# Why don't we use bidets in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925 "2014-08-19T18:49:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/21 "2014-08-19T23:02:13Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I’ve lived in Canada all my life and have visited other parts of Canada, and never seen a bidet anywhere in Canada. Our master bathroom in our house in Toronto has one (which we never use). I think they’re semi-popular with Asian families, but they definitely haven’t hit the big time yet. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/22 "2014-08-19T23:13:23Z")
We have one in our English bathroom (that is a room with a bath and a loo in it) but I don’t use it every time, nor does Mrs Bob. There are those times when paper is just not enough though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/23 "2014-08-19T23:13:56Z")
I have a little spray bidet attachment and I love it. I discovered it when I went to India last year, and my toilet paper use has decreased by something like 80-90%, no exaggeration. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/24 "2014-08-19T23:15:25Z")
I have seen [bidet toilet seats](https://www.google.ca/search?q=bidet+toilet+seat&rlz=1C1GIGM_en-GBCA550CA550&espv=213&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=XNnzU6iuEuf_igK1yIHgAg&ved=0CGAQ7Ak&biw=1621&bih=923) in the homes of Indian clients here in Canada. They require no extra bathroom space. No idea if they function as well as a standard bidet. I’ve never used one. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/25 "2014-08-20T00:23:57Z")
I’ve been to 25 different towns in S. France, and have encountered bidets in maybe 5 of them. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/26 "2014-08-20T00:35:29Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > Are they used anywhere else, other than France? From the [Wikipedia page for Bidet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidet), so not authoritative but: > [@](#): > > Bidets are common bathroom fixtures in many southern European countries, especially Italy, where they are found in 97% of households, and Portugal, where bidets are in the majority of flats. Additionally, they are rather widespread, although not standard, in France and Spain, and are occasionally found in Albania, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Malta and Greece. > > Bidets can be found in some countries in the Americas, especially in South America, and are a standard feature of homes in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. They are common in Arabic countries[citation needed] in the Middle East, such as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and in the Maghreb, especially Egypt and Morocco. Much of East Asia, particularly Japan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea use bidets as well. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/27 "2014-08-20T04:18:33Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > Are they used anywhere else, other than France? I am reliably informed that they are also common in Portugal. eta: ninja’d by less than 4 hours! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/28 "2014-08-20T04:23:27Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > From the [Wikipedia page for Bidet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidet), so not authoritative but: Depends what you call a bidet. A proper bidet is a separate appliance from the toilet. A Washlet (that’s a trademark name, by the way, but rather like Kleenex) is a device that replaces the toilet seat and has a little arm that squirts water up at your bum. As described by my Portuguese friend, a bidet is something in which you dunk your tush and wash yourself somehow (he didn’t go into details) rather like a mini bathtub for your butt. Japan has Washlets and their clones everywhere; I have never seen an actual bidet. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/29 "2014-08-20T05:38:06Z")
I have absolutely no evidence to support this, it’s just my own personal theory. I think its because indoor plumbing came to America right at the height of the prudish, Victorian era. So while the man of the house could, behind closed doors, inquire about having a ‘water closet’ installed in one’s home, there was simply no way in hell anyone anywhere here was going to talk about a butthole/pussy washer! Oh heavens, I do believe I’m gettin’ the vapors! Ironically the very first time I ever heard of one was while watching the original _Crocodile Dundee_ movie, where he’s such an uncouth rube he has no idea.what its for either! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Killing\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/76d3ee/32.png) [@Killing\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Killing_Time)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/30 "2014-08-20T05:51:42Z")
I have the Washlet with heated seat, heated water, adjustable spray position, dryer, automatic deodorizing filter, and yes, remote control. (I don’t think they even make them without remote controls anymore.) It is fantastic. It even sprays a mist into the toilet bowl when you approach the toilet, to cut down on “skid marks” being left on the exposed sides of the bowl. It gets you MUCH cleaner than toilet paper. Toilet paper is not needed at all. The only time paper would be needed is if you didn’t want to wait for the dryer to do its job, which can take awhile. I have heard people claim they still need to wipe even if they use the Washlet. I don’t understand why they would say that, and it makes me think they don’t understand how it works. When you think about it, it’s much more sanitary - the only thing I ever have to touch is the remote control, which is mounted on the wall several feet away from the toilet. Why aren’t they more popular in the U.S.? I would guess it’s because of provincial attitudes and general uptightness of Americans when discussing bodily functions. I have had guests in my home who thought the Washlet was weird, and some who were even afraid of it. ---
