Okay - maybe not the most "proper" of threads but could be a good laugh. We all know the French think we're dirty as British bathrooms do not generally have a bidet.
I'm presuming you all have one now in your Italian bathrooms - but what do you really use it for ???

Washing my feet in the summer time when they are hot and sweaty.

Soaking stained clothes - especially the pomodoro and ragu stains from school dinners - (does it ever come out ?)

Teaching little ones to wash their hands and faces at their height instead of struggling to reach the sink.

A temporary dumping ground for all the bits and bobs on over-sink shelf when I'm cleaning the shelf and mirror.

Mine seems to have become Barbie's private swimming pool and a great place for "let's fish" games.

A safe place for our two little dwarf hamsters when the cage gets cleaned - so far the tap hasn't been turned on whilst they're in there - lol

Great thread!

Thanks I never thought of using it to teach my little one to wash her hands.

We use it as our magazine holder for those great peaceful times

We don't have a bidet. I took it out and replaced it with a sink. I don't know where the previous family washed their hands after having "a peaceful time"!

What - you mean you had a bidet but no sink ?????

Well one good thing to come out of the bidet, is that my Italian mother in law will not go on holiday anywhere that is wihout one. What a shame we are moving to the UK, where they just happen to make bathrooms without bidets!

wow - guess we all now know how much you want her to come and stay for a month !!!!! lol

Why is it that they cant just come and stay for a few days, or even a week?! What does it have to be for so long ?! And why do they have to just take over everything ?! Grrrrr! We should start a new thread on mother in law stories!!

Lovely idea about mums in law. Would have to be in PM though in some cases

I finally had an experimental go on my bidet, and while not unpleasant, I had no idea how to dry my... umm... posterior. I didn't fancy using my face towel, and I thought that toilet roll would just disintegrate with that much water!

Kitchen roll, anyone??

maybe the Italians keep one of those silly little tiny towels that always seem to be included in a pack, just for drying off their bottoms ....... does anybody want to go and ask an Italian friend ????
Maybe next time I need the loo in an Italian house I might just let my hands drip dry or wipe them on my jeans - lol

Yep never use someone elses little towels...just in case

Much better to teach your little one to wash her hands in it than anything else. A true story I know is of one particularly germ-a-phobic Italian mum who gave her daughter a bidet wash with all those "intimate" soaps everytime she had a wee wee (and other) and ended up getting a rollocking from the pediatrician because she'd given her 3 year old cystitis !!!!!!!!!! Blooming mad !

My daughter now has to use a stool to reach the tap over the sink after an American friend's son told her off for using the bidet! At least I don't mind putting it to it's proper use now...refreshing!

I remember first coming across one in a hotel as a teenager - in Italy as it happens. It was a school trip and everyone assumed they were foot baths! Being the smallest I drew the short straw and was told by my "mates" to use the "footbath" to wash my hair! This was a communal bathroom in a ski hotel!! I dread to think! Mind you, what the maids made of all the long hair in it the next day.......!

I bet you now use it to crouch over to trim all those long hairs you have - unless you go for the bikin wax - ouch !!!!!

a trim and a rinse ............. lol