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Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived? (wired.com)
272 points by pmoriarty on March 18, 2020 | hide | past | favorite | 281 comments



My wife made a joke about a bidet a few years ago, so also as a joke I bought us one for her birthday. The $60 attachment kind where you just plumb in a splitter from the source that fills the toilet tank.

It was a hit, so we bought one for family friends for a birthday - high hilarity as we heard the reports from their kids - and then more for our extended family at Christmas. Shocked reactions around the Christmas tree.

The response has been amazing, people saying things like "How did I do without this my entire life??" and "How was I such a savage before??" On vacation at AirBnBs we are looking forward to going home just so we can have a bidet again.

In most cases, you don't even need the extra features, like fan or warm water. Regular cold water is nowhere near as bad as you'd assume.


> Regular cold water is nowhere near as bad as you'd assume.

Perhaps not in California. But here in Calgary, Alberta, I assure you it is much worse than you'd assume.


Seattle checking in. Just used a questionably accurate meat thermometer to check the water coming out of our tap. It looks to be about 6C / 42F.

Brisk!


I’ve been used to a handheld bidet for a long time. When we bought our house 3 years ago, I installed in all the bathrooms. Our tissue consumption is 10% of what it used to be in the rental apartment.

When we had our baby and she was 1, we started cleaning her by teaching her how to sit on the toilet and washing with a hand held bidet. It was much nicer on her bum, significantly less rashes. We’d wipe off with tissue but it was less friction and sweat would be cleaned off.

Bidets are the right thing to do if you care about your ass and environment. It just feels so freaking good.

Yeah winter could be bad but usually it is tolerable.


How about the initial water after leaving the taps closed for, say, 20 minutes? :)


I own a bidet which costed about $400 which has a water heater, warm air ventilator, seat warmer, human presence sensor and even a remote control you can put on your wall. It's just a plastic seat I mounted myself on the old toilet.

Summer or winter it's always great to use it.


After trying it in Japan I've got one for my parents for like $200.

You must be animal to use those classy cold ones.


Great point. Bum washings would mostly be pretty warm due to unique features of our bathroom and condo heating... mostly. And I guess for the cold times, variety is the spice of life!


61f/16c here in the Bay Area


Using the same methodology here, I get 3.7°C or 38.7°F.


Eh, good for hemorrhoids I suppose.


I'm not sure how much water a typical cleansing will require; our cold-water one is on its way to the house now. But I reasoned it would probably not require more than a 1-2 second blast.

Given that it's plumbed in at the toilet tap, and that you'd use it before flushing, I would presume the water would be relatively close to room temperature, as the supply line is indoors just below the seat. That should be plenty for 1-2 seconds.


2 seconds is definitely not enough, unless you put pressure on "rectum destroyer" level. You don't need to wash it as clean as your hands, but give it 5 seconds at the least.


I am also in Calgary, using a bidet. The cold water gets to you but you need lots of pressure to knock those pesky poops off.


Ditto Norway. Had some visitors from South Africa once who declared that they had never believed that water from a tap could be so cold.


try being on lake superior. 2C all year


I use one in Toronto. Cold in winter.


In Toronto here, and I actually want it cold. Nice and refreshing!


> In most cases, you don't even need the extra features, like fan or warm water. Regular cold water is nowhere near as bad as you'd assume.

Depends how cold your cold water is. Can be a 10-15C difference between Northern US and Southern US in winter.

Also becomes important if you're sizing a tankless water heater:

https://www.tanklesshotwaterguide.ca/2012/06/ground-water-te...

Finally, warmer water will dissolve whatever it hits better, instead of just suspending.


We have water in NC as cold as you're likely to see anywhere indoors. Our municipality uses water towers to supply pressure so when it below freezing out, the water is definitely in the low 40s (F) if not below.

It's refreshing but you get used to it. My wife hasn't complained either. She rolled her eyes at me when I first ordered the bidets but was an instant convert.

(I just happened to install them in all our bathrooms last fall. Lucky timing. The model I installed was $35 on Amazon but it's now more than double that and not currently available.)


I tell everybody that a $50 sprayer attachment will get you 80% of the benefit of a full-on bidet toilet.


Spray/Jet is best. Required some plumbing and fitting jet between toilet sheet. All you need to do is turn on the knob.

No recurring cost of toilet paper.


I use TP with my bidet. Unless you want swamp butt, you have to. I use LESS, but there's certainly still a hard requirement.


Yep TP is required, but less compared to not using.


You can always use a towel!


The TP doesn't come out just wet always, a towel would be nasty soon.


I keep a stack of about twenty small, thin wash cloths (each one is about 8 inches by 8 inches) in a container on the shelf next to the toilet, and after using the bidet, I just use a single cloth to pat everything dry.

I then drop the cloth into a small bathroom trash can with a lid that is marked, "dirty wash cloths only". This small trash can sits down on the floor next to the toilet, and once a week I just wash the cloths along with the other towels. The cloths aren't even really dirty, since your butt is clean by the time you use them. I don't like the idea of re-using them without washing them though.

And just like that, my toilet paper usage has dropped to nearly zero.


Keep several small towels and wash and reuse.


I thought the goal was to be more hygienic. I can see this maybe working if you live by yourself but anything beyond that is: no thanks.


> I thought the goal was to be more hygienic. I can see this maybe working if you live by yourself but anything beyond that is: no thanks.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from holding that opinion, just pointing out that there are many, many people who regularly use cloth diapers for newborns. While many people choose not to use them, I don't think most people consider them a less sanitary option.


True, I guess I just live in a small place and the thought of having to maintain a shitty rag basket next to the toilet isn't very appealing. But I probably shouldn't talk without experience in either (bidets included).


You don't have to. If you use an electronic bidet, while it's true that drying is not so efficient, if you sit a couple of extra minutes on it you will get up dry.


Don't you end up using a massive wadge of toilet paper to dry your now dripping wet backside so it doesn't dribble down to your pants/socks?


It is not fountain. Just small stream of jet to wash the target area. No dribble down happens.


I've owned both, I agree.

The other "big" feature of a plugged in biden is meant to be the blower/dryer, but at least in my one (TOTO branded) it is a waste of time. If the blower actually worked (e.g. Dyson Airblade), it would be a significant benefit, but as it stands I agree you get 80% with a simple spray toilet seat (other 20% is heated water, maybe the moving head a little, although you still have to shift your body for good coverage).


How well does it work if your backside could be mistaken for a Yeti?


I dunno, but I imagine whapping Bigfoot with a newspaper doesn't exactly clean his face either. Water's just better, relatively speaking.


Get a beard trimmer, set to lowest height and cut back the thatch. Only takes a few minutes, once or twice a week.


