There are so many types of bidets out there and the shattaf (aka bum gun) seems to get very little love from Westerners. They are found in just about every bathroom in Asia, however.
The fact is that they are cheap and easy to install, easy to use and last forever. Not to mention that they do a great job at helping you go toilet paper free by keeping you clean using just water.
People seem to be intimidated by using one, so I made this guide to shop you there is nothing to worry about.
Here are the helpful tips and answers to some of your burning questions about what it’s like to use a handheld bidet sprayer.
Once you have an idea on how they work and you decide you want one, then head over to the review article for the 5 best bum guns!
How do you use a handheld bidet shower sprayer?
A bum gun is very easy to use, you just need to understand what will happen the first time. If you do it wrong you can end up with water everywhere and wonder what made you buy one in the first place.
Once you have it down pat then it will be like second nature and you’ll instead wonder why you took so long to buy one.
Here are some simple tips on how to use your shattaf:
Flush first
First, make sure that you flush the toilet before you set about using the bum gun. The contents of the bowl surely do not smell so nice so the experience will be much better if the toilet is emptied.
Besides that, you also don’t want a stray jet of water stirring up the pot and getting poop everywhere.
Once you flush and have a clean area to work, then proceed to the next step.
Do a water pressure test first
There isn’t much regulation on water pressure aside from the lever on the nozzle itself. Think of it like a garden hose sprayer and you get the idea. If you hold the lever down all the way, you’ll get maximum pressure. Push it down slightly and you get a gentle mist. Some versions do have a knob with an adjustable water pressure setting which is convenient, but those that don’t will require you to use your own pressure from squeezing to adjust.
Before you use it on yourself, point the nozzle head down into the toilet bowl and give it a test spray. This will show you if the pressure is too high and you risk discomfort or getting a shot of water everywhere.
Practice makes perfect
You’ll need to find exactly the right angle to make this work and the first time you try it may not be the best. You may have to maneuver a few times before you find the right position for yourself that will make it work.
The first thing to do is to angle the nozzle facing downward. If you are reaching down from the back then this will be a bit tricky but when you get the angle right gives you less risk of spraying it everywhere.
Hold the sprayer upside down, basically the opposite of how you would hold a garden hose sprayer. Then tilt it forward so it is going to spray a bit downward. Keep your legs closed and point the nozzle toward your anus but slightly downward so the water goes into the toilet bowl as it flows off of your butt. You don’t want to spray your poop all over and this angle will make sure it goes right down into the toilet.
Get it close to your target
You’ll also want to get the nozzle close to your area that needs to be cleaned the most. The pressure of the jet should wash away any residue quickly and easily. The sprayer jet is usually concentrated to make this easier.
If you can get it around 2 inches away or so then you will get clean faster. And at the same time, you’ll make no mess this way as all of the water spray radius is on target so none will get all over the place.
Use a towel to dry
You should have some towels next to the toilet strictly to use to dry off. Some of these cloth toilet towels do the job nicely and will leave your bum dry and then all you do is toss them in a bin dedicated to your used clothes. They are not exactly dirty since your bum gun cleaned you off really well if you used it right. But, obviously they do have germs so they shouldn’t be used over again. You can use toilet paper but that defeats the purpose of the handheld bidet sprayer. And you’ll end up with shredded bits of paper on your bum.
Once you’re done always make sure to turn off the water supply by turning the valve closed.
To learn more about the best ways to dry yourself after using a bidet, then click here!
Always wash hands after
Once you’re done and dried off, simply wash your hands well. You likely didn’t get them dirty since they never actually touch your butt. And the likelihood of getting poop sprayed on your hands is very low, but since you wash your hands after going to the bathroom anyway then this is an obvious last step.
Is a bum gun sanitary?
Yes, a bidet handheld sprayer is very sanitary. It doesn’t make contact with your bum and it sprays at an angle so that any poop will not spray back on the nozzle or your hand while spraying.
It is much more sanitary than wiping and needs very little maintenance.
Wondering how clean you get from a bidet? Are they even sanitary? Read this article to get all the details!
Does it spray poop?
It may seem like you are going to spray your poop around that is on your bum, but it won’t. When you use it properly, it just flows down so the dirty water goes right into the toilet and not all over the place. Also, if the pressure is so strong that it can spray poop around, then it is way too strong. The spray on these is regulated to be safe to use and not be so strong as to be out of control and get poop all over the place.
Is it safe to spray water in your bum?
The spray is almost always gentle when you buy a decent bum gun. The ones on the list above are good examples. They are gentle and easy on your sensitive bits so they are safe. Some people might want to use their bidet as an enema, but the bum guns are generally not great at that since the radius of the spray is not concentrated enough.
The Brondell CS-30 is probably the only exception since you can spray a concentrated jet of water that may get inside your bum.
But, it is still very safe to do this since it is not so strong as to do any damage.
If you are looking for a bidet to give you an enema, then check out this article with the best ones to do that.
Bum gun vs bidet
If we’re going to rank things, then the bum gun is much better than using toilet paper but not as good as a bidet attachment or bidet toilet combo. Those are much better at cleaning hands free and are much easier to use. They have the option to give you warm water, a bum dryer and other nice features.
So, if you are thinking about a handheld bidet sprayer vs bidet seat, then I would direct you to look into the other types of bidets. Unless you are talking about a stand alone old school bidet. Those are not as good as the bum gun and are much more intense since you actually have to use your hands and get dirty in the process.
Not convinced that a bum gun or bidet sprayer is right for you? Check out the toilet bidet combos reviews here!
Bottom Line
There are a lot of options to getting rid of toilet paper and doing better for your hygiene and the environment. A bum gun sprayer is a step in the right direction. While they might not be the first choice or even best choice for some, those that have them love them. Especially as cloth diaper cleaners and to use to clean your toilet bowl in addition to cleaning your bum.
If you have any questions about using a bum gun then drop a line in the comment box below.
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For the hand held or the the one inside the toilet. How do you hook up the hose to the water supply. Does it somehow hook up to the sink faucet, and if so, how? I can just see ordering one, and it doesn’t fit the faucet. I want to get one, but none of them explain this. Thanks. C. Van Dyke
Hi Claude
There is a connection that you put on the incoming water to your toilet tank. It’s a splitter so you get water going into the tank and also to the bidet hose. If you want a warm water bidet sprayer the same type of splitter is attached to the incoming hot water to the sink so you can use the sink normally.
Thank you for your instructions for the handheld bidet sprayer bum gun. I’m elderly, handicapped and have very limited movement. I have a very difficult time using toilet paper. I purchased one of these sprayers hoping it will help my bum stay cleaner and not be as difficult for me to use. I guess practice is vital to making this work for me. The first time I used it I ended up with water everywhere which took me 20 minutes to clean up and I didn’t get my bum completely clean. I still had to use toilet paper. Plus the water that came out of the sprayer never got warm. It was just right when I set the water temperature in the sink before I used the bum sprayer. I tried increasing the hot water but the water coming out of the sprayer was still too cold. I have excellent water pressure so that’s not the problem. Have you any suggestions for me? Thank you!
Hi Donna
I wish there were a simple way to help you out. On the first front, it literally is just about practice. Unfortunately, I don’t think these are ideal for people with limited mobility. The seat attachment types that spar water onto you are much better. I don’t know if you want to substitute your sprayer for one of those. If so, you can get a non electric one for around $40 or so. They are easy to install, but if you have limited mobility I suggest getting some help. As far as how to make it warmer, I would check to make sure that the hose is attached correct and that the warm water is actually making it to the sprayer. i suspect that there was an error in the installation.
Sorry I can’t be more of a help!
Denise