A travel bidet is a portable personal cleansing device made for men, as well as women. Often used by travelers, a portable bidet is a device used to clean private body parts in lieu of using toilet paper. Although some are battery operated, many are simple bottles, with nozzle attachments that can be discreetly carried in a purse or a backpack. In countries where bathrooms are not normally equipped with a built-in bidet, many people have opted to use a travel bidet for daily use at home, as well.
Sometimes referred to as a portable douche or a bidet hand shower, a travel bidet can be purchased from online vendors or may be found in places where personal hygiene products are sold. While there are several types of bidets, one of the most convenient is a simple rubber bottle, which can be filled with warm water and used to cleanse the private areas after elimination. A travel bidet such as this simply requires the user to aim an attached reservoir at the desired area and squeeze to create enough water flow to remove any residual waste.
Many prefer a travel bidet over the use of toilet tissue for personal hygiene. Urinary tract infections and other bacterial infections are sometimes believed to be linked to toilet tissue spreading bacteria in unwanted places. Although tissue is used to pat dry after using a travel bidet, many believe the use of these devices to be far superior in terms of cleanliness to that of toilet tissue.
A portable bidet can also be useful to individuals with disabilities that do not allow a person to comfortably clean otherwise. Many are sold to individuals who have a hard time cleaning due to limitations in mobility caused by injury or disease. Some are even battery operated to increase water pressure without a person needing to squeeze the device to initiate water flow. Most also come with discreet carrying pouches and wrist straps for easy carrying.
Some also prefer to use a travel bidet for environmental reasons. By avoiding the use of toilet tissue as often as possible, paper is conserved, which means that fewer natural resources are used to manufacture such products. A travel bidet is reusable and only uses a small amount of water, which, for many, makes it an even better alternative than a bidet attachment on a home toilet, which may use more water for cleansing.