Guides › How to use a bidet as a man
How to use a bidet as a man: where to sit, how to aim, how to dry
Use the toilet as normal, sit all the way back, turn the knob to the lowest setting, shift your hips until the stream hits the right spot, rinse for a few seconds, turn it off, and pat dry. The one thing men get wrong: sitting too far forward. On an under-seat attachment the nozzle aims at your back, so sit back and keep everything else out of the way.
Below: the steps in order, how to aim with a fixed nozzle, peeing standing up once an attachment is fitted, hair, cold water, drying, and the mistakes almost everyone makes once.
Before your first go: a 30-second dry run
- Lid up, seat down, fully dressed.
- Find the knob. Note which way is on, and if it has settings like "rear", "front" or "nozzle clean".
- Hold a hand over the back half of the bowl, clear of the nozzle, and turn the knob a tiny amount.
- Watch where the stream lands and how strong the lowest setting is. Turn it fully off.
Two minutes now saves the reaction-video moment later. The same dry run is in our first time using a bidet guide, which covers the basics for everyone.
Step by step
- Do your business, sitting. Sit all the way back on the seat. That's where the nozzle aims.
- Wipe once first, if you want. Plenty of men do the first few times. Optional.
- Lowest setting first. Turn the knob a little, wait a second, then more only if you need it.
- Aim by moving. Shift your hips forward or back, or lean slightly, until the stream is on target. Don't crank the pressure to aim.
- Rinse for a few seconds. Turn it off, check, go again if needed.
- Turn it fully off before standing. Every time.
- Pat dry with a couple of squares of paper or your own towel.
- Wash your hands.
Where to sit, and keeping out of the way
The nozzle comes out from under the back of the seat and sprays up and slightly back. Sitting all the way back puts you in its path. Things to know:
- Sit back, then adjust. If the stream lands too far back, slide forward a centimetre or two. If it lands too far forward, slide back or lean forward a little.
- Keep the front clear. Some men lean forward with knees slightly apart, which keeps everything out of the stream's path and makes aiming easier. If the spray is hitting the front, you're too far forward.
- Facing: on an attachment or a bidet seat you face forward, as you sit normally. Facing the wall is only a thing on standalone bidets.
- Bigger build: if you sit further forward on the seat than average, you'll need to lean forward more to bring your back over the nozzle. It's one try to figure out.
Peeing standing up, with an attachment on the toilet
This is the question the other guides skip. An under-seat attachment sits on the rim of the bowl; your seat goes on top of it.
- Seat up works as before. The seat and lid lift as normal. The attachment's plate stays on the bowl's rim, at the back.
- The nozzle housing is in the splash zone. Aim forward in the bowl, not at the back. Most nozzles retract and many have a guard flap, but the housing still gets splashed if you aim back.
- Mind the knob. Don't bump it with your leg while standing; a bidet turned on with no one sitting sprays up and out of the bowl. If yours has a lock or a shut-off on the T-adapter, it's handy in a house with kids.
- Wipe the housing when you clean the toilet. A quick wipe of the plate and nozzle area, once a week, keeps it clean. Many models have a "nozzle clean" setting that rinses the nozzle; run it with the lid down.
Some men switch to sitting for everything once there's a bidet, because they're sitting anyway. Your call.
Hair
More hair means a slightly longer rinse, or two short ones. That's it. Water does the work paper struggles with. Pat dry rather than rub, and give it a moment longer to dry.
Front rinse: do men use it?
Attachments with a second nozzle call it "front", "feminine" or "lady wash", because it's aimed for women. Men can use it for a front rinse after a workout or on a hot day: lowest setting, a second or two, pat dry. Most men just use the rear nozzle. If you want a front rinse and your attachment has only one nozzle, a squeeze bottle or the shower is simpler than contorting.
Pressure and cold water
- Start low, always. The same knob position feels different in different homes because household water pressure varies. Never start at full.
- Stronger isn't cleaner. Past a point it's just uncomfortable. Find the lowest setting that does the job.
- Cold is cold. A non-electric attachment sprays cold-tap water. The first second is the worst. Most people stop noticing within a week. If you can't stand it, see warm water options for an attachment.
- Weak spray? Check the wall valve is fully open. The low pressure guide has nine fixes in order.
