AquaFem powered douche

Does anyone have or at least remember the AquaFem electric douche machine? I had one years ago, but lost it in a storage locker burglary. It had an electric motor running a pump, and provided a powerful spray intended for vaginal douching. Being an enema freak, I used it for enemas.

Diane

Yes. I bought one years ago. It was very similar to the Finesse machine, sold for about the same time and for about the same price.... about $30 to $40 in 1975 dollars ( $140 to $190 today)

The AquaFem came with two vaginal douche nozzles (one for mom, one for daughter ??). Each nozzle came apart into two pieces, very like the Shy nozzles.

The Finesse also came with two nozzles: a conventional vaginal douche nozzle, and a "mini-bidet" nozzle, designed to shower the external pubic area.

Both machines held about 2 quarts of water in the machine cover, turned upside down to form a reservoir and were both designed to sit on top of the toilet tank. Both machines has a small electric pump. The AquaFem supposedly added sir to the douche water stream and advertised it, but I'm unconvinced of it's efficacy.

As to enema use, it didn't work well. The water stream was really no different than from a conventional bag a few feer up. The nozzles were all designed for vaginal douching by a woman seated on the toilet. The flow control was close to the outer end of the nozzle. To use one for an enema, one you'd have to be almost a pretzel. Although I never tried it, it's likely the machines could be used to give an enema to another, standing or kneeling near the toilet.

The introduction of disposables and the high price likely killed the machines vin the marketplace/

Hi Sean,

Thanks. Yes, I remember the two piece nozzles. The internet was new back then, but I did come across an explanation about how to disable the air and not be introducing air into the water stream. It did give me pause that the water was only an inch away from 110 volt electricity inside that little box. I put a plastic clamp on the hose so I could turn the gadget on and not spray water until I was ready, and at that point it was just like using the clamp on an enema bag. It had a pretty powerful flow, like an enema bag hung high. I liked it primarily because it was kinky.

I never knew about the Finesse device.

Diane

Diane,

Yes I bought one off of Ebay and like you used it for enemas. I still have it and will be selling it soon as I am clearing out my collection. If you like I could notify you before I sell it if you are interested.

@azdiane

Diane, I think your time line is off. The internet didn't really get going until the mid-1990s for the general public.

I know for certain the Finesse and the AquaFem were around in 1975 because my Finesse was bought in that year for use by my then g/f and we broke up before 1976. I bought the Finesse because it was sold at a local department store.

Coronet, yes please do let me know.

Sean, I got my Aqua Fem used. It was a gift from a kinky friend, and might easily have been manufactured in the seventies.

Here is a link to information about it the Aqua Fem with pictures. An interesting apparatus and the 120 volts input into a device that is squirting water into the vagina does give one pause for thought.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-electric-aqua-fem-hygiene-20651043

I remember the Aqua Fem, it came on the market in the '70s and didn't sell. My dad bought several on the initial offering and most of them were still in inventory when he sold his drug stores. The product was terribly ill-conceived. Where do you douche? Shower. Toliet. Bidet. Who has an electrical outlet close to any of the three? The electrical outlet might not be the only reason the Aqua Fem didn't sell but they didn't sell.

Here is a link to information about it the Aqua Fem with pictures. An interesting apparatus and the 120 volts input into a device that is squirting water into the vagina does give one pause for thought.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-electric-aqua-fem-hygiene-20651043

Thanks for the link! I remember when it came out. Naturally it caught my attention. Seems funny that any company would actually make such a thing when a classic fountain syringe does the job so much cheaper, easier, and better. What were they thinking, what kind of market research was done... I think the only people who would buy it might be enema aficionados (but even I didn't buy it)...

@ddel2

There were two similar machines that came out about the same time, ca 1975. they are surprisingly similar and, in all probability, one is a knockoff of the other. I suspect, but cannot verify, that the AquaFem was copied from the Finesse. Actually, I bought an AquaFem and a Finesseat a drug store in an exclusive suburb in NJ in about 1990. They had likely been sitting, unsold for 15 years.

I suspect that the market research was badly flawed.the machines were certainly designed for douching while seated on the toilet. Bidets were never in the picture as in the 1970s far fewer than 1 in 100 US bathrooms had (and even now have) a bidet fixture.

Your point about electrical outlets is valid. In fact, GFI outlets were uncommon in 1975 and many electrical codes require any electrical outlets to be a minimum of 6 to 8 feet from any fixture. The designers didn't do their homework.

IMO, they failed in the marketplace because: they were too expensive, provided no increased functionality over a bag, douching was discouraged by the feminist movement, and, of course, disposables.

I remember these from the mid 1970s. First noticed them in one of those catalog showroom stores that were popular in those days. As others have stated, it was puzzling how the makers intended to find an audience for such a device. Electrical outlets (in the US), if present at all in the bathroom, where built in to the light fixture above the vanity mirror. If I recall correctly, an illustration depicted the unit sitting on the edge of a bathtub (!). The idea of a pulsing enema was intriguing, but I did not want to spend the money on such an appliance. I think it came with douching powder too.

