By Ashley Zimmermann, Creative Content Director for @designREMODEL
Image by sferrario1968 from Pixabay
I am excited about this journalistic adventure. We’re crossing into still largely unfamiliar territory, and I am here for it. I am thoroughly American, so, like many Americans, I admit that I’ve never used a bidet. I have heard they can be quite nice. I recall seeing one or two during past vacations outside the U.S., but perhaps I saw more; admittedly, I didn’t really know what I was looking at. The bidet is a polarizing topic and today we will investigate why that is the case. If most other regions of the world appreciate and use bidets, why doesn’t the U.S.? What are we missing out on?
So what is a bidet?
A bidet is a bathroom fixture that offers a heightened hygienic experience after using the toilet. Bidets use a stream of water so you can wash up right then and there. It is often a stand-alone appliance that looks like a sort of sink, about toilet-height, next to the toilet. Other popular options are Think about the bidet experience as a mini bath or shower built into your restroom visit.
Some history
Bidet means ‘pony’ or “small horse” in French. This term arose in France in the 1600s when the French aristocracy started using small basins to wash up after using the chamber pot. One would straddle the washbasin, which looked like riding a horse.
“Bidet King” Arnold Cohen tried to get the American Bidet Company off the ground in 1964. He really tried, but it was in vain: “I installed thousands of my seats all over the suburbs of New York, and we had offices all across the country. But advertising was a next-to-impossible challenge. Nobody wants to hear about Tushy Washing 101.”
Japan, on the other hand, had immense success. Japan introduced their Toto Washlet in the ‘80s, and Japanese households caught on. My first recollection of a bidet was actually the high-tech version found in Japan. I don’t remember what the context was, but that is my first associated memory of hearing about the bidet.
Insider says bidets are very popular in Italy and Portugal, Japan, Argentina, and Venezuela today. According to Ranker and BBC, an Italian building law states that all Italian homes must have a bidet installed!
Today in the U.S.
Why don’t Americans like and use bidets? Maria Teresa Hart sums it up nicely in her article in The Atlantic by saying, “Americans seem especially baffled by these basins.” I would say that captures the sentiment accurately. I found a gif online that also captures more American thoughts: the image is of Homer Simpson pressing a button on an ornate bidet, with colorful water bubbling up like a fountain and then more colors jumping around like a small water show above the basin. I haven’t seen this episode of the Simpsons, but the sentiment being projected is this: bidets are fancy and foreign.
Of course, this is a prejudice. Youtube’s Today I Found Out discusses this in their appropriately-titled video “Why Don’t Americans Use Bidets?” They narrow it down to three reasons:
Old prejudices
Habits
Comfort level discussing ‘taboos’
Firstly, many American colonists were British descendants. Brits looked down upon the ‘decadent’ French way of life; bidets were an example of unnecessary indulgence that did not sit well with the practical, hardworking Brits and American colonists.
Another lifestyle prejudice became apparent during World War II when American soldiers witnessed bidets in French brothels. Ironically, they came to associate bidets with a licentious and hedonistic lifestyle.
Toilet talk still is a taboo topic, along with other health topics. I believe American conservatism, and thus apprehension, surrounding these topics can be traced back to Puritan roots. I’ll summarize this apprehensiveness differently: Americans don’t like change surrounding deeply ingrained habits and are uncomfortable discussing toilet hygiene. Here is another piece of evidence: while researching material to use for this article, I typed in a phrase along the lines of “why are Americans uncomfortable discussing toilet hygiene” and the article titled “Why Americans Don’t Like Bidets” by Newsweek (mentioned above) came up as the first search result. That speaks volumes.
Benefits
This is, after all, an article about bidets as bathroom fixtures and not merely a discussion about American toilet hygiene, so let’s move along. Bidets do seem to be worth the hype. The number one positive? A better, more hygienic clean. It is a fact that bathing oneself is more effective than wiping away dirt, etc. with a piece of paper. Gently washing can also be beneficial for those prone to some medical conditions. Newsweek quoted a statistic from Mental Floss: wiping with dry paper or wet wipes contributes to the 30 million annual cases of various maladies that could potentially be avoided. Arnold Cohen actually attempted to launch the bidet trend in the U.S. out of motivation to make things easier and more comfortable for his ailing father.