If it's a considerable issue you could consider laser removal. I think it's very well worth it for hygienic reasons.


I've had zero success with a dryer -- I end up just drying with toilet paper...


how do u know when ur running clear if u know what i mean? I've never used one before


typically use a few sheets of tp to dry off afterwards, so you'll know if you're done or not


this almost defeats the purpose for me lol, i thought it was going to be paper free


How does one use a sprayer attachment? It seems like positioning would be awkward.


You position yourself; the water stream stays where it is. You get used to it very quickly and know where to expect it to be based on where you’re sitting.


Ah, I thought you were talking about the handheld gun versions.


Even with that, it's only slightly more difficult than knowing where to aim the toilet paper.


only in Texas, where they use a pressure-washer ;)


I've been to Japan 3 times now and the toilets are amazing. You can have things like motorized up/down seat + cover. Water heater, seat heater, drying. And, something I never tried but there is also a music thing to cover up the sounds too.


Jacuzzi left the washlet market about a decade ago and I was able to get one of their closeout models. It was one of my best buys of my life. Sadly it died about five years ago and I've been living in rental houses since around that time and haven't bothered to ask any of the landlords if they'd be willing to install a power outlet behind the toilet.


Some of the Google campuses have those Japanese toilets installed.


Serious question: we are very soon running out of toilet paper. Because of the panic from the virus, our nearby stores have all been out of toilet papers for a couple of weeks now and we've been unable to restock so far, so it was a golden opportunity for me to bring back up the idea to try out a bidet (SO is reticent but it beats having no toilet paper to wipe with)

My problem is that I don't know how to "hang" the handle when it's not in use. The bathroom is all tile from floor to ceiling and we're tenants so we can't drill to hang an attachment. I've also seen systems that hook over the tank's wall, but our toilet has the tank in the wall (it's a German style toilet for those who know what I mean: tank in the wall and toilet seat hanging from the wall rather than the floor)

I'm also not convinced with the little arms that install under the seat which reaches out when water flows, because I'm very concerned about back splashing on it when using the toilet and being unable to thoroughly clean the arm. This would spray soiled water where we don't want it.

I'm hoping someone in a similar situation figured something out: what system do you use?


Suction cups or some special adhesive that does not leave residues?

Disclaimer, never tried those myself.


That's what we (I'm italian, wife too) keep asking ourselves when we moved to Canada.

There is a whole set of pains involved in not washing with water after the fact.

We used the shower for a while, but it's a huge timesink.

We kind of solved with squirt bottles currently.


In Europe, I only see the ones that attach to the inputs from the bathroom sink. That way you can control the temperature.


Right now the best thing you can do is to get a TOTO travel washlet. Despite the travel label it works just fine daily.

Totally SFW video on how to use one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBAY1GWjjaQ

You can buy one at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B005FDJ8SM/ref=dp_ol...

I had a washlet installed in 2009 when I bought my home and I was on a several month client on site late 2011 when out of sheer desperation I searched for a travel washlet not that I could imagine how one would work.


Can also get a squeeze bottle that women use to wash when recovering from child birth. Costs like $10 for 3.

https://www.amazon.com/Perineal-Lavette-Irrigation-Bottle-Pa...


This is what I have too and it works reasonably well. I was joking to a relative that she could purchase a home depot hand pumped garden sprayer with a wand as a substitute during the corona virus crisis.


I fitted a hand-held shower head on one of those and used it for showers when we lost our water heater a few months back. Worked pretty well if you don't mind 'boat showers.' I could see where your idea might actually work.


It seems like this would be permanently contaminated. How do you store it, etc., in a sanitary fashion?

And for that matter, filling it without contaminating the sink/whatever seems iffy.


Why would it be...? You do not shove the nozzle where it does not shine and you just rinse it the nozzle after using it the rest doesn't even get close to any unsanitary locations. Can't imagine why would it be ... contaminated?


Because some fecal matter will inevitably be splashed onto it.


Minute amounts, yes, but again, just rinse it after use and it's the nozzle anyways not the whole unit.


I guess, but a little bit of excrement is a lot to some of us, and I'm not that thrilled about spreading it to the sink. :-P


How are bidets different in this regard? It'd probably be easier to clean this one than a stationary bidet? Note: I haven't owned either.


As a permanent fixture, I imagine it to be like a toilet. It's always contaminated, but this can be dealt with similarly.

The portable device, on the other hand, has to be put somewhere. I guess you could have a "poop shelf" nearby that you always assume is about as clean as the bottom of a toilet seat. Actually traveling with that seems iffy, though.


You are very seriously overthinking this. Rinse , done.


Every time I hear someone say that they stopped using toilet paper after switching to a bidet, I have some serious questions. Because I've used bidets and washlets of all kinds, and I've never met one that actually cleaned fully without also rubbing/wiping. So, ok, using wet paper can get you much cleaner and is gentler than dry paper, but blasting wet feces droplets all over the place with a jet spray alone isn't so great if it still doesn't get you clean.


The feeling of wetness is something that you get used to once you realize that your butt clean.

On the flip side, most people who use toilet paper think their butts will get completely clean. That is actually not the case.

But either is not a big deal because the skin in that hind area is quite resilient.

To the surprise of many people, the game-changer in bathroom hygiene is properly washing hands after using the toilet. People in developing countries lack access to clean water and soap. Nobody really misses toilet paper.


> The feeling of wetness is something that you get used to once you realize that your butt clean.

I'm not talking about wetness. I'm talking about feces. As in sitting there getting blasted with a sprayer for well over a minute trying to hit all the angles and then seeing brown on the paper being used to dry up. Just spraying water does not work on its own. If you wipe normally first, then a bidet afterward will probably get you cleaner. But if you don't wipe first then there's no guarantee that it will do better on its own than wiping would have.


I'm with you. A bidet alone doesn't get peanut butter out of dog fur, if you know what I mean.


Even just a few seconds running normal pressure bidet is extremely effective. Let it run for 10 seconds, use hot water, use a rotating sprayer (or just wiggle around a bit) and there is absolutely nothing left. Don't forget your skin doesn't want poo on it and gravity is also actively working against anything sticking.


> Let it run for 10 seconds, use hot water, use a rotating sprayer (or just wiggle around a bit) and there is absolutely nothing left.

Personal experience does not agree with you. But I'm glad that it works well for someone.


Honestly, maybe you aren't getting enough fiber. I take a psyllium husk pill a few times a week. If I take one daily I could literally get away with zero wipes some days if I wanted...


hair in the butt area also has a big impact


Method 1: You hold the spray/jet in one hand, use the other hand to gently wash. Then wash your hands (twice) with soap and water.

