The Rising Popularity of Bidets in the USA

Have you ever heard of a bidet? If you were born and raised in the United States, there is a good chance you haven’t. This is because, despite the enormous and long-lived popularity of this bathroom appliance in other developed countries, the bidet has only recently begun to catch on here in America.

Although we can’t be sure why Americans never made the bidet a part of their daily hygiene habits until now, there are quite a few theories floating around. One of the most popular—and most likely—theories is that the people of the US believed the French to be dirty and didn't want to adopt their "poor" hygiene habits. Since the French were likely the first to use bidets, Americans most certainly were not going to adopt this habit and become "unclean" themselves.

A bidet is a small shower specifically made for cleaning oneself after using the restroom. Sometimes these little showers come in the form of a separate wash basin which the user straddles. Other times, the bidet will be built into the toilet itself, making it much more user-friendly for anyone who may be hesitant to give it a try.

Bidets are the ideal way to ensure you are completely clean after using the restroom, and are considered necessary by many people in Europe, Asia, and South America. Folks who grew up using them would likely find our hiney-cleaning methods appalling, preferring the water jet cleaning they are accustomed to.

Though they are still fairly uncommon here in the States, the popularity of these handy cleaning devices is slowly growing, and the sight of a bidet in a US bathroom will likely become commonplace over the next several years. In the past few years, bidet sales have grown by double-digits each year, and bidets have even been mentioned on some of the more popular home-improvement television shows.

Here are some of the reasons why more and more Americans are adding bidets to their bathrooms.

Good for the Environment

Let’s face it, toilet paper is not exactly good for the environment. Approximately 27,000 trees are used for making toilet paper each and every day. This means fewer trees and thinner forests, and neither are good for our beautiful planet.

Instead of wasting all those beautiful trees on paper we will simply flush away, why not install a bidet? Sure, it uses a bit of water, but the amount of water used is relatively small and doesn’t even begin to make an impact as big as the one made by the production and disposal of toilet paper.

Better Personal Hygiene

Toilet paper doesn’t always clean very well, and often, we are left with skid marks and a smell that is less than pleasant. Why in the world wouldn’t you want to clean up with water after using the restroom? A modern bidet uses strong, well-aimed jets of warm water to leave you feeling fresh and clean. This makes them good for cleaning up after exercise as well.

Ideal for the Elderly or Disabled

Anyone who has ever had to ask for help cleaning themselves can tell you just how humiliating that is. However, many elderly and disabled people could be saved this embarrassment by having a bidet installed in their home. Because a bidet will leave a person feeling clean with the push of a button, it is the perfect solution for anyone who may have trouble twisting around to clean themselves.

Less Irritation

The skin on our undercarriage is some of the most sensitive skin on our bodies. Wiping this area with paper on a regular basis can cause some pretty bad irritation and leave us feeling raw or sore down below. A bidet can easily remedy this problem by providing you a way to clean yourself without all the rubbing. In fact, the warm stream of water could even go so far as to soothe any irritation you may have from past paper usage.

Fewer Infections

If you have a hard time with UTIs, a bidet might be just the solution for you. Often, toilet paper does nothing but spread infection-causing bacteria around and leave them to cause problems later. A bidet ensures your nether-regions are left clean, making your body less prone to urinary tract infections.

Money Savings

Installing a bidet seat is an inexpensive investment that is well worth the money spent. The amount of money you will save on toilet paper is astounding, and you may even see a savings on your water bill since you will not need to shower quite as often.

Additionally, you will save on plumbing costs, as your system will rarely become clogged. Because plumbing problems are typically expensive to fix, the savings in this area will be wonderful for your savings account.

Conclusion

Clearly, bidets have a lot of good points. To top it all off, they carry very few negatives, and many of the negative points the bidet used to carry have gone by the wayside with the new, improved bidet models on the market.

While many people will blame cost for their lack of bidet, this is no longer a valid excuse. Many of the bidet seats on the market today are very inexpensive. In fact, a decent bidet seat can now be purchased for less than $100. These seats often include special temperature and aiming controls—a special bonus for sure. Additionally, these seats can usually be installed quickly and easily by anyone who is at all handy with a set of tools, making them inexpensive to install as well.

Those without a bidet in their home have a hard time believing it could possibly be effective or comfortable. These people should definitely give a bidet a try. They may just be pleasantly surprised with the cleanliness and comfort offered by a bidet.

If you have ever considered installing a bidet in your home, we hope this article has helped sway your decision. Bidets are the ideal way to keep yourself clean and fresh throughout the day, and may even become the future of American bathroom habits in just a few short years. Why not get ahead of the game and enjoy all the benefits of owning a bidet by installing one in your bathroom now?

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