9535 Bidet-less?

Hi Angie and Robert

Haven't 'chatted to you before' but as for bidets. Our geometra also said the same. We've compromised - in the cottages we let out only to non-italians we don't have bidets. The geometra had at one point suggested a duel-function loo/bidet in one cottage because there wasn't quite room enough for both - our vision of guests getting an unexpected bottom wash if they pressed the wrong button convinced us to only have the loo.

As for our main house we have put in bidets in both the upstairs and the'brand new' downstairs bathroom, this is partly for 'capital value and resale interest if and when that arises. This new bathroom is the result of a water pipe leak and when I have the result/cheque I hope from the insurance company I will let you all know how my Italian AXA claim has gone. We changed our house insurance from a cripplingly expensive one from Copelands to one half the price from Italy AXA.

so true! We italians hate bidet less bathrooms... such a struggle in the uk!

If space is available, I would always encourage a bidet when planning a new build or renovation. Most Italians expect one in Italy. For the sake of approx. 100 euros or so including fitting, it's worth it not just for renting but if you sell in the future.

Duel-function loo/bidet !!! ................ mmm!! Interesting!!

there is a great joke about multi functional toilets, its a bit rude but I will post on the friday joke page.........and clean it up a bit :nah:

[quote=latoca;89362]so true! We italians hate bidet less bathrooms... such a struggle in the uk![/quote]
YEAH!!!!!!!
We Italians NEED bidet :-P as You need an electric kettle in kitchen! :yes:

As in the majority of European countries, a bidet is considered as important a part of a bathroom as a toilet. Brits seem to have a bit of a problem with the concept, however, for reasons I have never fully quite grasped.

Not only does a bidet ensure that you are clean and fresh at the end of a "sitting", but it is also an excellent way to freshen up on a hot day.

Yes, I know that for many Brits it is considered a bit of a woosy thing to use for what it is intended for (no! NOT a drinking bowl for the dog!) but have you ever considered the result of not washing your "undercariage" if you are a hairy-arsed, sweating builder? Good grief!

Oh, and it means you can wear your underwear for an additional week or two as well...

Go on! Fit one! You know it makes sense.

:winki:

This topic always runs the risk of people shuddering, muttering, "Way too much information!" and moving on to a less contentious topic - like another discussion of who exactly the people are who get to the front of the Ryanair boarding 'queue'.

I have read accounts of non-Italians renovating properties and not installing a bidet on a point of principle. Which - even as an American/Brit - just seems weird to me.

Providing the WC is larger than two square meters, it seems daft not to spend a tiny percentage of the renovation cost on a bit of extra plumbing and a bidet. There is, after all, no legal requirement to use it. However, as Nardini says, they are extremely practical and hygienic. Certainly more effective than the moist toilet tissue one has been able to buy in Britain for the last few years. And if one is civilised enough to give some thought to cleanliness of the nether regions and the house's sewage system empties into a sceptic tank - as is the case for many of us living in rural Italian properties - using those wipes (which are non-biodegradable) will result in the tank needing to be emptied much sooner than otherwise would be the case.

And thinking about that task should make any Brit feel even 'woosier' than contemplating using a bidet. :bigergrin:

Al

Bidets - They're great for cleaning the dust off your feet after a day of wearing sandals [without socks, of course]

And Italians do expect them to be fitted

And for washing your hair

Fill with ice and chill the vino.

or, fill with vino and chill to ice cube's "it was a good day". Requires judicious use of a long straw :-)

What form of animal life is Stribs! Washing hair in a bidet is a pretty challenging notion, but I do find a bidet saves on the cat litter....!

Having read this thread, I'm really surprised that nobody has explained that if you are planning to rent your house to holidaymakers and wish to do this legally (signed off and classfied by the authorities) then every bathroom needs a bidet, unless it is an en-suite and the guests would have access to a communal bathroom with a bidet. I don't know if these rules apply elsewhere in Italy but they are being enforced in Le Marche.
Obviously, if you wish to re-sell your house as a casa in affito at a later stage, then the bidet issue is likely to affect your resale value also.
There are 2 types of combination toilet bidet but I don't know if these are acceptable to the authorities.