Method 2: If there's a jet/bidet fixed on the toilet that shoots a stream of water, you still need one had to gently wash the butt. Then wash your hands (twice) with soap and water.

There's only one issue with this -- public toilets/hotels where you don't want to touch the spray gun. Need Toilet Paper there.

That's how we all are taught to do in south-east asia atleast. *I feel unclean if I'm using toilet paper alone! Billions of people do it this way!


An effective bum gun sprays water with a lot of force. There's a certain way to aim it (to be specific, first near your anus and then circle outwards) that completely removes all feces in just a few seconds.

I have tested the cleanliness with paper, but after 6 years now I never need any paper. Unless your ass is really hairy there won't be as much residual wetness as you'd expect and air drying for a moment is enough.


i think this is a you problem. after moving to japan, i've been using bidet exclusively and it's much much cleaner.


This can be a sign of a health problem. Seriously, you should mention it to your doctor.


Best way to use a bidet is with soap, your hands, and a towel.


I've had a bidet in my bathrooms since I was born (actually I believe we have bidets since at least my father was born in 1951) and:

1. I can not imagine my life without it 2. In my very humble opinion the only effective use of bidet, as parent states, is seated towards the tap using hands, soap, and mildly warm water. After that, washing hands at the bathroom sink


> On the flip side, most people who use toilet paper think their butts will get completely clean. That is actually not the case.

Do they?


> On the flip side, most people who use toilet paper think their butts will get completely clean. That is actually not the case.

yeah yeah we are all unhygienic savages, but isn't this what the two showers a day are for?


Only two? That IS savage.


Probably depends on your diet, quantity of hair, weight/cheek mass, and usual bristol score.

With TP some people need a couple of sheets and they come away with a clean sheet, others need half a roll.


So what you're saying is that I need to shave my butthole, hit the gym, and lawyer up?


Don't shave your ass-hair: https://www.craigslist.org/about/best/lax/35274458.html


This seems like the time for the classic Big Brother article with Nair http://i.imgur.com/KwhJc.jpg


Gave me a good laugh, thank you


Done that. Went hiking a tall mountain afterwards. Regretted it.


You could consider laser removal, but instead of complete removal (i.e. going in up to 6 times), you could just go once or twice such that you have hair down there but lesser and thinner.


Spoken like someone who has never seriously looked into laser hair removal. It's painful and can cause blistering.


I've been waxed before... and I bared through it just fine (try taking Advil half an hour before).

And as I understand it, laser removal is less painful than getting waxed.


It took place looong before lasers were available for such an application.


Use an epilator, folks. It stings like the dickens the first few times, but your skin grows accustomed quickly.


Hitting the gym usually comes with a diet has accomplishes the polar opposite of what you're aiming for here


nah they are saying shave ur butthole, hit the gym, and eat healthier


blasting wet feces droplets all over the place

This is the only thing I don't get about bidets. Unless I'm missing something it's like unavoidable to get droplets on your hand/spreayer for the manual types? I personally wouldn't really care, but I just wonder why not more people make a fuzz about this. Again, maybe I'm missing something.


It's not just you. I found a study showing that bidet use is correlated with higher rates of infection in women (in you-know-where): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30884065/?i=5&from=/21058441.... Just because bidets feel clean doesn't mean they're not blasting shit liquid all over your bits. How could they possibly not?


Bidet attachments usually have a self-cleaning mode, ie you push a button and then it sprays water over the sprinkler.

I bought mine off Amazon for like $40 and it does that.

BTW I do clean mine now and then, and there is like, almost nothing to clean. Compared to e.g. my humidifier, that needs almost-daily cleaning.


> ie you push a button and then it sprays water over the sprinkler.

Does it spray bleach or soap or just plain water? You wouldn't wash your hands with just water.


You wouldn't wash your hands with just toilet paper either.


Bleach? I would hope not. This is spraying your anus, which you should avoid using soaps (or holy shit, bleach?) and only use water or specific soaps. Same with your penis, which I hope you're not washing with regular soap (or bleach)


The bleach is for the sprayer not the sprayee.


Oh, sorry, I misunderstood. Thanks for clarifying!


Cheap bidet attachments only spray water, fancier models spray water and soap, and blow-dry your butt.

Though, I guess the issue here is comparing bidet to no-bidet.

The bidet is so much better than TP only, it is not even close. Instead of feeling gross, you feel glorious, is what it is.


> Unless I'm missing something it's like unavoidable to get droplets on your hand/spreayer for the manual types?

Yes, you use your hand along with the water to clean! It sounds disgusting but actually feels super clean and hygienic once you are used to it.

Your hand will not smell afterwards and it is heavenly for the butt, feels so nice and clean. Also IME feces will lose some of their disgustingness, just because everything around it is so much cleaner now. I lived "western style" until 30 y/o and with a "bum gun" since two years, one of the best life improvements for me.


Electronic bidets have a self-washing, moving wash head. You don't use your hands.


To put it simply, if someone rubbed a blob of chocolate sauce on your hand,asimple paper wipe will not fully clean it. Nor will a water spray.

You would have to wash it with water and rub with your hands to fully clean it, and then wash your hands again.

Compared to using a tissue, a bidet is definitely eco friendly, considering the amount of energy required to make the tissue in the first place.


One word - TotoWashlet.

It’s cleans itself and dosnt blast feces as you very eloquently put it.


We bought and installed a full bidet toilet (Toto Neorest 700H) in September last year. No regrets.

It does not eliminate toilet paper for us. But most of it goes towards drying off quickly. If you're patient you can use the built-in blow-dryer, but it's much slower than patting down.

Really eliminates 95-99% of wiping, in my experience. The temperature-controlled seat and water are very nice in winter (Seattle, where another commenter noted that tap water is somewhere in the 40°s Fahrenheit).


The poop shouldn't get blasted if the water pressure is regulated correctly.

> So, ok, using wet paper can get you much cleaner and is gentler than dry paper

Yes, this is the main idea.


I've lived in Vietnam for the last 4 years and got used to the 'bum gun' as we call them. It is awesome.

I came back to the US late January for a meeting in SF. I was staying at my friends house and lamenting the missing gun. My friends were refusing to install one because they were afraid that their two year old would use it to soak the entire bathroom.

I started checking Amazon anyway... once everyone started stockpiling TP, the prices started to rise and I started to see more and more of them marked as 'unavailable'.

Now there is definitely no chance they will get one in the near future...


I've been using a portable, battery-powered bidet (Toto brand) for years. The first vacation that I took to Japan sold me on them nearly instantly, but I didn't want to go through with installing them once I got home. This is a good compromise.