**Author:** ![Killing\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/76d3ee/32.png) [@Killing\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Killing_Time)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/31 "2014-08-20T05:56:15Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > a bidet is something in which you dunk your tush and wash yourself somehow (he didn’t go into details) rather like a mini bathtub for your butt. I think that’s just one type of bidet. They also have ones that shoot a stream of water at you. Washing your butt in a bathtub somehow strikes me as disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/32 "2014-08-20T06:31:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I have a little spray bidet attachment and I love it. I discovered it when I went to India last year, and my toilet paper use has decreased by something like 80-90%, no exaggeration. Yeah I first used them in India too, where they seem to be common. One thing I’ll say is, they work well enough, but in many places there was _only_ a bidet, no paper. Just bidet is definitely inferior to just paper IMO IME ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/33 "2014-08-20T06:46:14Z")
The only bidet I have ever encountered, in visiting 30 countries (including England and France, but I haven’t been to India or Pak) all 50 USA states, and some 5 Canadian provinces, was once in… … the Philippines. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/34 "2014-08-20T07:56:48Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I have absolutely no evidence to support this, it’s just my own personal theory. I think its because indoor plumbing came to America right at the height of the prudish, Victorian era. So while the man of the house could, behind closed doors, inquire about having a ‘water closet’ installed in one’s home, there was simply no way in hell anyone anywhere here was going to talk about a butthole/pussy washer! Oh heavens, I do believe I’m gettin’ the vapors! > > Ironically the very first time I ever heard of one was while watching the original _Crocodile Dundee_ movie, where he’s such an uncouth rube he has no idea.what its for either! 😃 It’s to wash your backside, right? ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/35 "2014-08-20T10:33:18Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > It’s to wash your backside, right? Am wondering the same thing. Or is it for washing genitalia? Or all of the above? ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/36 "2014-08-20T10:44:49Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Am wondering the same thing. Or is it for washing genitalia? Or all of the above? It’s for washing whatever takes your fancy, but primarily your bum. Cultures in which they are common (Italy, for eg) thinks it’s as bizarre to just dry wipe your bum after a shit as it would be to dry wipe your hands under the same circumstances. Kinda got a point, I think. I had a new bathroom fitted in my Italian holiday home and excluded a bidet (it is a very small bathroom) - my agent told me I’d never sell it to an Italian without one. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/37 "2014-08-20T10:47:50Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Am wondering the same thing. Or is it for washing genitalia? Or all of the above? (Mine was a quote from the film. But yes, you can wash all of your nethers.) ---
**Author:** ![HipGnosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@HipGnosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HipGnosis)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/38 "2014-08-20T16:05:56Z")
> [@Killing\_Time](#): > > I have the Washlet with heated seat, heated water, adjustable spray position, dryer, automatic deodorizing filter, and yes, remote control. … it’s much more sanitary - the only thing I ever have to touch is the remote control, which is mounted on the wall several feet away from the toilet. Just how does that work?!? Do you do ‘your business’, go over to the remote and run back to the toilet to be cleaned?!? ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/39 "2014-08-20T16:23:20Z")
The bidets were $50 on sale. There were three that were bought and only one installed so far, (I want one of them for my apartment. It doesn’t blow dry and the water’s cold, (and if turned up full blast right away, a bit of a shock), but they do their job… well. It’s plastic and pretty cheep looking. It seems very sanitary and it just blows my mind that more people don’t have them. The quality isn’t top notch, but I know there are others that are nicer out there. If you like to be clean, there’s no reason other than cost, not to have these. I think we do see it as being “icky” because it has to do with ‘Mookie Stinks’, but everyone does it. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925/40 "2014-08-20T18:51:23Z")
> [@Killing\_Time](#): > > I think that’s just one type of bidet. They also have ones that shoot a stream of water at you. Washing your butt in a bathtub somehow strikes me as disgusting. Who also has ones that shoot water at you? The Portuguese person who told me about this said that there is no water moving, you just wash yourself (somehow, again no details were offered) and I presume the water is then changed by something like flushing. The devices I have seen that shoot water at your bum are not bidets, but Washlets (or their clones), which was the entire point of my prior post. It’s not a bathtub, that was just a metaphor. It is a fixture similar in design to, but separate from, a toilet, which one straddles for the purpose of washing the genitals and anal area. We have Washlets, but I don’t use the dryer. For one thing, the water jet doesn’t always get absolutely everything, and I don’t want to air-dry anything that might be left. Also I don’t have the patience. Once swipe with toilet paper takes care of any minor leftovers and also the water. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-use-bidets-in-the-us/695925.md?page=3)