An anal douche kit's primary use (in the sex world) is to make sure your rectum is clean before engaging in anal play. The Universal Douche System by California Exotic is a simple bulb-type douche syringe that comes with two interchangeable nozzles. To use, you attach the nozzle of your choice to the bulb, fill the bulb and nozzle with clean, warm water, lubricate and insert the nozzle into your anus, and squeeze the bulb. The water sprays inside you, and when it comes back out (which will probably be quick), it washes out anything that might be inside you that could get on a body part or toy.

The best time to use an anal douche is before anal play if you want to ensure cleanliness. The Universal Douche can be used alone or with a partner, depending on your preferences.

There are two main components of the Universal Douche System, the bulb and the nozzles. The bulb is made out of rubber and does have a rubber "tire store" smell to it. The nozzles are made of hollow PVC material and do not have a noticeable odor.

The Universal Douche's squeeze bulb holds 8 fluid ounces of water, and a full squeeze sprays out about 6 ounces. The bulb is made out of a rubber that is easy to squeeze, although the size of the bulb might make it awkward to use if you have small hands. There's a small flat area on the base of the squeeze bulb, but it is not large enough to enable the douche to stand upright with a nozzle attached.

The connection between the bulb and nozzle is a threaded nipple that did a good job of sealing against leaks, and makes it a little easier to clean this system by allowing you to remove the nozzle from the bulb during cleaning.

The nozzles are both made out of soft, hollow PVC. They are flexible enough to where you don't have to worry about the causing injury during use, and they are smooth and seamless. Both nozzles are on the large size, though, one with 6-1/2" insertable length and the other with about 7" of insertable length. While the shorter, bulged nozzle looks wider, both nozzles have a maximum diameter of about 1-1/4 inches. The length and width of the nozzles means that this set might not be a good match for someone new to anal play.

The Universal Douche system does what it's supposed to, but it does have some quirks. These are mainly connected with the nozzles.

California Exotic makes their nozzles out of soft, hollow PVC with three small holes at the tip to allow the water to flow. This construction method has some benefits, the chief one is that the nozzles are flexible and it would be very difficult to injure someone with them, since they'll bend to follow the curves of the rectum. The three small holes also help to slow the flow of the water and turn it into a gentle spray, and slow and gentle water flow makes enemas/douches much more comfortable.

The biggest downside of these nozzles is that the large internal area makes it difficult to get all the air out when you're trying to fill up the bulb, and injecting air is uncomfortable and makes the enema more difficult. Squeezing the bulb with one hand while putting my thumb over the holes before turning the syringe over into a bowl of warm water helped, but did not entirely solve the problem (especially with the curved-end nozzle). In addition, the three holes spray over a large area, a spray that is difficult to contain unless you're in the shower. Once you upend the bulb into the water, the easy-squeeze bulb and small holes in the nozzle work together to create a syringe that is very slow to fill up. Once full, it tends to roll around because the flat on the base isn't quite big enough to hold the bulb and the nozzle upright.

After use the Universal Douche System should be washed out and allowed to dry completely to prevent decay or the growth of microorganisms. While the PVC nozzles are resistant to most lubes, the rubber bulb means that you should probably choose a water or silicone-based lubricant for this toy. If you choose a water-based lube, be sure to reapply when necessary as the douche water will wash off the lube. After use, it's best to store the rubber bulb in a cool, dry place where it isn't compressed.

While the detachable nozzles make cleaning the Universal Douche easier than cleaning the Cleaner Torpedo, it is still difficult to clean the nozzles well. The screw attachment appears to be permanently joined with the nozzle, so you can't clean the inside of the nozzle with a brush. Because of this it's a good idea to try and keep things from being forced in the nozzle during use, and soaking the nozzles in 10% bleach from time to time might be a good idea (note that this will not sterilize the equipment, merely disinfect/sanitize it). The screw joint attachment on the bulb slips out easily, enabling you to clean the inside of the squeeze bulb much easier.

The Universal Douche system comes in a cardboard box that is anything but discreet (fortunately Eden puts it in a nondescript shipping carton), emblazoned with pictures of everything that's inside. There are few included user's instructions, only a three-sentence direction advising you to "...screw in the desired attachment into the soft pliable water bulb. Fill with your favorite liquid and you're ready to go." The limited instructions are unfortunate because giving an enema safely requires that you keep a few things in mind. Fortunately there are some good Internet sites on anal douching and enemas.

After trying out the Universal Douche System as a bulb syringe, I noticed that the container advertised that it "works with the Universal Water Works System", a shower-shot type product made by California Exotics. While I don't own one, I did try the nozzles alone attached to the hose of a standard gravity-flow type enema system. They were much better used in this manner. It was easy to remove all the air, and the fact that the nozzles only had to be inserted once per douche (rather than the 2-3 times it took the bulb to inject enough water) made things much more comfortable, and the fact that the 5-1/2" tall bulb was not attached made the nozzles much easier to manipulate and insert. They both did a pretty good job, and I didn't have any problems with them coming out during the douche. I think that in the future I'll use the nozzles this way rather than trying to use them with the bulb (which would have been much more useful with a smaller, more open nozzle).

In the quest for other ways to use toys I discovered one alternate use for the Universal Douche. When used with a condom (for cleanliness), the bulged straight nozzle can be used as a bead-stick.