Youtube’s Today I Found Out tells us that 36 billion rolls of toilet paper per year are used in the U.S. alone. Here are a few more TP stats:
“It takes about 384 trees to make the toilet paper that one man uses within his lifetime.
The average person uses 100 rolls of toilet paper per year (over 20,000 sheets).
The daily production of toilet paper is about 83,048,116 rolls per day.”
In addition to being wasteful, the cost of toilet paper adds up. New York Post says, “A recent survey of 2,000 Americans found the average respondent spent $182 on toilet paper every year, as well as an additional $15 per month since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.”
Options for your home
You will likely encounter a toilet seat bidet attachment today (in public or at a personal residence) rather than a separate bidet apparatus next to the toilet. You will likely be looking through these options when selecting something for your home. Thankfully, a committed journalist at Business Insider did some hands-on testing to make your shopping experience easier. They tested 27 bidet toilet seats and attachment options in 2021 and determined that the Coway Bidetmega 400 was the best for most people.”
Another top pick is the Toto Washlet C200, according to Health.com. This one has “an easy-to-use remote control with an illuminated touchpad, rather than a side panel … The wand has a dual-action spray that includes pulsation as well as oscillation for an added, more intense feeling of clean.” This Washlet is deluxe, keeping with the Toto tradition. Even the value-option, the “entry-level” Toto Washlet C100 has some pretty high-end features including soft-close heated seats, PREMIST cleansing spray, adjustable water pressure, air deodorizer, adjustable water temperature, front-and-back dual spray, and warm air dryer with five temperature settings! According to Toto, their luxury version is the Toto Washlet S550E. This one includes a “hands-free, automatic open-close lid and built-in night-light.”
The Tushy is another new option, at a very affordable $99 for the TUSHY CLASSIC 3.0. This video shows how easy the installation process is. Installing a Washlet also looks similar and straightforward.
Perhaps it is not too late for the bidet. COVID has brought about many shifts in attitudes and conversations surrounding hygiene, supply chain, and costs (specifically toilet paper). We shall see what bidet popularity looks like over the next few years.
I learned A LOT writing this article. I hope you did, as well!
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI5shsQuauY - Why US Bathrooms Don’t Have Bidets
https://www.today.com/home/everything-you-ve-always-wanted-know-about-bidets-t102276 - Everything you've always wanted to know about bidets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6dvGXiT5H8 - Why Don’t Americans Use Bidets?
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bidet - Definition of bidet
https://www.businessinsider.com/best-bidet - The 5 best toilet seat bidets we tested in 2021
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/03/the-bidets-revival/555770/ - The Bidet’s Revival
https://www.health.com/home/toto-washlet-review - The Best Toto Washlet Bidets for Any Budget
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26851005 - The joy of bidets
https://www.ranker.com/list/why-dont-americans-use-bidets/genevieve-carlton - Why Do So Many Countries Use Bidets But The US Doesn't?
https://www.health.com/home/toto-washlet-review
https://www.newsweek.com/amplify/why-are-americans-against-using-bidets - Why Americans Don’t like Bidets
https://www.bidet.org/blogs/news/15605664-arnold-cohen-bidet-king-extraordinaire - Arnold Cohen, Bidet King Extraordinaire
https://www.ranker.com/list/why-dont-americans-use-bidets/genevieve-carlton -
http://www.toiletpaperhistory.net/toilet-paper-facts/toilet-paper-fun-facts/ - Toilet Paper Fun Facts
https://washlet.totousa.com/how-it-works - How it Works
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9DAGF1cJK8 - Installing a Washlet S300e, S350e, or new B100 Washlet
https://nypost.com/2020/08/25/how-americans-are-literally-flushing-thousands-of-dollars-down-the-toilet/ - This is how Americans are literally flushing thousands of dollars down the toilet
https://hellotushy.com/collections/bidet-attachments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZKxmk_dIVg - How to Install A TUSHY
https://www.insider.com/bathrooms-around-the-world-2018-7#bidets-are-popular-in-italy-portugal-japan-argentina-and-venezuela-3 - Here's what bathrooms look like all around the world
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/541835/best-way-to-wipe-your-butt-expert-tips - The Best Way to Wipe Your Butt, According to the Experts