Hand-Held Bidet Sprayers: Everything to Know About Them

Last Updated on September 14, 2023 by toilethaven

Hand-held bidet sprayers are a decent alternative to toilet paper, especially when you don’t have enough money to buy high-end bidet seats or stand-alone bidets.

A hand-held bidet sprayer consists of a spray head, a bidet hose, and a T-valve. The T-valve creates a junction on the water supply line such that water flows to both the toilet tank and the bidet head.

Hand-held bidet sprayers are used to clean oneself after using the toilet. Hold the bidet sprayer at an elevated angle between the legs, pull the trigger gently, and start cleaning. Since bidet sprayers are non-electric, use a towel or toilet paper to dry yourself.

While choosing a bidet for your toilet, you will need to choose one among the 5 types of bidets. These include:

• Stand-alone bidets
• Bidet toilet combos
• Bidet seats
• Bidet attachments
• Hand-held bidet sprayers

Stand-alone bidets are not preferable to most people since they need you to:

• Have an extra space in your bathroom.
• Tear down your bathroom floor to install new plumbing.
• Hop from your toilet for cleaning.
• Strip down and straddle them for effective cleaning.

Bidet toilet combos and bidet seats are the best types of bidets but are quite expensive especially electric-bidet seats. You are then left with bidet attachments and bidet sprayers.

Both bidet attachments and bidet sprayers are non-electric and inexpensive. So which is the better choice between the 2? I have compared them for you further below in this post.

Best Bidet Sprayers

So, what is the best hand-held bidet sprayer in the market? The following are, in my opinion, 3 of the best bidet sprayers today. One is a bit more expensive, then there is a mid-range pick, and the last is the budget pick.

1. Purrfectzone Bidet Sprayer

The Purrfectzone bidet sprayer is made of high-quality materials for both durability and reliability. Bidet sprayers tend to leak, and that is something the manufacturer of this bidet has tried to deal with by adding a cone washer to the connecter.

Its smooth stainless steel exterior makes it easy to clean and will never rust. Its installation will not take more than 10 minutes, even if you have no plumbing experience.

The one thing bidet sprayer users don’t like is that water pressure is not standard. It varies from house to house. When the pressure is too high, it can slightly hurt your rear end.

I like that the Purrfectzone sprayer adjusts depending on how hard you push the lever. You have the option between soft and jet spray. The sprayer can be wall or toilet-tank mounted. This is great for toilet cleaning, diaper laundering, bathroom surface cleaning, and personal hygiene. This adjustable spray lever is great for front cleaning, especially during pregnancy and/or menstrual cycles.

3. Brondell Hand-Held Bidet Sprayer

The Brondell CleanSpa hand-held bidet sprayer is one of a kind. This is not surprising given that Brondell is one of the best bidet manufacturers, as is reflected by their state-of-the-art Brondell Swash 1400 bidet seat.

The CleanSpa advanced bidet sprayer is ergonomically designed for the best user experience. Its bidet head is curved to help you achieve the right angle while cleaning.

Unlike other bidets, the spray head is skinny and uses a button instead of the usual trigger. This makes it easily fit in between your legs and the toilet bowl.

3. SmarterFresh Hand-Held Bidet Sprayer

Although I have ranked this bidet as a budget pick, it is not the cheapest. I would also not advise you to go for the cheapest option in the market. Bidet sprayers are generally inexpensive, and the cheap ones could easily fail.

The SmarterFresh Lifetime bidet sprayer is made of high-quality materials to prevent leaks and for longevity. Its T-valve is made of solid brass, while the hose and spray head are made of stainless steel.

Once you buy this product, you can have full confidence in it as it comes with a lifetime guarantee. The guarantee covers leaks, manufacturing defects, and loss of water pressure.

How to Use a Bidet Sprayer

Bidet sprayers are easy to use. If you have never used one, then this is how to go about it:

1. Open the T-valve

This depends on whether the person who used the toilet before you left the valve opened or closed. It is always a good practice to close the valve and drain the water in the bidet hose.

The bidet spray head is not designed to be under constant water pressure. Doing this will overwhelm the seals and may leak after a while.

The valve is also helpful for people with kids. We all know how much kids like to play with such things, and the last thing you want is to find your bathroom flooded.

