Is It Time to Buy a Bidet??!

I’ve been to Whole Foods.  And Safeway.  And Grocery Outlet.  And Trader Joe’s.  And Costco.  And Walgreens.  Bottom line: NO ONE has toilet paper right now!!!!  And they haven’t for the last three weeks.  By some miracle, the toilet paper I bought before this whole coronavirus pandemic started has lasted about 6 weeks….but is coming to a precious end.  Last time I checked, toilet paper on Amazon cost $47 ~ & would take about 4 weeks to reach us!?!  Right now, in our downstairs bathroom, I’ve resorted to using Vanity Fair napkins; clearly, a dire situation.  So the question is: is it time to take a cue from the French, & buy a bidet?

You DON’T need to buy a whole separate bidet: there are simple devices you can attach to your existing toilet that will turn it into a bidet!

Pros & Cons of Using a Bidet

Definition of a Bidet: a bowl or receptacle designed to be sat on for the purpose of washing the genitalia, buttocks, & anus.  Basically, it’s like a mini-shower for your private parts, to be used following defecation!  The French have been using them for a long time, as have many other parts of the world….what are we missing by using toilet paper vs. a bidet??  Let’s examine the pros & cons below.

Benefits of Using a Bidet

• You’ll save a shit-ton on toilet paper each year (pun intended) ~ particularly for large families.  Patting yourself dry with a small piece of toilet paper is FAR different than using about 100 pieces of toilet paper to clean up that especially messy #2…you know what I’m saying.  And if it’s a toilet used only by you: a washcloth can be used to pat dry instead of toilet paper.
• Water is more hygienic than toilet paper, & does a more thorough job of cleaning.  Think about it: most toilet paper is BLEACHED, which means you’re rubbing chlorine & chemicals all over your bum.  Water is just water, & will leave you feeling “cleaner” than toilet paper.  Imagine, for instance, if you got poop on your hands: would you WASH it off, or would you rub it off with toilet paper??  I mean, it’s not even a contest…is it?
• Bidets actually SAVE water.  Counter-intuitive, right??  The small splash of water sent by the bidet is FAR less than the amount of water used by paper mills to create paper.  So if you think you’re “saving water” by using toilet paper: think again. 
• Bidets are better for your septic system.  Most toilets get clogged by an excessive amount of toilet paper: by using less of it, the chances of clogging your system reduce dramatically. 
• Most bidets self-clean: which means no clean-up necessary for you.

Disadvantages of Using a Bidet

• The install may be difficult or tricky.  For the bidets I’ve found on Amazon, none of the reviews state that the install takes more than 30 minutes, but still: there’s a learning curve. 
• It may take a while to get “used to.”  Water spraying on your bum is certainly an alien feeling for most of us, & will take a bit of getting used to.  The main things you’ll need to figure out are pressure level (very important), the direction the water is spraying, & the temperature.  All of these should be adjustable, & the nicer the bidet: the more options you’ll have, particularly regarding temperature.
  

  Using a bidet in a nutshell.

Is It Time to Buy a Bidet?