We have far more other european and american guests than Italians, solely due to the fact that the Italians like to leave booking to the last minute and therefore we are usually full. With this in mind, other europeans and americans tend to like a more spacious bathroom without a bidet taking up the room. We compromised and had some rooms with, and some without!

However without exception the rooms with bidets are mostly used for foot washing and rinsing out the 'smalls'.

We restored our villa in 2002 (all bedrooms are ensuite) the project was signed offand classified by the authorities, plus we were inspected by AUSL before gaining our license to operate - I suspect this is a newer law as a more recent addition - our honeymoon suite, had to have a bidet.

I think its good to provide facilities that suit everyone.

[quote=villa sibillini;89476]
However without exception the rooms with bidets are mostly used for foot washing and rinsing out the 'smalls'.
[/quote]

I've got to ask (though not sure I really want to know) how you can be so sure of that fact ... are your guests all very talkative re. their toilet habits? no hidden webcam's in the en-suites, I hope!

[quote=villa sibillini;89476] our honeymoon suite, had to have a bidet. [/quote]

Too much information? :bigergrin:

but why do they put the taps for bidets, at the the back ??????????????

Why, so that your butler can turn them off and gently 'towel you dry' after use without having to lean across you to perform the action, of course (that would be awful!)

Well, ok the real answer (I guess) is 'cos the pipes come out of the wall at that end of the bidet and it's cheaper to manufacture with a direct coupling than run internal piping to allow the taps to be located at the other end.

[quote=pigro;89503]Why, so that your butler can turn them off and gently 'towel you dry' after use without having to lean across you to perform the action, of course (that would be awful!)

Well, ok the real answer (I guess) is 'cos the pipes come out of the wall at that end of the bidet and it's cheaper to manufacture with a direct coupling than run internal piping to allow the taps to be located at the other end.[/quote]

option one sounds far better .........:laughs:

I have noticed that in Venice, the less luxurious hotels are not installing bidets, giving tourists a tiny bit more space in the bathroom. We found it ideal for shampooing our small Springer Spaniel in, before lunching at the possibly the very best restaurant in Sicily.

[quote=pigro;89503]Why, so that your butler can turn them off and gently 'towel you dry' after use without having to lean across you to perform the action, of course (that would be awful!)

Well, ok the real answer (I guess) is 'cos the pipes come out of the wall at that end of the bidet and it's cheaper to manufacture with a direct coupling than run internal piping to allow the taps to be located at the other end.[/quote]

You dozy bug ger - you're using it the wrong way! Face the wall. :bigergrin: :bigergrin: :bigergrin:

[quote=juliancoll;89557]You dozy bug ger - you're using it the wrong way! Face the wall. [/quote]

Hi Juliancoll
I think your comments should have been directed to me, as I asked the question :laughs:......anyway, I never use the damn thing, much easier to do handstands in the shower :Dancing_tongue:

oh the great " rse jacuzzi" debate! everyone has a use for it but not always the same use. I like mine its great for shaving the legs!

[quote=herealready;89565]oh the great " rse jacuzzi" debate! everyone has a use for it but not always the same use. I like mine its great for shaving the legs![/quote]

Thats really weird...I have to use a razor :laughs:

[quote=juliancoll;89557]You dozy bug ger - you're using it the wrong way! Face the wall. :bigergrin: :bigergrin: :bigergrin:[/quote]
sorry, I never comply when asked to 'face the wall' in a toilet (ask Nielo, she was a prison warden!). Besides, I'd assuredly end up washing the wrong bit o' kit in that configuration :no:

We were also advised that legally you have to have them if you want to rent out & I know someone with a B&B that installed little shower heads to use over the toilets to get around this as the comune would not sign off on their B&B status without them so we have put them in. hs was lucky as one of ours came in really handy for cleaning my 10 week old godson after a particularly explosive nappy- they're also good for washing your (floor) mop in so I certainly don't begrudge the small amount they cost me