So check the condition of the valve. If the water pressure in the house is too high, you can open the valve halfway.

2. Take a good aim

While using toilet paper, some people wipe from the rear while others wipe from the front. With a bidet sprayer, you always want to do it from the front. Using the sprayer from the back will most likely have you splashing water all over yourself.

Pass the bidet between your legs and in the bowl, and focus on the area you want to clean. It is always a good idea to hold the bidet spray head at an elevated angle, such that the waste and the water will fall downwards into the bowl and not sideways.

Do not pull the trigger all the way instantly. Start by gently pulling it to have a feel of the water pressure. Adjust the water pressure as needed. A very high water pressure can hurt.

After fully cleaning, release the trigger and turn off the valve. Since there is still water in the hose, drain it inside the bowl.

3. Dry Yourself

Unfortunately, bidet sprayers do not have a dryer. You will then need to dry yourself using a towel or toilet paper. This usually depends on where you are.

If you are in your house, you can have a towel dedicated for that purpose. On the other hand, if you are using someone else’s bathroom, be sure to dry yourself with toilet paper. Only use the towel to dry your hands.

Pros and Cons of Bidet Sprayers

Hand-held bidet sprayers, like other bidets, have advantages and disadvantages. Let us briefly look at each of their pros and cons.

The Pros

All bidets are, in my opinion, better than toilet paper. But what would make you buy a bidet sprayer over other types of bidets? Here are the reasons why you should consider installing a bidet sprayer:

1. They are cheap

Almost all hand-held bidet sprayers cost under 50 dollars. This is, however, not the case with bidet seats, stand-alone bidets, and bidet toilet combos. You would need to part with hundreds of dollars to buy a decent bidet seat or even thousands for a bidet toilet combo.  

2. Effective for toilet cleaning

Although not originally designed for this purpose, bidet sprayers come in handy when you are cleaning a toilet. You are able to spray water under the rim of the bowl instead of having to flush after every scrubbing.

Apart from the rim, you can also clean the bowl’s exterior as well as the space between the seat and the bowl where a brush cannot reach.

3. Great for cleaning pets

Pets love being pampered. You need a bidet sprayer if you have a cat or a dog at home. Dogs especially love them during summer as they are a great way of cooling off.

4. They don’t need a power source

Electric bidet toilet seats and bidet toilet combos will need you to have a power outlet next to the toilet. If you, like most people, don’t have one, you will need to bring in an electrician to help you with it, which adds to the total cost of the bidet.

On the other hand, hand-held bidet sprayers are non-electric and do not need a power outlet. You connect it to the toilet water supply line, and it is ready for use in under 10 minutes.

The Cons

Now that we have seen the advantages of bidet sprayers, what are some things you may not like about them? Here are the ones you should know upfront:

1. Cold water cleansing

Bidet toilet seats might be expensive, but they clean you with warm water. This is especially great during cold winter weather, more so when combined with a heated seat, a feature bidet seats always have.

As I have pointed out, Bidet sprayers are non-electric and will clean you with cold water. If you are one of those people who dread cold water on any part of your body, then they might not be the best option for you.

2. You still need toilet paper

If you are an environmentally-conscious person and want to completely stop using toilet paper to save the environment, you will not like a bidet sprayer since you will still need toilet paper to dry yourself.

If you buy the bidet sprayer for a bathroom that only you or a few people use, you can buy one and use a towel to dry yourself. It becomes hard if you often have guests over and can’t have a towel for each guest.

For someone looking to completely cut off their reliance on toilet paper, I would suggest you buy an electric bidet sprayer.

3. They are not tidy

A friend once told me that bidet sprayers make a bathroom look “too busy.” If you are one of those people who like their bathroom fixtures looking elegant, then you might not like a bidet sprayer.

The problem with a bidet sprayer is the hose, which looks like a distraction on the toilet, especially if mounted on the tank. If you compare bidet sprayers with bidet seats, you will notice that bidet seats look way nicer.

Bidet sprayers could also start leaking. Water on the bathroom floor can lead to dangerous falls, especially if you have a tiled floor. Wooden floors, on the other hand, could start rotting if the leak is not fixed in good time.