I think I'd prefer to use a bum gun over the whole toilet seat thing. You can really move the bum gun around more easily than you can your body and it is super easy to wipe it down to clean it.


Yeah, I think when all of the dust clears on this that I will be putting in the bum guns in our place. The idea has spread to my entire house and close family, who spend a lot of time living with us during the year, over the past few weeks.


Yea, wait for the prices to come back down. It is an easy install too... the ones on amazon come with all the parts. Once you get the water turned off, it just takes about 15 minutes to assemble it all.


The toilet seats have adjustable nozzles, and even can be set to spray in a pattern to get everywhere. You still need to be in the right position but it's not so difficult.


Oh, that is part of the fun of using random bum guns around se asia... all different water pressure and quality of handles. It is like playing russian roulette with your bung hole.

Actually though, the trick is just shoot a bit into a toilet first to test it... ;-)


How do you not get water everywhere, and what do you use to dry? I’m assuming you’re also using soap and your hands, or toilet paper or something.


Many of the toilet seat based bidets (such as the Brondell Swash) have sensors in the seat that won't allow the water sprayer or blow dryer to run unless contact is detected from someone actually sitting down. That's what relieved my concern about it. I have a toddler who likes to press buttons, too! He just presses them and nothing happens. You can also just turn it off and completely deactivate it by holding the stop button for 5 seconds.


Can confirm that my Toto Washlet C200 does this as well. The water will stop about 2 seconds after you've gotten up if you did not manually stop it.


I have a fancy Toto Bidet that was half bought as a joke. Best present ever. It is so over the top with things like bowl mister, heated seat, a vacuum and an air filter to filter out smells. But seriously it does a great job of keeping everything clean without any TP.


Vacuum? Do tell. I would want foamy soap dispensing too, and adjustable nozzles/pressure would be a treat.

edit: AHA! Vacuum as in air filtration...I was imagining an auto spa...


It has a fan that goes and sucks the air out of the bowl when someone sits on it and blows the air through a charcoal filter. It also has adjustable nozzles(position, heating, oscilation, pressure). It is so over the top, but after a few days of "this is weird", it just becomes awesome and I miss it when I'm away from home.


Well, if any task should be robot-automated, it should be this one!


Don't forget night light and automatic closing. Regular toilets are appalling.


I'm an Italian currently quarantined in Buenos Aires, I'm very happy to report that since the Italian heritage in this country is very strong I have yet to see an apartment without a separate bidet. :)


and we have proper "reverse shower" bidets, not those "porcelain seats with a tap" common in europe.


i have always been made fun of because i have the spray bidet on both toilets in the house. everytime someone stays with us, they always ask what that thing hanging on the toilet is. after i tell them, they laugh, but are curious.

every person who has used the spray bidet has become a convert. there is nothing but praise and apologies all around :)

since toilet paper hording has become a concern for most, lots of my people have been asking me where i got mine and how to hook it up.

who's laughing now ;)

link to bidet: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Brondell-CleanSpa-Luxury-Handhel...

installation video: https://youtu.be/18H1LfR0FEg


Here's a quick mental experiment: You accidentally put your hand in poop. Do you a) wash it off? or b) take a piece of paper and rub it off?

If you answer "a", then you've just admitted the bidet is superior.


Honestly? I'd probably get most off whatever dirty substance is on my hands with a paper towel, etc. and then wash with soap and water. (And a bidet doesn't include the soap part, so the comparison doesn't work anyway.)


>>> And a bidet doesn't include the soap part

wait, what? please, do yourself a favor and use soap (and your hand) with a bidet


As an argentinian living in the UK, I am waiting for this country to finally become civilised and include a stand alone bidet in every bathroom


I'm not sure that the stand alone bidets will become popular here due to space restrictions (I agree that they are great BTW) but I could see toilets with built in bidets being installed.

We're planning a new bathroom and I have that on our todo list.


Look up washlets by Toto. You can get a replacement bidet toilet seat for your existing toilet but it requires a power socket to operate.


> living in the UK, I am waiting for this country to

I thought you were going to talk about electric sockets.


I gave up on my parents when they asked me to choose bathroom fittings. I was about 15.

I wanted a mixer tap, like the rest of the world has.

They said it wasn't traditional. They installed the traditionally British separate "freezing" and "cold then suddenly scalding" taps.

(At least they removed the carpet.)


Toilet paper also fuels logging of old-growth boreal forests https://www.nrdc.org/experts/jennifer-skene/issue-tissue-how...


I don't get it.

At home I just step into the tub and wash my butthole with soap and water. Dry with a towel no different than having taken a shower, then get on with my life all nice and fresh down there. No need for TP or more consumer garbage to maintain and wear out that doesn't even clean as effectively as proper bathing w/soap and hands.


If that's how you like to do it, fine.

But is it really necessary to act like everyone else are the weird ones for not giving their anus a sponge-bath in the bath tub every time they shit?


> But is it really necessary to act like everyone else are the weird ones for not giving their anus a sponge-bath in the bath tub every time they shit?

Who said anything about using a sponge?

My comment wasn't directed at "everyone else", only those using bidets at home.

Elsewhere in this thread there are numerous comments from people debating ways to dry after using the bidet, complexities surrounding dirty towels or useless wet TP which then leaves pulpy clumps on your butthole and hair. I know the problems, I've used bidets, it's kind of awful.

Why on earth would you subject yourself to this at your own home where you're in control?

At the office or in a guest bathroom, ok, I get it. I've used the Japense style bidet seat attachments at the Googleplex, and think that's a neat thing for an employer to do for employees and makes sense as an improvement in that circumstance, but it's an unnecessary compromise at home.

You presumably have proper bathing facilities. Instead of tapping into your toilet water line for some inferior fixed soap-less water splashy splash onto your butthole awkwardly sitting over the toilet, just get a handheld sprayer for your tub/shower and do it well.

It's way better, and you can properly dry off with a bath towel leaving it clean enough for reuse. Nobody should ever have to exit their own damn bathroom with a dirty bottom.


are you naked every time you shit?


Umm...

1. How often do you shit? If I'm shitting more than once in a day, I'm sick, so, exceptional.

2. I just remove my pants and underwear. There's a hand-held sprayer in the tub. My shoes are already removed if I'm indoors, and I don't usually wear socks indoors. It's a trivial matter to step out of my lower half and into the tub, spray my bottom without getting my shirt wet.

3. When I'm at home I'm generally just wearing boxer shorts anyways, pants are for work.

I'm surprised this needs further clarification.


When I read 1&2 I figure, ok, this commenter leads a peculiar life but it works for them.