@UncleO

I never saw an ad with the unit sitting on a bathtub rim. Just on a toilet tank. Also, the water did not pulse on either unit. the AquaFem did tout entrained water.... sort of like a carbonated drink... but I never noticed it when playing with one.

See the AquaFem ad:

https://external-preview.redd.it/eZ2L4tvyqPMv3PBf-8wOaoyJMmbMaJ1czD85eKI_W0M.png?auto=webp&s=f215120fc9fc8753b0d32062e6b86b0cda35f21e

https://picclick.com/1974-Aqua-Fem-feminine-hygiene-kissing-clean-all-153984617518.html#&gid=1&pid=1

@Victoria1951

Yes, Victoria, those are the ads I remember. I actually have them in hard copy. The grandma ad is iconic.

Also, you commented on using a clamp to control the douche flow. I'm certain there was a flow control device at the end of the hose, similar to a slide clamp on a douche bag. I think there flow control on the AquaFen was by rotating the eggish shaped thing, but am not certain.

At first glance, the ad linked below where it mentions "You don't act like you grandmother, so why do you douche like your grandmother" certainly catching my eye - but what comes to mine is it's going to be an ad for some kind of new no-muss, no-fuss disposable douche product...

I bought an AquaFem and a Finesseat a drug store in an exclusive suburb in NJ in about 1990. They had likely been sitting, unsold for 15 years..

Curious where the store was...

This sort of reminds me of the early Waterpik dental appliance that we had many years ago. Can't help but wonder if the water coming out of the Aquafem pulsed the same way because if it did there might be a thrill factor in addition to a clean vagina.

@Westy

There was no real pulsing from the water in either appliance. Both used small centrifugal pumps, which provide a continuous flow. Also, both used a very soft, latex like hose, which tends to smooth out any small pump pulsations.

OTOH, a Water Pic is designed to pulse.

@reddevil

Why do you think the store location was curious? It was in an upscale bedroom community, close to NYC. If a woman there could afford expensive perfume, why not an expensive douche appliance?

I love the ad. I didn't remember the ad but as I stated above, I do remember the Aqua Fem product.

There was a girl in the sorority house with me, who was an advertising major. She used to make up ads for different products either using slogans from other commercials or popular songs. As I stated in another post she had a field day with Cupid's Quiver, a scented and flavored douche. "Your lover

will love you for it." "Aren't you glad you use Cupid's Quiver? Your lover is!" Apparently, she wasn't aware of the Aqua Fem because I don't remember any of her slogans for it but if she had it would be something like this. "I'm going to wash that man right out of my ..." "When it was so good, a little squeeze won't make it." I doubt if any advertising campaign would have boosted this product for as I said earlier, it was ill-conceived.

@reddevil

Why do you think the store location was curious? It was in an upscale bedroom community, close to NYC. If a woman there could afford expensive perfume, why not an expensive douche appliance?

Sorry, what I'm curious about (interested in knowing) is what community it is.... perhaps it's a store I might have purchased enema bag(s) from as I could never resist checking out every new store I happened upon back in the 1960's - 1980's during my travels..

@reddevil

An independent drug store on the main street in or near Bloomfield NJ. about 30 years ago

I never saw any ads like this, but my mother did not ever subscribe to or buy any women's magazines of any kind where those ads would be published. I have to say that I do like the file name when you save the image to your computer. The file name for the photo is - "Aqua-Fem-feminine-hygiene-kissing-clean-all". You just gotta love that "kissing-clean-all" part.

@highndry

The ad was from the mid-1970s... the height of the sexual revolution brought about by The Pill. It was the era when all STDs were curable by a shot of antibiotics... a decade before AIDS.

There were other similar ads, for flavored douches, like Cupid's Quiver... the first "Gyno-Cosmetic". this was also the age before radical feminism became rampant.

I remember seeing a color ad for the Aqua Fem in an old magazine. There was a woman with the nozzle draped over her hand saying, "This is exactly what you think it is!" Anybody else recall that one?

I'll keep that in mind when I can finally get to Toronto and start cleaning out that basement ! My Aunt (Mom's sister) thinks there might be one down there

@Sean: An independent drug store on the main street in or near Bloomfield NJ. about 30 years ago

I had purchased at least one enema bag from that store, if it's the same one. Was called Terry's Drugs if I recall and it was a nice store (what I call “upscale”). The store is close to Holstein's confectionery where the last episode of the Soprano's was filmed. The enema bags were kept up on a wall behind the cashier, maybe in a large glass case?, so you had to ask for it.

@reddevil

Sounds about right. It was certainly a upscale store.

A fantasy runs thru my old noggin thinking about the AguaFem …. I'm going out and picking up my date for the first time and upon using her bathroom, there but it see there's an AquaFem sitting on top of the toilet tank! … Naturally I checkout, and like a moth drawn to a flame I go for the douche nozzle, inspecting it, and go so far as to sniffing it!

I hear they're coming out with one powered by Briggs & Stratton. More power & you don't have to plug it into the wall.