Bidet/Douchette

This is a delicate subject, and I will be sensitive to people's feelings. For those that don't know what a bidet is, it is a place to wash your private parts after using the restroom. It looks like a cross between a toilet and a water fountain. More on the douchette in a bit.

My first encounter with a bidet was in Italy. I was backpacking across Europe with my sister and we went to stay with a former foreign exchange student that has stayed with our family.  When we arrived she offered us a bath towel and a hand towel. We refused the hand towel saying that we didn't need it. She paused, looked a bit uncomfortable, then explained that it was for use with the bidet. We looked on in fascination as she showed us the gentle liquid soap that we could use and she demonstrated how to straddle the bidet and adjust the water temperature to our liking. I couldn't do it. Refused outright with a firm shake of my head. This was about 15 years ago.

Over time I regretted my unwillingness to try it. Knowing we were coming to Finland I looked forward to trying it. It turned out to be even easier than I thought. Especially because we are using a douchette instead. It is a sprayer that is mounted near the toilet. Usually you don't even need to leave the seat to start the water, set the temperature and use the wand to wash the parts in question. Then, at home, you use your own bidet towel to dry. I love it, and took to it immediately. Mental preparation is so important when doing something new. I am so happy to have saved so many trees since we have arrived.

Recently we took the train north to Rovaniemi (the arctic circle) and on the way I pointed to the beautiful evergreen trees that we could see most of the way there, and reminded my daughter that if she would use the douchette, the trees could stay there.  Food for thought.