#3 however had me laughing, and "at home = pants off" is a strange assumption to me. Do you have guests often? Need to answer the door? Visible to your neighbors from any of your windows?


> When I read 1&2 I figure, ok, this commenter leads a peculiar life but it works for them.

What's peculiar about 1&2? No shoes is normal for clean homes, and I'm in a warm climate so socks aren't really needed. It's not unusual for a tub+shower to have a handheld sprayer for spot rinsing, it's very useful for washing the facilities too.

> Do you have guests often? Need to answer the door? Visible to your neighbors from any of your windows?

I still wear a t-shirt most of the time unless it's hot. When guests are around I just throw on swim trunks over the boxers out of respect, that doesn't complicate dropping trou in any way; they come down and go back on together as a unit. Same for answering the door, throw on swim trunks beforehand...

I'm on acres of land, the nearest neighbors neither matter nor care about what's going on in my home.


> What's peculiar about 1&2?

Well, I know that everybody's digestive system is different, but I have read that only one #2 per day is unusual for a lot of people and may be a sign of constipation. I think a lot of people go after most major meals.

No shoes is fine but no socks is a little stranger to me, I grew up in a place with hot summers and I currently live in California but I still wear socks all the time. But again it's not extremely weird, just not what I am used to.

On the other hand removing pants as soon as I get home would be pretty unusual.


> Well, I know that everybody's digestive system is different, but I have read that only one #2 per day is unusual for a lot of people and may be a sign of constipation. I think a lot of people go after most major meals.

My impression is that most people with normal, regular digestion, ideally go #2 once in the morning after their laxative^Wcoffee and before bathing.

In the distant past I had digestive problems which generally required a #2 shortly after any substantial meal. That was not what I'd consider ideal nor healthy. It was a nuisance and often resulted in an urgent need to use toilets away from home in restaurants and such, unhygienic to say the least.

Learning how to eat the right things to keep regular with a #2 per morning, even without stimulants like coffee, for me was a major part of becoming an adult. I don't think this is that unusual based on convos I've had with close enough friends to speak freely on the subject.


You can also just sit on the ledge of the tub. Actually easier in a lot of ways.

Also: foaming hand soap is a game changer of this technique.


You use your bare hand?


> You use your bare hand?

What do you bathe using?

It doesn't matter when you have running water and soap on the ready. Obviously after your ass is clean you ensure your hands are washed too before shutting off the water.

The water spray knocks off the bulk before hands get involved anyways.


Absolutely.

We did cloth diapering with our three kids.

Poop is really not that scary after you get over the initial ick factor.


You're describing a stand-up bidet that doubles as a shower and requires you to remove your pants.


It's time for the bidet and for water filtration systems.

You can use four squares of toilet paper to wipe your butt and then bidet the rest. This is a huge savings on toilet paper.

An under-sink 7 stage reverse osmosis water filtration system cleans water and enriches it with minerals. It is delicious.

With these two systems at home, you've addressed two top hoarding items during a panic.


> You can use four squares of toilet paper to wipe your butt and then bidet the rest. This is a huge savings on toilet paper.

There must be a huge variation in diet and body shape in this discussion.

Four squares is about the maximum I ever use (even if I'm ill). This is probably why I checked what's left in my cupboard (6 rolls from an 8-pack) and haven't bought any more, yet there are people loading up the trolley with 32, 48 or more rolls.


Clearly, you are male and unmarried.


And well paid enough to justify N ply where N>1 or so.


I'm so glad that I installed a reverse osmosis water filter two weeks ago (completely unrelated to the pandemic). It has been amazing!

When the toilet paper shortages started happening, I used them as an excuse to convince my wife that we should buy a bidet. I had floated the idea by her multiple times over the years, but she was always weirded out by it, but I was finally able to convince her.

We also have an entire deep freezer full of food and are both fortunate enough to be able to work from home, so as long as the electricity and water stay on, we can survive in complete isolation for at least a month.

No toilet paper needed! We just have a stack of washcloths and we use one to pat ourselves dry (and then set it aside in a container to be washed weekly).


I have a 5 stage, what is a 7 stage?

I also just purchased a whole-house UV water filter because I am concerned about viral contamination of the water supply.

We usually have about 6 boilwater advisories a year.

So, I also purchased a whole-house sediment filter.

Of course, this is all useless, when there is no water supply.


Can you install rain water collection system? Where I live, even houses that have central water line do have a second rain water system for washing, gardening, etc.


Bidets are for rich people.

The majority use something like tabo: https://youtu.be/Vzb98tQp53I


Has anyone with a hairy butt crack had success with bidets?

My limited experience with them in Japan involved an incident that went like this:

- Did a not-so-solid poop and had poo stuck in my ass hair

- Used warm bidet water jet on max pressure for a good minute or two to clean

- Wiped with toilet paper to dry my ass only to discover that it was still far from clean

- Toilet paper disintegrated while wiping so I now had a hairy, pooey and wet butt crack with bits of toilet paper tangled in the hair and shit all over my fingers


Absolutely. If you're really hairy down there and not using a bidet then assuming you're clean after is very wishful thinking. Just make sure you're not using 1ply garbage tp, and understand that you may need a second wipe or second pass.


You need to spread your cheeks to get it to work properly.


Hairy butt guy here, it works wonderfully ;)


We have a bidet. We thought we had this whole toilet paper hoarding thing solved. Then today while Google contractors were installing fiber in our neighborhood they cut the water line that somehow was not marked on the street.


I still use toilet paper even through i own one myself, just not as much... you gotta dry afterwards :)


Yeah I'm not one to walk around without a little drying off first!


Here is a video of a toilet with an integrated “bidet” or water gun:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mZs4C-En4Og

And one with a revolving seat cover:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0XJ8LK2GXXc


Both of those have in-built jet. For the ones who want to fit into existing toilet. Below one would work.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31MjIwM1JQL...


I love my Hello Tushy. Combine that with one of those Charmin Forever Rolls and you will have a roll that lasts months.

While people are out fighting for TP, I rinse myself and use two or three pieces to dry off and that’s it. Nice and clean!


I like the concept but I admit to not really understanding how they work in practice. For the in-toilet ones, how do you aim them? Just scooting around? They don't dribble poop-water down your cheeks? The handheld ones just baffle me. How do you get them in place and spread your cheeks at the same time?

I feel like I'm going to need a stack of wet-wipes and a disposable towel the first time I actually use a bidet.


You'll figure it out, and you'll kick yourself for not having done it sooner. It's all much easier than you're imagining. I had the same concerns, and am a complete convert now.