[quote=pigro;89574]sorry, I never comply when asked to 'face the wall' in a toilet (ask Nielo, she was a prison warden!). Besides, I'd assuredly end up washing the wrong bit o' kit in that configuration :no:[/quote]

You're suppposed to wash all yer kit, not just a bit of it. :laughs:

The world seems divided into two
---- the parts of the world that believe in washing after [after what I leave you's to choose] - bidets in Italy etc, and handheld shower thingies in parts of Asia, to a bowl of water in other parts of the world and who think the other parts of the world that use paper just smear germs everywhere.

--- the parts of the world who think that wiping with paper is sufficient, and if its hot, well you just get sweaty ......:eeeek: and who think it strange to have bidets, showerhead etc by the loo ....

No doubt in my mind, and besides as has been pointed out a bidet has many uses, whichever way you face :laughs:

[quote=arty;90435]...............a bidet has many uses, whichever way you face :laughs:[/quote]

As long as its not face down in the water.

.

..even face down in the water Alan .....:bigergrin:

take this scenario .... too much vino the night before...... can't stand up, crawling around because its safer ...... dunking in water one way of waking up ......

..whats the problem, easier than reaching the sink .....

...not that I have ever drunk that much ...... :laughs:

bidet = versatile piece of bathroom furniture

Nobody's mentioned that they are often very well postioned for a bit of D&V....:wideeyed:

[quote=sueflauto;90461]Nobody's mentioned that they are often very well postioned for a bit of D&V....:wideeyed:[/quote]
With you on the V; not convinced about the D

OK, I give up - what's D & V?

well, I'm only second guessing Sue, but I think D&V is medical shorthand for Diarrhoea & Vomiting :sad:

Indeed. If I'm sat clamped to the loo I think V (that's velocity isn't it?) could make the bidet opposite, although so far I haven't had that experience!:eeeek:

and for getting the kids to wash the stains off their clothes, and soaking stuff that needs bleaching...

Well in my case I had no say in the matter.
The geometra and muratore advised me that I needed two bathrooms in my house and came up with plans.
The plans were very good but to save on renovation costs I decided that as the house had functioned for 90 years with one bathroom and had serviced my grandparents and their 12 children, I could make do with just the one as there were only two of us. A second bathroom would be handy for family and friends but could wait until more funds came in later.
After much debate with everyone that I was making a mistake I asked the builder to send me a preventivo just to shut him up and hope the subject would be forgotten after I left. :no:
The preventivo never arrived and when I went back about 6 weeks later to check on the progress of renovations I found walls had been knocked down/rearranged and I now had two bathrooms.
Well what was done was done and it was an improvement so, as I'm sure many of you have thought the same, I'd find the money somehow. :eeeek:
Tiles/furniture had to chosen now for two bathrooms instead of none so to save again I went for the no bidet option. That wouldn't do at all I was told so I compromised and agreed to have one in the main bathroom but none in the on-suite as males don't use them.
Naturally when I came back again two months later I found bidets installed in both the bathrooms!
Don't you just love Italy. :bigergrin:

We had a conversation with our geometra, builder, electrician and plumber (none of whom speaks English & I don't speak Italian, a;though my husband does) where we discussed the bidet question - they were adamant that if weren't going to install them then we should at least install the plumbing for them so that an Italian could install one if we sold later. In the end the additional cost was not much so we had them in all the bathrooms (but not the downstairs loo). The really interesting bit was when we were trying to fit the bidet an loo in a fairly short space - they Italians felt there should be more space between them but somehow with mime we managed to communicate that they were unlikely to be used simultaneously so having them fairly close together would not be a problem. I still smile when I think of my husband & I miming being on the loo & bidet to the Italians!

I can't get over the fact that they woudl be happy to have a house with no bath but not one without bidets in every bathroom. How do you clean small children? My daughter has only just started to have showers now (& only when forced) & she is nearly 8.

Chris