Common in Europe and Japan, bidets were invented in France in the 18th century as a means of more thoroughly washing and cleansing one’s bottom after dropping a load. More hygienic than the dry-wipe technique employed by most Americans, bidets can also remedy constipation, prevent hemorrhoids and urinary tract infections, and make your butthole feel like it just went to the spa.

Buoyed by start-ups like TUSHY and Sonny, and the longtime industry standard TOTO, bidets have been catching on in recent years, but for the most part are still a rarity in the United States.

“Most Americans know little or nothing about bidets at this point,” Ewan Grantham, a bidet proponent in Texas, told OK Whatever. “There is some growing awareness, but the usual postings I see are folks who don’t even know why there’s an extra switch on the toilet they saw while on vacation.”

The traditional French bidet resembles a small, oddly shaped toilet that is missing a lid. It’s usually located next to the toilet, and instead of sitting on it, you straddle it, allowing streams of water to squirt up unto your backside and genitals.

However, such stand-alone bidets can be costly and labor intensive, requiring extra space in one’s bathroom and additional plumbing work to set up. And, if you rent or lease your home, good luck convincing your landlord to let you install one.