There will be sheaves and sheaves of people using this thing incorrectly and in mind-boggling hilarious ways, because they haven't figured it out. I have traveled extensively in Japan, and encountered the Toto toilet in practically every hotel. I have never used this feature, was and am too embarrassed to ask. Somehow this quote comes to mind:

> Death is a mystery, and burial is a secret.


So what you're saying is because you've never actually tried simply pushing a button, you know that people who do try just pushing a button are going to do so incorrectly with your complete lack of personal experience?


Eh, just push all the buttons, what's the worst that's going to happen.. But seriously, I have no idea how it aims but it usually aims quite well.


Camera + OpenCV maybe? Seems simple enough


At the risk of sounding naive, help me figure out what I'm missing then. I had the opportunity to use a built in style bidet when I visited Japan, and after a few days of trying, I could not figure out how to clean myself with it. There was always some residue left that had to be toilet papered off.

Are you expected to use your hand to clean like you would in the shower? Because that's never been made clear to me and what I've read online says to just let the water splash on you then dry it off with a towel, which doesn't seem sanitary at all to me.

Edit: Reading through the thread has been helpful. I've always had bidets pitched to me as a toilet paper replacement, but the comments here indicate it's something to be used after wiping, not in lieu of.


Before, not after, but yes.

Or I could have just been doing it wrong, there wasn't exactly a training class when visiting countries in which they are common.


> Or I could have just been doing it wrong, there wasn't exactly a training class when visiting countries in which they are common.

Haha exactly, that's the difficulty! You're taught these toilet habits at a young age and it's not something that adults discuss, so if you grew up in a culture without a bidet, it comes across as a baffling fixture.


You only need a regular towel to dry off, since now you're actually clean instead of just smearing poop around until the paper kind of looks clean. Unless of course you have microscopic eyesight.


Hold up. Clean doesn't mean sanitized. You don't want a regular towel with fecal bacteria sitting around.


Yes, this is how I feel about it as well, but apparently it's a norm. Individuals will have their own unshared bidet towel in the bathroom that they'll use afterwards.


The bum guns are advertised on Amazon, for washing diapers! lol.

Agreed, you don't just throw the towel up on the rack and call it a day. Usually you throw it in the wash or wash it out with soap when you are done. But at least your bum is a lot cleaner than smearing poop all around it with TP.


Why not use soap?


Assuming you have a shower with the usual detachable shower head, you could always test the experience in there.

Set the shower to the narrow/high pressure flow, and reduce the water supply so it's less "massage" and more like "watering the garden".


They shoot in one direction, you aim your body at them/seat hover.

Wait a few seconds to let the dripping stop then use regular Toilet Paper to dab dry. Don't use a re-usable towel like the other commentator suggested, gross.


Thanks for the very clear reply. I have a bidet, use it every time I poop, but most of the time my poop leaves enough sticky residue that just spraying won't clean me. I wipe with TP, then spray with water, then wipe dry. I'm cleaner than without the bidet, but it isn't saving me paper.


You don't need a bidet! I just sit on the edge of the bath tub and clean my self with the shower head as needed. Takes 10 seconds tops and costs 0.


I am glad I don’t bathe in your tub.


I have wondered this myself as to why most developed countries have washlets and bidets but not in America. Americans (I am one$ are obsessed with being clean and presentable. But when you come to think of it this prolly the most yucky things. I dunno why people are comfortable with “Let’s just wipe feces with a dry pieces of paper :)“


In many cultures, people use water and their hands to clean themselves in the toilet, and then wash their hands afterwards (with soap, obviously). I believe that's better than toilet paper where you inevitably smear feces all over your butt crack. It also addresses people's concerns that a simple jet of water alone isn't enough to clean them.

Now, people may say its disgusting to clean your anal area with your hands. But don't you do it when showering? There is undoubtedly fecal matter residue there anyways (especially if you use toiler paper). So the option is to:

1. Use TP with a 100% chance of fecal residue on your body and walk around with that caked in your crack, or

2. Use your hands and water. You are not doing anything dirtier than what you do when taking a proper shower. Cleaner down there and clean when you wash hands with soap.


My main concern regarding a bidet is that it'll leak.

I've heard horror stories about bidets causing thousands of dollars worth of damages after the water hoses that supply them leak and spill hundreds of gallons of water on to the floor when their owners are away from home.


The solution for me is to put "Turn off supply valves" in my vacation checklist and replace the hoses every five years.


And those hoses should be metal-braided versions, preventing burst.


is that different from any other water faucet in the bathroom?

FWIW, as an Italian (everybody has a bidet in Italy) I have literally never heard of anyone having encountered this issue, but I suppose it may vary in other countries.

It is a common thing to close the water in the house when you're away for a long time though, but I assumed everybody did that.


A normal faucet has an overflow prevention.

If the bidet's line runs outside of the toilet bowl, and fails there, then it leaks onto the floor.


A normal faucet has two supply lines underneath the sink, and frequently they're flexible. Those can leak and cause a massive flood.

Has that ever happened to you?

In addition, every toilet also has a supply line underneath, running from the wall valve to the bottom of the tank where the fill valve is mounted. Again, these are frequently flexible lines. How is this different than a bidet?


The cheapest bidet attachments all have very flimsy plastic threading for their supply lines. My first one did develop a small leak after eight years, but by then it had more than proven the concept and I bought a nicer one.


It sounds a lot like we're talking about different things. The Italian guy before is talking about a real bidet, a serious plumbing fixture much like a toilet. You and others seem to be thinking of some cheap, plastic add-on. Personally, I was thinking of either the European-style bidet, or the Japanese-style washlet, neither of which is cheap.


and requires you to, like, add physical real estate to your bathroom.


The European-style bidet does require extra real estate in your bathroom. The Japanese-style washlet does not; it's built into the toilet (or replaces the regular lid).

Honestly, I have no idea why Europeans still use their old-fashioned bidets now that washlets have been around for several decades. Why would you want to use two different devices just to do a #2 when you can just sit on one and get it all done at once?


> Has that ever happened to you?

Yes, and it flooded three floors of my house and required months of renovations. Thanks for asking about it. I briefly considered giving up on indoor plumbing altogether.


it appears the misunderstanding stems from you thinking of the "shower head attached to the WC" thing (south east asia style) while I'm thinking of the "bathroom fixture" thing (europe and japan style).

I can see what the issue with the former may be, thanks.


If you use a pressure reducer -> good quality bidet with metal pipe -> to a simple head which is openable and fixable, should last a long time, mine is approaching 10 yrs and should keep going. The flexible pipe will need changing in a few years probably and the bidet itself will need a new spring + washer if it starts leaking.

You could also go full hackernews and have a sensor connected to a wifi valve which shuts off the water supply when no one is in the loo.


