Why Most Americans Don't Own a Bidet
October 18, 2014
By Dr. Mercola
If you live in the US, there’s a good chance your bathroom
does not contain a bidet. Yet, if you travel to certain
parts of Europe, South America, the Middle East, or Japan,
bidets are commonplace – and they wouldn’t have it any other
way.
For those who aren’t familiar with how they work, a bidet
looks similar to a toilet but it is designed to help you freshen
up after toilet use. Most modern bidets have one or
more jets that spray water, allowing you to straddle the device
for a cleansing far superior to toilet paper.
In fact, the word “bidet” comes from the French stout pony by
the same name. It got its name because sitting astride a bidet
is very similar to the position you would take if riding the
small horse.
Today, there are even better and easier to use bidet seats
(which you can put atop a regular toilet) and bidet toilets,
which are like a toilet and a bidet in one (a wand under the
seat sprays water).
Bidet seats are far less expensive to purchase and install
and although some high-end ones retail for $1500, many can
easily be found for well under $100 (with no need for a
plumber). For me, they are an essential part of my hygiene.
In fact, the thing I miss most when I travel is having access
to my bidet, so I always bring along my portable travel bidet
(which is similar to a plastic spray bottle, but much easier to
direct the water flow) when I leave home for an extended period.
Bidets are easy to use, hygienic, gentle on your skin, and
good for the environment… so why haven’t Americans adopted this
form of personal cleansing?
Why Bidets Aren’t Popular in America
There are a number of theories why bidets haven’t taken off
in the US the way they have in other countries. The device is
said to have originated in France in the early 1700s. At that
time, the bidet was basically a bowl full of water, from which
you could splash water using your hand.
Around 1750, a hand pump was added that allowed water to be
sprayed upward.1
From there, the modern bidet was born. As reported by Today
I Found Out:2
“The modern bidet that resembles a toilet was
developed in the 19th century, and the very popular bidet
seat came about in the 1960s, with one of the most popular
invented by an American, Arnold Cohen…
In the 1980s, the modern seat was improved with the
creation of the ‘washlet.’ Using remote-controlled wands
that spout water jets and finish with a warm-air dryer, the
washlet is hugely popular, particularly in Japan.
So why don’t Americans use this? After all, if fecal
matter got on just about anywhere else on your body, you
wouldn’t just wipe it off with toilet paper and call it
good. Why should your derričre be any different?”
The most plausible theories for why Americans prefer to be
sans-bidet include:3
- History: In the 18th century, Britons
had a disdain for French aristocracy (which were among the
first to champion the use of bidets). When the early
colonists came to America, they may have brought this
sentiment with them.
- World War II: During this war, US
soldiers likely saw bidets in French brothels (and probably
nowhere else), which spread the idea that they were “dirty”
or “immoral”
- Conservatism: The first bidets involved
using your hand to cleanse your genitals directly. Americans
have, traditionally, been conservative in this area and
probably preferred the “shield” of toilet paper between
one’s genitals and hands (in fact, the US was so
conservative that the first toilet flushing wasn’t seen on
film until the 1960 film Psycho)4
Are Bidets Becoming More Popular?
According to Kohler, which is the largest manufacturer of
bidets in the US, yes, especially among the elderly.5
If you have arthritis or are unsteady on your feet (which means
you may have a difficult time showering regularly or even
twisting to wipe properly on a toilet), a bidet can provide
excellent personal hygiene.
There is also a theory that using a bidet may help prevent
urinary tract infections due to better cleansing, and this is
another reason why they’re becoming popular among older
populations.
But that’s not all. Others in the bathroom industry say
bidets are catching on as a high-end luxury… a way to upgrade
the last “bastion” that hasn’t yet been upgraded: the toilet.6
Indeed, you can find bidets, bidet toilets, and bidet seats with
many spa-like luxuries, from digital temperature
controls and “precision” warm air dryers to even
motion-activated lids.
Do You Know How Much Toilet Paper Americans Are Wasting?
If the idea of increased freshness and less irritation
doesn’t appeal to you, consider this: Americans use close to
8 million tons of toilet paper every year,7
and forests are being destroyed to keep up with this demand. As
reported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):8
“Giant paper producers are forcing the destruction of
our continent's most vibrant forests, and devastating the
habitat for countless wildlife species in the process.
Instead of making better use of materials such as
post-consumer recycled fiber and agricultural residue to
meet the escalating demand for toilet paper, paper towels
and other disposable tissue products, these companies buy
virgin pulp from suppliers that reach deep into North
American forests for timber, from northern Canada to the
southeastern United States.”
If every US household replaced even one roll of
virgin fiber toilet paper with one made from 100% recycled
fibers, 423,900 trees would be saved.9
You can also opt to choose toilet paper sourced from forests
certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
However, even toilet paper that comes from specially planted
tree plantations is not a sustainable choice in the long run, as
these single-species plantations cannot compare with the
species-rich forests that have formed a natural habitat for
centuries.
Aside from the waste, the process of bleaching toilet paper
white leads to the creation of
cancer-causing
chemicals like dioxins and furans, which not only enter the air
but also waterways, soil, and the food chain. Exposure to even
low levels of dioxins has been linked to hormone alterations,
immune system impairments, reduced fertility, birth defects, and
other reproductive problems.
Are You Missing Out on the ‘Luxury’ of a Bidet?
Obviously, toilet paper hasn’t been around that long. Before
its invention, people around the world turned to their
environment for the best ways to clean up, using whatever items
were most practical and available. This included objects like
corncobs, leaves, and coconut shells to handfuls of snow… but
no, I’m not suggesting you give this a try (unless
you’re so inclined!).
A bidet makes far more sense and pays for itself in no time
with the money saved on toilet paper, and helps save valuable
environmental resources while reducing pollution.
When you use a bidet, you may still need a sheet or two of
toilet paper to dry yourself (unless yours has a built-in
dryer), but that is a tiny fraction of what you would need to
clean yourself. This can easily be done using reusable cloths
made from cut up flannel, sheets, or even an old t-shirt, too.
The bidet may be making an emergence in the US as a “luxury”
item, but once you try it you’ll view it more as a necessity.
Most people I know who’ve tried one love it and only
wish they’d gotten one sooner.
Copyright 1997- 2014 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
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