You can always trust BoingBoing for the latest on Bidets and Banana-shaped things to look at. I mean, just look at them.
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I’ve always assumed it was because of the availability of showers. Americans shower more frequently than Europeans as evidenced by the plumbing problems showering Americans cause at the Olympics. It’s certainly not because Americans are especially cleanly, it’s because, historically, water has been more available to them. I would imagine bidets are more practical in old cities with all of the associated infrastructure issues. Bidets will probably gain traction in the US as water availability decreases.
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A little bit too “elephant gun” for the problem methinks, but your mileage may vary.
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I bet jlw could use one for his Vanagon.
#vanlife
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By what measure? Water only cleans down to a certain level, which is why surgeons wash for several minutes, then don sterile gloves. Maybe a jet of superheated steam would completely sterilize the area, but I don’t think anyone would want that. Seems to me TP cleans as well as water, and a daily change of underwear takes care of the rest. I mean, you’re not going to eat off it.
We use this. I think it was $3 two decades ago.
It’s not ideal and it works mostly with gravity and with careful aim. It probably uses more water than a purpose-made tool like yours. Can fill with any temperature water.
I might rig up a knock-off of the Brondell GoSpa. I have plenty of plastic bottles. It’s the nozzle that would need some shaping, or scarfing, or maybe I can just find the nozzle sold separately. It would be a step up from our (dedicated, stays in the bathroom) watering can.
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I’m not clicking on video links in a bidet thread.
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If you were walking barefoot in the park and stepped in a huge pile of dog poop and you had the choice of dry toilet paper or a water hose to clean the poop off your foot, which would you choose?
I think most people would consider the hose to do a better job than dry paper at cleaning the foot even though the hose isn’t equal to scalding levels of surgical hot water or soap aided washing (assuming in this made up scenario that soap wasn’t available).
In either case I assume the person would take a proper hot shower with soap as soon as they could. But in the interim why not chose the better of the imperfect options?
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A real reason they haven’t caught on might be as simple as exposure. Americans don’t grow up with them.
My first experience was in Turkey, where there’s often a little water spigot and pitcher next to the crouch toilet, and no toilet paper at all. At home after trying wet wipes (we called them “the poor man’s bidet”) for a while, but grossed out by having the soiled ones in the garbage until garbage day, we installed a Biffy bidet in every toilet.
I don’t think they result in less toilet paper usage due to the drying, but definitely feels cleaner. Ours are cold water only, and very…refreshing, too.
I’d never go back to just paper.
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The nozzle is only part of the puzzle though; the plastic bottle is made of heavy, soft plastic, so that you can squeeze it easily, without breaking it. Most plastic bottles are too brittle. This also means that you also control the strength of the flow.
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My restaurant certificate instructor from the CDC would vehemently disagree. Sure, you wash your hands, but you’re still marginally dirty back there.
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I had an electrician pull an outlet for my washlet. It’s not that expensive and it’s super convenient compared to the squeeze bottle or cold water option.
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You’ve hit on the problem I hear the most. If there’s no dryer function, a towel is the only way to save on paper. There are other comments about not needing soap. That leads me to wonder how clean that towel would be in a multi-person household, and the additional laundry that would need to be done.
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Ah yes, keeping a plastic bag full of poop-smeared wipes in your bathroom is so much more hygienic 
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Kind of like on a pressure washer?
I’ve considered getting one, but from what I’ve seen:
- integrated units suffer from poor user aim while using the bowl for it’s primary purposem
- stand alone units provoke a “cool you got a URINAL in here” response from most USA-ers
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I doubt that you’ve ever used one because they don’t work that way.
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Any bidets I’ve tried have enough pressure to scrape off even the stickyest of poos.
I’ve said enough on BB about bidets. TL;DR: spend $100 for an under-the-seat unit. If you can install a toilet seat and do simple plumbing, it’s a great test to see if bidet life is for you.
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That’s truly outrageous.
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How much, roughly?
This entire thread has been flagged for TMI violations.
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