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Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

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Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#201

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 stock…

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.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#202

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.

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).

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#203
post #43

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 despera…

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...

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#204
post #36

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.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#205
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#206
post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 to…

> 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 prob…

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.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#207
post #196
post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#208
post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#209

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.

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.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#210
post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).
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