Posted on 05/22/2013 9:49:51 AM PDT by NotYourAverageDhimmi
The U.S. has long prided itself on being a cleanliness-first nation. All throughout my childhood, I heard about "dirty" Europeans and "smelly" French folk. My school friends, and sometimes even their parents, would joke about how women in other countries didn't shave legs or armpits and how glad they were that kind of behavior didn't fly in America — unless one was a "dirty" hippie, that is.
We have been through the toxic wringer and back in attempting to keep our homes not only sparkling clean, but germ-free (which very well might be contributing to supergerms and auto-immune diseases per the "hygiene hypothesis"). And we spend tons of money in pursuit of that elusive state. Thankfully, many of us have realized the irony of bringing a plethora of chemicals into our homes to make it "clean," and nontoxic product use is on the rise. Nonetheless, we are still a dirt- and germ-avoiding nation.
Which is why it has always surprised me that bidets — which can be separate basins or integrated into a regular toilet (if one is lacking space) — are so uncommon in America.
After all, what could be cleaner than actually washing oneself after using the bathroom? Relying on toilet paper is often insufficient, and not only does extra TP usage mean toilet clogging is more common, it is clearly wasteful to use TP for a job that's beyond its powers. Bidets are a far greener solution to using reams of extra toilet paper to make sure you're clean.
And ironically, bidets save water too (even though they use it). How? Well, think about how many times you have taken a full-on shower when you didn't really need one, because you felt a bit sweaty (after sports), uncomfortable (from wearing restrictive clothing), or just not clean down below (after sex)? (Or for women, while menstruating?). Not only is it a hassle and a time-waster to take more than one shower a day, but it's a waste of water and fossil fuels for all that extra hot water.
Bidets are found throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia (especially Japan) and pretty commonly in South America (basically everywhere besides the U.S., Canada and Australia), but I know exactly one person who has one, and he is originally from South Africa.
But bidets are growing in popularity in the U.S. - the Toto Washlet being a specific brand that is popping up in all kinds of home renovations and new buildings. (I've seen them featured on house-hunting shows on TLC as well as in listings for NYC apartments; for now they are always considered a "perk" or "extra.") Here's one trend I hope will trickle down — pun intended.
The next time I know I'll be living somewhere for more than a year, I'm going to invest in an in-toilet unit bidet for myself and my partner. How about you: would you consider a bidet during your next bathroom upgrade?
I always put the author’s name. I looked for the author’s name after the title and after the body of the article (the normal places you’d find it). I guess “Starre Vartan” didn’t jump out at me as a name. I must have subconsciously thought it was some product of sorts.
I would get one in a heartbeat!
There is nothing impressive with having crap a paper-thin distance from your hands.
Just take a few folds of paper, spit and wipe.
Americans shower more often...you dont need a bidet if you already practice good hygiene.
And....bidets are not practical in much of this country. Living in Florida...a bidet would mean more risk of fungal and mold type of dieases because your crotch stays damp in an already damp climate
Euros also practice more of the American type of hygiene....so bidets there are less common now
save your money on a new ‘unit-toilet’ and just add a spray nozzle like the one on your kitchen sink to the water supply on your toilet.
I saw that In Thailand and thought it was a great idea (although a very cold idea)
If you, like the french, only shower once a week, you may need one of those contraptions.
bidets are very popular... in the middle east
Seriously? ON FR you are poroposing that we become more “european”?
Hippies and Euroweenies; darn them all to heck!
This reads like an infomercial for the bidet named at the end of the article. My first thought is the author has invested in that particular brand.
I had spinal surgery about a year ago. We knew that I’d be restricted for months and I wasn’t crazy about having someone helping me out.
So we got an in-toilet bidet. It’s basically a fancy toilet seat with the bidet built in.
We love it and yes, it does work well. Ours came with a remote control so that we can ‘aim’ the stream exactly where it needs to go each time. We’ll wipe once after (just in case) and every once in a rare while we need to let the machine do a second cycle.
The key is to dry yourself well. Don’t pull your pants up if you’re still wet or you’ll be setting yourself up for some jock itch. (Just as you use a towel to dry yourself after taking a shower.)
I agree with the author. It makes no sense that Americans are so behind the times with this issue.
And it’s unbelievable how much less TP we’re using!
What can I say? I like a clean bunghole, and not all European ideas and inventions are bad. Take, for instance, Scotch and Burkean Conservatism.
You do need to wipe once just to be sure that you’ve really got it all and that also drys the area. Ours has a blow-dryer, but I prefer to use a towel if it’s necessary.
The ones I’ve seen in the US don’t require electricity at all.
The Japanese like to make things electronic so I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they needed electricity to operate the ones in Japan.
The hand towel by the sink. Just don’t put it back please.
Occasional splash back is bad enough. Why would anybody want to sit on a secondary toilet-like structure, and get sprayed with potentially contaminated water, directly on their vulnerable body parts? Eww! Toilet paper and personal wipes do the job better, without the ick factor.
My wife loves bidets which are more typically for women
But women still use toilet paper down there
Bidets just freshen up a gals sweet spot
I think they are great
Not true
Western Europeans are however more likely to shower rather than draw a bath
Americans and Japs probably use baths most over showers
Thanks. I’ve also posted that dialog. Better than Shakespeare.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.