My friends were (rightly) concerned their two year old would think it was a new bathroom toy. He loves playing with water. I didn't have a good answer, but somehow kids in asia seem less enthusiastic about playing with something they use to clean their bums. Also, the majority of the bathrooms there are more like giant showers... they have floors with drains in them so the whole thing can get wet without any problems. Sure makes cleaning them easier too.


All the bidets I've used (standard fare in .fi) are attached to the faucet, so you need to open that if you want to use the bidet. (You also use the faucet to control water temperature)


A bum gun is not a bidet.


It is–just a hand-held one.


Yeah, the floor drains in Asia make water leaks a minor issue.

It would be a major issue in the US as that water would just leak through the floor.


Yea, almost none of the bathrooms in the US are designed like that. I only see it in the occasional hotel. I wish they were. Things are so much simpler that way.


Agreed. When constructing a house it would be cheap to run another line and put in a floor drain. Would make life much easier.

No more worrying about leaking pipes, overflowing toilet, etc.


In my place in VN, the shower drain is the floor drain. No need for an extra line even. =) The whole bathroom is basically one big shower.


Are you concerned about the hose to your tank leaking? What about the rest of your plumbing? Wrap teflon tape around the threads in the direction you will be screwing the connection on three times. Tighten with a wrench. If you are really paranoid, use pipe thread sealant after the teflon tape.


NO, DO NOT DO THIS!!!

Compression fittings in plumbing must NOT have any teflon tape on the threads. This just causes leaks. Teflon tape is for fittings where the threads are the sealing surface. Compression fittings do not seal with the threads; the threads only provide compressive force.


Also, 'hand-tight' is more than sufficient (in most cases) using compression fittings (not brass but rubber/silicone/Viton, etc). After all, you are dealing with relatively low pressure, which a strong grip exceeds, while a wrench too tight can easily foul the soft seal.

Edit for clarity.


Your comment is what every textbook says and it's not wrong for ideal conditions.

Meanwhile in the field you come across a boogered up fitting line that leaks, you slap some tape on the threads, the nut seals to the ferrule, the ferrule seals to the tube and the tape seals the threads.

It's not "right" but it works well enough often enough that people do it.


Instead of half-assing it, if it's "boogered up" and leaks, the fittings should be replaced.


Cheapest alternative maybe the teapot looking device from Indian sub-continent, known as a: lota.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lota_(vessel)


A kettle for your rear is rather spartan. Urban indians usually opt for a hose attached to a hand spray.

Imo,the biggest plus point of the bidet over the above is that it doesn't get the floor wet.


When backpacking around Vietnam some years ago, the minimum was a bucket of water and a small jug.

Naturally, I discovered this at the most inconvenient time.


The handheld spray attachment (bum gun) thingies are ubiquitous in urban India now. I lived for an year in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Mangalore in a small rented room, even they had this installed!


We've had one for about five years and become "those people" telling everyone about how great it is.

I can't imagine not having one.

I hope that future North American building codes include a GFCI plug placed near toilets for the fancy plugin kind.


"What do you think about Western civilization?"

"I think it would be a good idea."


I've used all kinds of toilets. Toilet paper is for savages.

From cleanest / most practical to dirtiest:

  1. Real bidet with warm water + soap https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Bidet_Ego_Kolo.jpg
  2. Shower + soap
  3. Bidet sprayer (cold water) + soap
  4. Bidet sprayer (cold water)
  5. Toiler paper
If you fall into points 4 or 5 in my mind you are a savage, walking around with thin layer of feces spread around your bottom.


Anything other than Japanese robot washlet is medieval


I remember being in a capsule-hotel/hostel in Japan thinking about how great the Japanese are that these seats are the default in a hostel.

I have been through Africa and parts of Asia were the "bum gun" is the only resource for cleaning, no paper. Japan had the best of both worlds.

I have always said I would purchase one if I ever purchased my own place. In my current rental, I would need to have a power cord come completely across the sink (no low outlets).


There do appear to exist ones that don't need electric hookups. I'm sure it's not as nice as the fancy Japanese ones, but they do sound acceptable.


Morbid curiosity led me to reading comments in this thread, and now I don’t want to eat lunch.

You’ve been warned, dear reader!


I always wanted one. My wife found one about a year ago, one that was designed for in-home hospice care and has a good water pressure. It is one of those toilet attachments. She wouldn't use it normally, but because we have it, she's not really worried about the TP shortage.


Mini-splits are also way overdue.


I have doubts about the bidet-in-bordello anecdote.

How many GIs stopped to visit such a place? Didn't many more visit theatres and restaurants and perhaps associate bidets with those?

Too many dangling questions for credibility on that one.


Japanese super toilets are great if you've ever tried them. Heated seat and bidet system, though I think paper drying is advisable to avoid filling the air with bacteria.


Yes.

I've been preaching to people I see complaining about the lack of TP. Get one for every toilet. Pat dry. No struggle to find TP. Easy peasy.


Yes, IMO - especially if you have on-site septic.


For anyone interested, a hygienic shower works even better, and needs no extra space like a traditional bidet does.


It doesn’t need to use any additional space, most $40 ones just attach to the toilet seat. And you save water and time not having to take a shower.


as an Italian I'm happy civilization is coming to North America


"no"


I can't imagine too many puritanical Americans onboard with bestowing so much pleasure upon their anus. It could lead to dancing.


Guys with hemorrhoids swear by them.


No


Bidets are great in hot humid climates that lack much AC, but can be uncomfortable in colder climates unless the heat is turned up a lot.


I've found the discomfort with near-freezing water in our cold-water-supply-only bidet seat to be minimal. Sure, I'd prefer warmer water, but it's really not that bad.


Isn't that why they have warm water ones?


Doesn't help much given how water's heat of evaporation is.


If that were true, wouldn't showering in those climates be much more uncomfortable? It's not like the water goes everywhere, or you don't dry immediately with paper...


If you ever took a hot shower in southern China in the winter without the benefit of indoor heat, ya, it’s uncomfortable.


I have no way to supply the bidet with water, since the faucet is on the other side if the room and used for the laundry machine. I know splitters exist. But running a hose across the room is impractical...

Water collector for the toilet is build into the wall...


Doesn't the bidet take its water supply from the toilet's own valve? That's how I'd do it, just add a tap to the outlet of the valve (https://i.imgur.com/Or7mhpW.png). No need to turn off your home water supply to install it, either.


I edited a second after you submitted. No, everything is built into the wall. You have to destroy it to get to the pipes. Not even a "door" or some tile to open. It's all sealed away.


How do you turn off the water supply to the toilet? Is that part non-existent or inside the wall? Because that is where you normally install the splitter.