Bidet Sprayers vs. Bidet Attachments

Bidet Attachments consist of a thin bracket with a nozzle and a control panel. It is installed between the existing toilet seat and the bowl. Some bidet attachments have two nozzles, one for the rear wash and the other for the front wash.

One of the things bidet attachments have in common with bidet seats is that both are non-electric. They don’t need an electric outlet in the bathroom, and the cleaning water is cold.

Some bidet attachments come with an extra hose that connects to the bathroom sink’s hot water line. This gives you an option to either clean with cold or hot water.

Bidet attachments are also not very different from bidet sprayers in terms of cost. They almost cost the same amount, but in each case, there are cheap ones and high-end ones.

One thing I must say about bidet attachments is that they tend to leave a small gap between the seat and the bowl, which is visible from the front of the toilet. This is because the attachment’s mounting bracket is sandwiched between the seat and the bowl.

When you sit on the toilet, it feels as though it is slopping forward (which it is), and the seat could even break. Some bidet attachments are pretty thin, minimizing this problem.

To read more on the 5 best bidet attachments, check out this post I wrote a few days before writing this post.

Bidet Sprayers vs. Bidet Seats

A bidet seat replaces your existing toilet seat. It has a retractable nozzle at the back used for posterior and front washing. Some bidet seats have two nozzles, mostly made of stainless steel, although Toto washlets are made of plastic.

There are two types of bidet seats: electric and non-electric bidet seats. Non-electric bidet seats are cheaper than electric bidet seats but have fewer functions. If you want a decent bidet seat, I would advise you to buy an electric one.

The main difference between bidet sprayers and bidet seats is that while bidet sprayers use cold water and have no dryer, bidet toilet seats use hot water to clean you and, after that, use a warm air dryer to dry you off completely.

The temperatures of the water and the dryer can be adjusted to suit the users’ preferences. Their water pressure can also be adjusted to different settings. High-end bidet seats have user presets that let you set and forget your preferred settings.

Bidet seats also offer other cleansing functions, such as pulsating and oscillating washes. An oscillating wash lets you clean over a wide area, while a pulsating wash gives you a massaging sensation.

Apart from the cleaning options, bidet seats have other features, such as heated toilet seats and nightlights. A bidet seat like the Toto S550e even has an auto lid opening and closing feature.

Bidet toilet seats are, however, way more expensive than bidet seats. I like the fact that they get rid of your reliance on toilet paper and have so many luxurious features.

Here is an article I wrote on The 7 Best Bidet Toilet Seats if you would like to buy one.

How to Install a Hand-Held Bidet Sprayer

A hand–held bidet is easy to install. This is one of those DIYs where you don’t need to pay a plumber to do it for you. It should not even take you more than 15 minutes to do it.

As mentioned, the hand-held bidet sprayer kit contains a spray head, bidet hose, and a T-Valve. In addition to that, you will need an adjustable spanner, Teflon tape, and sponge.

Here is the step-by-step guide to installing a bidet sprayer:

• Turn off the water to the toilet. To do this, look for a knob/valve on the wall behind the toilet. Turn it clockwise all the way.
• Flush the toilet and hold down the flushing handle until all the water has been drained. Since some water will still be left at the bottom of the tank, remove the lid and soak it up with the sponge.
• Disconnect the water supply line (line from the shut-off valve to underneath the tank) from where it is connected to the tank. Do not use a wrench, as it might deform the coupling. Use your bare hand unless the coupling is too tight.
• Apply Teflon tape on all the threads.
• Connect the T-valve to the tank. The orientation of the T-valve after that will be that one connection will be facing downwards while the other one will be facing to the side.
• Now, connect the water supply line to the downwards-facing T-valve connection.
• Connect the bidet hose to the remaining T-valve connection.
• Tighten all the connections gently.
• Mount the bidet holder on the toilet tank or adjacent wall.
• Turn on the water and check for leaks.
• If any leaks occur, tighten the connection some more.
• Test the bidet sprayer to ensure it is working as advertised

And that is how to install a bidet sprayer.

In Conclusion

A hand-held bidet sprayer is a great toilet paper alternative for people on a budget. It is even better for people with pets and those with young kids whose diapers they need to clean often. For those who can get a little bit more money, I suggest you buy a bidet seat, preferably an electric one. You will love it!