function would prevent tearing the toilet paper and keep your skin safe from burning sensations at the same time.
2. Use Microfiber Gloves
If you do not like the feeling of using traditional towels, consider investing in microfiber gloves designed for bidet drying. Such gloves are made up of soft fibers that are absorbent in nature, which is why they quickly dry all the moisture from your skin.
To use such gloves, slip them on in your hand and start patting your genitals gently. This method of drying after a bidet wash is much easier than a paper towel, cloth, or air dryer drying process, as you can reach the desired areas much more conveniently.
3. Use Bamboo Fiber Towels
People who are more prone to infections should refrain from using rough paper towels for obvious reasons. In such cases, opting for bamboo fiber towels to dry yourself after proper cleaning using the bidet attached to toilet seats would be a good decision.
Bamboo fiber towels are an eco-friendly drying option and possess antibacterial properties. The highly porous nature and softness of such towels make them a good option for people looking for dryer options after using a bidet.
4. Keep Your Bathroom Components Clean
One of the most important things to remember, especially when discussing the components used in bathrooms, is cleanliness. Ensure your bidet drain is always clean to prevent fecal matter from clogging, which can lead to infections.
If you use reusable cloth towels to dry yourself after using bidets, make sure that you clean them regularly in your sink basin. Additionally, stay cautious while using public bidets, as you may not know how clean they actually are.
Tip
Carry pre-wipe packets when you use bidets in public bathrooms. This way, you can use the wipes to clean the bidet nozzles. You can also carry a small packet of toilet paper with you to dry yourself after using bidets in public places.
Is there a downside to using a bidet?
Using bidets generally has several advantages, but there are potential downsides to using them too. For instance, people who have shifted to this method of washing recently may find many bidets uncomfortable and unfamiliar to use.
Further, if you want to install a standalone bidet in your bathroom, you will have to make extra space in your bathroom. The price could go even higher depending on the features you opt for in this appliance, such as one nozzle or two nozzles. Users also need to clean the bidets from time to time, which means that they need to invest decent money in their maintenance.
Which countries use bidets?
While people from all over the world are using bidets today, their usage is particularly popular in certain countries, like the Middle East, parts of Europe, and Asian countries, such as South Korea.
Countries like France, Italy, and Japan have had a culture of long-standing bidets, which is why you can find them in homes, hotels, and public restrooms there.
Can you use baby wipes to dry after using the bidet?
While there are no direct hazards of using baby wipes to dry yourself after using the bidet, they are not the best option to do so, either. This is because baby wipes are not designed to absorb water after tasks like bidet use.
Since they cannot dry your skin thoroughly, there might be some residue of dampness on your skin, which can further lead to irritations and infections.
Conclusion
Many people are opting for a bidet for a cold or warm water wash on toilet seats all over the world today. The controls positioned on a bidet work efficiently to provide a proper cleaning.
However, drying yourself after using a bidet is just as important as washing your genitals in the first place. You can follow measures like using toilet paper, cloth towels, and handheld dryers or invest in air drying technologies to dry yourself after every toilet use.
By following the methods and tips mentioned above, you will experience a comfortable cleaning process and prevent any genital irritation.