So if you're bidet-curious, understand that it's not likely to boost the value of your home. If that—along with a special form of cleanliness—is your goal, perhaps a washlet is the way to go.
Bidet cost savings
Compared head-to-head, consumers who exclusively use toilet paper consume over 64% more rolls than bidet-users. With a national average of 89 cents per role, that means bidet users can save up to $50 per year per person.
Since they clear all residue from your skin, bidets offer improved health and wellness. A bidet can help save you money usually spent on toilet paper. Bidets are friendly to the environment and reduce paper usage. Bidets reduce the risk of clogging, so they help save plumbing costs.
Many residents believe bidets are illegal in Australia. This is partly because their usage is still quite rare among Australians. In reality, bidets are very much legal in the country, and their usage is highly encouraged during these trying times of COVID-19, where toilet paper is a scarce resource.
To be legally installed in Australia, certain plumbing and drainage products, including bidet products, must be certified through the WaterMark Certification Scheme , which is administered by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB).
But, like in the US and UK, bidets aren't commonly used here in Australia. We've never developed a culture of using them, instead opting for multi-ply toilet paper instead.
“A high-pressure water jet flow should be avoided as it causes reflex contractions of the anal sphincters and might damage the mucosa and anal sphincter in the long term.” Dr. Swartzberg put it in more plain terms: “This is a horrible idea.” Many bidets have a setting that is strong enough to penetrate the anus.
Handheld bidets can be mounted to the wall, and depending on the brand, design and colour selection installation can vary between $300-$1000.
In the United States, bidets recalled all kinds of feminine failings: women's sexuality, women's unwanted pregnancies, and women's biology. As such, they were shunned. Meanwhile, other countries continued to embrace the bidet. As it spread into northern Europe and southern Asia, the design morphed a bit.
In Europe, the country that uses the bidet the most is Italy. There is even a law in Italy that says that every home has to have a bidet in it. There are a few other countries where they have become popular.
Based on the limited research regarding bidets, it's generally considered safe and effective as a hygiene aid. It's important to follow usage instructions, though, particularly with jet stream pressure and water temperature.
However, excessive bidet use potentially causes anal pruritus and anal incontinence (AI). Physicians are advised to instruct patients with anal pruritus to avoid excessive cleaning of the anus and those with AI to discontinue bidet use.
1. Hygiene. The top reason for investing in a bidet is that they are more hygienic than paper. If your hands get dirty, you wash them with soap and water and wouldn't dream of rubbing them with some soft paper to get the dirt off.
Toilet paper is a standard clean-up tool after pooping, but it's not the healthiest way. Bidets are gentler and more hygienic than toilet paper, which just smears around your poo. Bidets spray a small stream of water onto your butthole, rinsing off leftover fecal matter. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Always-Clean Water for Your Bidet
The water that is used in a bidet wash does not come from your toilet bowl. It comes directly from your water supply and is sanitary – just like your drinking water. There is no need to worry whether the water that is washing your backside is safe.
Bidets are more hygienic.
Water is used to thoroughly clean skin surfaces and crevices rather than wiping, which can lead to the spread of fecal matter and bacteria.
It's clear that the widespread use of bidets in many countries has its advantages. The lack of popularity in the UK and US likely has to do with a combination of factors: unfamiliarity, lack of space, cost, and more.
When do you use a bidet? Use a bidet after you poop, but before you wipe. Sure, you can wipe first, but most people who use a bidet find it easier and cleaner to just use the bidet. This is because the water pressure will adequately clean your bottom without the need for toilet paper.
While currently only 12% of the population of the United States has regular access to a bidet, that number is changing, with more and more people purchasing new toilets or attachments that provide the cleansing capabilities of the bidet to an ever-increasing number of bathrooms across America.
Due to plumbing adjustments, bidets and bidet attachments are typically more expensive for plumbers to install than standard toilets. Depending on the features of a bidet, you may also need to hire an electrician to help with the wiring.
Even while they might cost more upfront, they can help you save money on water and power costs as well as on toilet paper. Bidet toilet seats are an affordable upgrade choice because they are typically less expensive than entire bidet toilets and are simple to install on your existing toilet.
However, these studies failed to exclude reverse causation, and the role of habitual bidet toilet use as a cause of hemorrhoids or urogenital infections remains controversial.
The modern bidet seats even have drying options. If you press the 'Dry' button, provided there is one, the air dryer will dry the area. If you are using the traditional bidet, you can dry using toilet paper or a towel. In most public toilets with bidets, towels are provided on a ring next to it.
If you're Muslim, however, there's an additional bathroom need that has to be met: There must always be a small vessel, to be filled with water, with which to wash your nether regions. For Muslims, toilet paper alone doesn't cut it. Our tech predates it. The vessel can look any number of ways.