I’ll be honest – before I traveled abroad, the idea of using a bidet seemed… weird. I’d seen them in pictures and heard about them in passing, but I had no intention of “riding the French pony,” as they say. Then I took a trip to Japan. My hotel bathroom had one of those high-tech toilets with buttons I couldn’t even begin to decipher. Out of curiosity, and after Googling which button wouldn’t accidentally spray the ceiling, I gave it a shot.
And let me tell you, once I experienced the clean, refreshing magic of water over paper, there was no going back.
Toilet Paper Feels Primitive Now
After using a bidet, toilet paper suddenly felt like using sandpaper and calling it hygiene. It’s rough, wasteful, and honestly not that effective. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much cleaner I felt after using water instead of smearing with dry paper. It hit me: why is this not standard in America?
Every day, the U.S. flushes the equivalent of 270,000 trees just to wipe. If you stop and think about it, that’s an absurd cost for something that does half the job a $40 bidet attachment can do better.
A Cultural Blind Spot
As I looked into it more, I learned that America’s aversion to bidets isn’t about practicality – it’s cultural. In Europe and parts of Asia and South America, the bidet is just part of everyday hygiene. But in the U.S., it somehow became taboo, or even shameful. I couldn’t believe it, but part of the reason bidets never caught on here is because American soldiers first encountered them in brothels during WWII. Yes, brothels.
So instead of coming home and saying, “Hey, Europe has a better way to stay clean,” they kept quiet. Because admitting you’d used one meant admitting you’d been somewhere… compromising.
From Luxury to Sin
Early on, bidets were associated with wealth and aristocracy. Even Marie Antoinette had one in her jail cell. In a country like America, born from rebellion against aristocrats, anything associated with French upper classes was bound to meet resistance.
Then came the other layer: morality. Some people viewed bidets as sexual or sinful because they were used to “clean” after certain activities or believed to help with birth control. The device that helped women with basic hygiene was suddenly a symbol of loose morals. It was ridiculous – but that’s how these ideas take root.
Menstruation, Modesty, and Misunderstanding
Another reason bidets were dismissed in the U.S. is how they related to women’s hygiene. Historically, anything related to menstruation was considered private and even shameful in polite society. Since bidets were often used by women for cleaning during their periods, they were seen as feminine, unnecessary, or even taboo.
So instead of encouraging hygiene, people pushed the topic under the rug. Men didn’t want one in their homes, and women didn’t want to bring it up. Once again, stigma won out over common sense.
America’s Bathrooms Weren’t Ready
Another big hurdle is infrastructure. U.S. bathrooms just aren’t built for bidets. Unlike in Europe or Japan, where bathrooms often include both a toilet and a bidet, most American bathrooms have just enough space for a standard toilet and maybe a small trash can. Retrofitting bathrooms with extra plumbing or a whole new appliance? Not cheap.
There are affordable toilet seat bidets now, but even those can be tricky. They often require a nearby electrical outlet, which many American bathrooms don’t have. So even when people are interested, it can feel like too much trouble.
A Pandemic Wake-Up Call
But something interesting happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Toilet paper disappeared. Like, gone. I’ll never forget staring at empty shelves in the grocery store, wondering what I was going to do. That’s when I ordered my first bidet attachment online.
Turns out, I wasn’t alone. Bidet sales skyrocketed during lockdown. People who never would have considered one before were suddenly asking, “Wait, why haven’t I been doing this the whole time?”
Wet Wipes Tried to Fill the Gap
For a while, wet wipes became the “cool” upgrade from toilet paper. But they come with their own issues. They clog sewer systems, don’t break down, and contribute to massive fatbergs in city plumbing. They also aren’t exactly great for the environment. So while they feel better than dry paper, they’re really just a Band-Aid solution.
A true fix still points back to the bidet.
The Global Standard
It’s not just Japan. Italy passed a law in 1975 requiring all homes to have a bidet. Venezuela? Ninety percent of households have one. Even in Islamic and Hindu cultures, cleaning with water has always been the norm. They consider wiping with paper alone unclean, even disrespectful. And honestly, they’re not wrong.
It makes me wonder how Americans can be so proud of their innovation and hygiene while ignoring a system that the rest of the world has figured out.
High-Tech, High-Resistance
Companies like Toto in Japan have made bidets into luxury experiences. Heated seats, adjustable spray patterns, air dryers – you name it. Even Google headquarters installed them in their bathrooms in 2008. But when word got out, the reaction was more mocking than admiring. People saw it as tech-snobbery, not practical improvement.
It’s strange. The country that invented smartphones and sends rovers to Mars still insists on wiping like it’s 1800.
There’s Still Hope
Despite all this, things are changing – slowly. More bidet attachments are hitting the U.S. market. They’re cheaper, easier to install, and getting better every year. Influencers are even starting to talk about them. What once was whispered about in back rooms is now making its way into TikTok tutorials and YouTube reviews.
And if nothing else, toilet paper shortages taught a generation that there are other options.
It’s Time to Wash, Not Wipe
So here’s my conclusion: after using a bidet overseas, I came home with one question – why aren’t we doing this? And now I know the answer. It’s not about cleanliness or efficiency. It’s about stigma, history, and infrastructure. But none of those are good enough reasons to keep avoiding something better.
We put effort into brushing our teeth, washing our hands, and cleaning our faces. So why stop at the most important part of daily hygiene?
Bidets make sense. They’re cleaner, cheaper in the long run, and better for the planet. It’s time we got over our weird hang-ups and embraced the spray. Trust me, once you do, you’ll never go back.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.