Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago • Hacker News Board

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#161

Post by baddox » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 5:06 PM UTC

hueving wrote: post #122

baddox wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What did I miss? OP is arguing that we should wash our behinds for the same reason that we wash our hands. Yet the reason we wash our hands is to reduce a threat that does not exist (at least, not as readily) for our behinds. And now semantic satiation has kicked in for "behind."

>What did I miss? OP is arguing that we should wash our behinds for the same reason that we wash our hands. No. OP is not arguing that. OP is arguing that if you got mud on your hand and tried to clean it with dry paper, there will still be crusted mud on your hand. Do you see where this is going now?

OP simply doesn't say that. OP refers to the actual common act of washing hands after using the toilet, not the hypothetical act of washing hands after getting "mud" on them.

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#162

Post by baddox » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 5:07 PM UTC

enscr wrote: post #124

baddox wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What did I miss? OP is arguing that we should wash our behinds for the same reason that we wash our hands. Yet the reason we wash our hands is to reduce a threat that does not exist (at least, not as readily) for our behinds. And now semantic satiation has kicked in for "behind."

I think OP meant that washing is good for personal hygiene i.e. not carrying pathogens smeared around on your skin/clothes.

That's a valid point, but not one that directly supports the argument for bidets. Since most people (at least in my neck of the woods) shower at least once a day, personal hygiene is usually accomplished.

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#163

Post by baddox » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 5:12 PM UTC

Bsharp wrote: post #82

fakeanon wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't eat with my ..., just sayin'. But it's fine with me if you want to wash it.

So you don't shower then? Just hand-washing?

That fact that people shower, usually daily, is an argument that bidets aren't necessary.

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#164

Post by rainedin » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 5:27 PM UTC

enscr wrote: post #73

rikacomet wrote: post #30

One thing I haven't really understood is why exactly is a Indian toilet seat seen as inferior to the English toilet seat. - True that the English seat occupies less space, but its adoption has not always been based on space savings. - True that sitting appears more gentleman like, rather than sitting half subtended in air, but hey who is watching? - True that elderly find the english version easier to use because of…

- Plus squatting is a better posture for properly emptying yourself. Although sitting for longer than 5 minutes is painful and gets worse with age.

I had a good book titled 'Humanure' that stated that the sitting posture is quite unnatural and drop toilets or rather throne-less were better for us.

At university (UK) I couldn't work out why some toilets had shit all over them, like people just evacuated all over the seats. I thought: what animals/dirty tricksters! After reading that book I realised that it was non-uk students who were struggling with the UK style toilets.

Some suggest standing on the throne as a compromise, but it's a bit precarious, and it's not nice if you miss the target.

I prefer squat toilets myself, as long as they are kept clean.

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#165

Post by rainedin » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 5:28 PM UTC

colin_jack wrote: post #121

gtaylor wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I gave in and ordered a bidet a year ago. Not wanting to commit to some of the expensive options, I opted for the $25 Astor Bidet: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TPGPUW/ Installation involved adding a T-adapter to my sink's cold water line. The whole setup takes about 5-10 minutes if you know what you're doing, or about 30 if you don't. Even if you know nothing about plumbing, you can install this thing with so…

"Continue smearing poop on your butts, heathens." It is odd that whilst we use specially designed water jets and cleaning products to bathe our approach to bottom hygiene is just to keep scrubbing till there is nothing visible left. Anyway looks like a good device, thanks for the link.

Not having foot taps is another huge bug bear of mine. Especially in public places.

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#166

Post by rainedin » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 5:30 PM UTC

gtaylor wrote: post #18

enko wrote: post #3

After using the toilet, do you wash your hands, or just wipe them? You've just demonstrated why washing toilets are superior. I cannot understand our misplaced, hollow pride in not adopting something which simply works better. I've even heard some especially crazy people try to say the japanese toilets are "perverted" - the hold tradition has on some people is just insane. Japanese toilets are simply better. For some…

I gave in and ordered a bidet a year ago. Not wanting to commit to some of the expensive options, I opted for the $25 Astor Bidet: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TPGPUW/ Installation involved adding a T-adapter to my sink's cold water line. The whole setup takes about 5-10 minutes if you know what you're doing, or about 30 if you don't. Even if you know nothing about plumbing, you can install this thing with so…

Ask a personal question... but do you use your other hand to scrub or just try and jet wash?

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#167

Post by rainedin » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 5:40 PM UTC

azatris wrote: post #36

enko wrote: post #3

After using the toilet, do you wash your hands, or just wipe them? You've just demonstrated why washing toilets are superior. I cannot understand our misplaced, hollow pride in not adopting something which simply works better. I've even heard some especially crazy people try to say the japanese toilets are "perverted" - the hold tradition has on some people is just insane. Japanese toilets are simply better. For some…

I've used a Japanese toilet and for me the hand washing facility attached to it is meaningless as I do not understand why would anyone ever wash their hands with cold water. Especially I do not understand people who simply wash their hands by dipping them into cold water for a second. But maybe the culture of washing hands with warm water and soap is merely in North Europe. And maybe I am illusioned by the effectiven…

It's suggested that there is no benefit washing your hands with hot water with regard to hygeine.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/smartnews/2013/12/w...

I pretty much always wash my hands with cold water, unless they are especially grimey. The only advantage is that hot water seems to work better with soap, which may help dislodge dirt easier.

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#168

Post by rainedin » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 5:59 PM UTC

Taylorious wrote: post #44

Theodores wrote: post #39

Sorry to sound 'negative', but... I don't know if this is the way the future is going to pan out - water is an increasingly scarce resource and, as it is, we waste a gallon or so of water to lift one's leavings up and over the u-bend. Of all people Bill Gates is probably the expert on what toilets will really be like in the future, allegedly water, toilets, sanitation and health is something he is most interested in.…

I suppose it depends on where you live. If you live in Arizona it might end up being an issue due to the energy cost of processing the water for reuse. However, if you live in Chicago you aren't going to have a shortage of water anytime soon. I don't really get these water shortage scares people talk about. I can see how it is an issue in remote/poor areas around the world, but a country like the US has nothing to wo…

I guess if you have your liquid waste contained within closed loop then you can get around drought issues.

Making black water potable I'd guess uses more energy and resources than recycling grey. I bet a victorian sewage system couldn't work without gallons of water either. An alternative might be to defacate in our gardens if we have them.

Piss by itself isn't that harmful, you can use it on the garden. I piss frequently into a watering can.

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#169

Post by fakeanon » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 6:11 PM UTC

statictype wrote: post #151

fakeanon wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Excuse me?

You don't eat with any part of your body except your hand so why wash any of them either?

Okay, now I understand. Good point. I wash my hands more frequently, because I eat with them, and I sometimes wash my body including ....

Re: Japanese Toilets: The Future Called 30 Years Ago

#170

Post by npsimons » Fri, Apr 04, 2014, 7:55 PM UTC

hueving wrote: post #123

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had a doctor specifically recommend one (or cheap bidet setup) for hemorrhoids. That's not TMI. That's important information. Why do they recommend it?

>Why do they recommend it? Doesn't irritate as much as excessive wiping.

Exactly. There's something about water, the universal solvent and universal lubricant. It's probably the same reason that same doctor recommended sitz baths, and a big secret to most bulk forming fiber is that it absorbs a lot of water.