It's diagonally across the room (~3m).


I have seen this design mainly in public toilets and in a few "modern" homes. Makes for easier to clean toilet area. But I also had similar questions as sibling comments are making. As someone who has had to fix my fair share of flushing issues I had my doubts about such a design.


I have this type of toilet, in a very modern apartment. It's exactly as you say, more common in modern public places like airports and new offices.

In my case, there's a 2m wide, ~70cm deep space behind the bathroom, where the water + heating + sewage + ventilation pipes for the whole building are located. There's a 40cm access panel in my wall to get to it.

Adding a bidet thing would require drilling a hole through the wall.

A previous apartment had a similar toilet, but the tank etc was just hidden behind wooden panelling. That would be much easier to modify.

[1] https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fFAAAOSwnhNdyM2F/s-l1600.jpg


So how do you work on the toilet (as in, replace the flap or fill valve) without access to a water shutoff?


The answer is you don't. I know people think I am missing something but I really don't. I have fixed toilets in other long term apartments before. This one simply has no access for a hose to connect to the bidet.


There is no pipe or hose that connects to your toilet with a valve? The one I have can attach either at the valve or at the tank where the water enters the toilet.


Tank is inside a wall, sealed and no access. May you can take off the button panel but a hose wouldn't be able to go through there. All of the piping is in the wall and there is one faucet across the room.


I had to run a new electrical outlet for mine; plumbing a new line for it wouldn’t have been any more difficult.


This is the one issue that's stopped me.

Most these attachments connect to the toilet's water supply, which is fine, except most toilet water supplies only provide cold (i.e. whatever the ambient water temperature happens to be) water which to me, is far from ideal in a bidet (it's fine for normal use though).

Running hot water there is a significant undertaking if done correctly, so most options come with a small reservoir to heat up water from the regular toilet supply.

That heat isn't magical, it needs energy from somewhere meaning you need to run power there someway.

There are dangerous improvised solutions like running a power cable yourself. There's additional consideration electricians put in when installing power in restrooms due to all the water and grounding dangers from metal plumbing. Running cables neglects all that thought and reintroduces an electrocution hazard if not handled very carefully.

That leaves me with battery options which I haven't looked to much into but I find that's likely not ideal to swap batteries around all the time. If it can operate off something like a deep cycle marine battery (which seems appropriate), then it might be viable.


I think hot water mixing valves are standard for toilet lines in modern construction. It mixes in enough hot water to prevent condensation from occurring on the tank or the bowl. The water wouldn't be shower warm, but judging by other comments here it's less of an issue than one might think.

I guess you might not have this if you live somewhere like west Texas.

In my old rental, the mixing valve malfunctioned and condensation was causing damage to the floor. In my current house, it mixes in too much hot water. If you flush a few times in a row, you can feel the warmth off the toilet bowl. It needs to be replaced, because it doesn't have an adjustment screw.


I've never heard of that. It looks like something from North America (any other Europeans heard of it?), and it sounds appropriately wasteful :-)

Searching for the condensation problem in Britain, plumbers suggest using an insulated cistern (tank).


I did not know that. Insulation sounds like a good idea. I did find a site specific to the UK (https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/condensationcisterns.h...) that calls it an anti-sweat valve and says it's available in the US. :)

I've never heard of an insulated toilet tank over here. I wouldn't be surprised if they start showing up, though.

My current house was built in the 80s, when the region was flush with oil money. I get the impression that building anything energy efficient was seen as a political statement, aside from the added cost to the builder.


I've never seen a hot water line to a toilet in the US. If people are doing it they only started doing it very recently - maybe for bidet options or something.


> That heat isn't magical, it needs energy from somewhere meaning you need to run power there someway.

Well, if you have a reservoir before the bidet, it'll get from ambient water temperature to ambient air temperature if it sits long enough. How many litres does a bidet use at a time? Nowhere to slot a 2L reservoir?

Getting the water to 22C should be far more tolerable than the 5-8C many of us are used to in winter.


Most bathrooms have a light switch close to the toilet. Replace it with something like https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-Decora-15-Amp-Tamper-Res.... The Toto bidet's have a fairly long cord.


Do NOT use that particular outlet. You want one with GFCI instead. You will probably have to install a larger box to put it side by side with the existing switch. (Or really just install another single box closer to where you want it, and fish)


You can get single-gang GFCI light switches:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-125-Volt-Combo-Se...

Couldn't find them in Canada though. Had to buy from USA.

Now my toothbrush can charge for more than 5 minutes a day (the lamp had a socket on it, but again, wouldn't want to use that for a bidet!)


I worked as an electrician for a couple of years, so I had no issue running power. It’s a very quick job though, so paying someone isn’t going to cost much.


Some have a line that you can run to the sink's hot water line, if that's close enough to your toilet.


Living in AZ all summer long you have heated water for cold. The metal tanks sitting on top of mountains are great water heaters.

During the winter its a bit colder but still nothing like the well water back in the midwest. Well water bidet would cause hypothermia to your anus


How has no one else pointed this out!


I don't understand people's fascination with bidets. I don't want to sprinkle my ass with water and have the resulting shit water splashing all over the place.

The argument I've heard people make multiple times is that "if you have mud on your shoes, do you wash them with water or with paper", but that's the wrong analogy. If I had (human) shit on my shoes, I wouldn't do either, I'd throw them away.


>I don't want to sprinkle my ass with water and have the resulting shit water splashing all over the place.

Mechanically, I'm not sure what you are envisioning, but I believe your mental picture is deeply flawed.


I honestly can’t imagine not being willing to clean feces off a shoe, but I guess that’s just my farm upbringing showing itself :)


Your butt goes deep enough into the chasm that splash only falls into the bowl, never outside. If it does, you're doing it wrong.


But how do you achieve that with those hand-sprayers? And don't droplets of black water fall all over one's hands and the sprayer when doing so?

The whole thing just seems awful to me. I know, I know: I am the ignorant one. The rest of the world seems very happy with them. But I just can't figure out how to use one in a sanitary fashion.


When people say bidet, they don't mean hand sprayer. They mean a Toto which is setup to spray a jet with a diameter of like a couple millemeters at a fairly low pressure at just the anus. If it misses the anus you now have a slight bit of water on your butt cheek.

It's gentle enough that there's not much of a splash. If you're sitting correctly the black water won't run 'down' your body it will fall straight down into the bowl.

There really isn't a learning curve.


I know, but folks were discussing both sorts in the full discussion. I've seen the sprayers in the wild and always wondered how they can possibly be used in a sanitary manner.


You've been downvoted, but the science suggests that you're not crazy. See for instance: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21058441/




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