Drying without damp underwear
| Way | How | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet paper | A couple of squares, pat, don't rub | Most men, especially at first |
| Your own small towel | Kept apart from the hand towel, one per person, washed often | Cutting paper further |
| Air dry | Sit a moment, lean forward, then stand | When you're not in a hurry |
Damp boxers are the main complaint men have in the first week, and it's always the drying step being skipped. Pat dry, wait a few seconds, then dress.
What not to do
| Don't | Why | Do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Start at full pressure | A jet, and probably a wet seat | Lowest setting first |
| Turn it on standing up | Water over the rim and onto the floor | Sit first, off before you stand |
| Sit too far forward | The stream hits the front | Sit back, lean forward |
| Use the bidet before going | Healthline notes a Japanese study that linked using a bidet before a bowel movement with itching | Use it after |
| Dry with the hand towel | Nobody wants that | Paper, or your own towel |
| Rinse for minutes on high | Not needed, and uncomfortable | A few seconds, low |
When to see a doctor instead
A bidet isn't a treatment for anything, and we make no health claims. If you have pain, bleeding, a lump, or itching that doesn't go away, see a doctor; don't just turn up the pressure. After surgery down there, ask your doctor before using a bidet. If it hurts at the lowest setting, stop.
Standalone bidets abroad
In Italy, France, Portugal and other countries you'll find a separate low basin next to the toilet. It works differently:
- Use the toilet first, then move over to the bidet.
- Straddle it. Facing the taps gives you control of the water; facing away is also common.
- Run the water and test the temperature with your hand first. These usually have hot and cold.
- Rinse using your hand and the stream, then dry with the small towel provided (that one's for this, not your face).
- Rinse the basin after.
Sharing a bathroom
- Knob fully off after every use, so nobody gets surprised.
- Seat down after peeing, if you share; the knob is easier to bump with the seat up.
- One drying towel per person.
- Tell guests: "the knob on the right is the bidet, start low."
Your first week
| Day | Try | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The dry run, then one go at the lowest setting, paper first | Where the stream lands; how cold |
| 2–3 | Skip the paper before; lean forward a little | Your spot on the seat |
| 4–5 | Try a little more pressure, if you want it | The lowest setting that does the job |
| 6–7 | Settle your routine | How much paper you use now |
Mistakes almost everyone makes once
- Knob to full on day one. You'll only do it once.
- Testing it standing up "to see". The ceiling sees.
- Sitting forward. Sit back.
- Skipping the dry. Damp boxers.
- Not telling a guest. A yell from the bathroom.
Where ASSJET fits
ASSJET is an under-seat attachment: one knob, one rear nozzle, cold water, no plug. Sit back, turn the knob a little, done. It isn't on sale yet. While you wait, find out which bathroom god you are with the quiz.
FAQ
Do men use a bidet the same way as women?
The steps are the same: sit back, start low, aim by moving, pat dry. Women's notes on direction, the front nozzle and periods are in how to use a bidet as a woman.
Which way do men face on a bidet?
On an attachment or bidet seat, forward, as you sit normally. On a standalone bidet, either way; facing the taps is easier.
Can you pee standing up with a bidet attachment?
Yes. Lift the seat as usual, aim forward in the bowl away from the nozzle housing, and don't bump the knob.
How do men keep from getting sprayed in the front?
Sit all the way back and lean forward slightly. If the front gets wet, you're too far forward.
Do you still need toilet paper?
A little, to pat dry, unless you use your own towel or air dry.
How long should you use it for?
A few seconds is usually enough. Stop, check, and go again if needed.
The full first-timer walkthrough is in first time using a bidet, and if you haven't got one yet, how to choose a bidet attachment starts with the fit check. More in our bidet guides, or take the bathroom god quiz.
Sources
- How to Use a Bidet Properly (using a bidet before a bowel movement and itching, cautions), Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-use-a-bidet
- How To Use a Bidet as a Man, Premier Bidets. https://premierbidets.com/blogs/news/how-to-use-a-bidet-as-a-man
- How to Use a Bidet for Men, Storables. https://storables.com/furniture-and-design/bathroom-accessories/how-to-use-a-bidet-for-men
- How to Install a Bidet (turn the pressure knob slowly, pressure varies by home), TUSHY. https://hellotushy.com/blogs/bidets/how-to-install-a-bidet