Toilet paper is an everyday bathroom necessity, but its production can have significant environmental consequences. Each roll uses thousands of gallons of water and flushable wipes can clog sewer systems, leading to overflows and the release of untreated waste into the environment.
Bidets offer a more hygienic alternative than toilet paper, save water, and are eco-friendly.
Why Bidets Are Better Than Toilet Paper
Bi-drought toilets offer not only superior hygiene and environmental care, using only water to clean. This reduces your toilet paper usage by up to 80%!
Wiping with toilet paper can irritate the skin, leading to rashes or hemorrhoids. Furthermore, toilet paper leaves behind residue and faecal matter that could make you ill.
People with chronic gastrointestinal conditions like Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome may find that bidets improve their bathroom hygiene. Patients experiencing flareups from these illnesses may experience itching, pain and irritation in the anal area.
Bidets can also provide relief from Pruritus Ani, a condition that causes itching buttholes due to dry skin around the anal area. A bidet spray gently cleanses and soothes this area, leaving your bum feeling fresher, cleaner and less irritated than wiping with toilet paper alone.
Washing
A bidet is a basin used for cleaning the area after using the toilet. It may be an independent unit or part of the toilet itself, with its spray handle mounted atop the seat.
Bidets come in all shapes and sizes, from economy to luxury. Most have a front/rear spray wash and warm air dryer for easy maintenance.
A bidet’s primary benefit is that it uses water instead of toilet paper for cleaning your private areas, thus cutting down on tissue use. This is an enormous environmental win!
One major advantage is that using toilet paper saves water and lowers your household’s water bill. Furthermore, it’s beneficial for the plumbing system as it prevents clogs caused by using too much tissue.
To maximize the effectiveness of a bidet for cleaning yourself, ensure it has an intense spray and that you are sitting or straddling the bowl so the force of its jets can reach all areas of your body. If your bidet does not come equipped with such a strong stream, toilet paper will still need to be used until everything is clean.
Wiping
Wiping is essential to provide a hygienic bathroom experience and protect against urinary tract infections (UTIs), vaginitis in women, as well as itching and discomfort in men.
Some people opt to clean with toilet paper, while others choose a bidet or syringe ball instead. No matter which option you pick, always wipe front to back instead of back-to-front as this prevents fecal matter from entering your urethra and increasing the risk of an UTI or itchy, swollen areas on your bum.
Some people utilize a technique called foldering, in which they fold the toilet paper into neat squares before wiping. Crumplers press it into an irregular ball before wiping.
Drying
Toilet paper is a paper product used to clean the anus and surrounding anal area after defecation, as well as external genitalia and perineal areas after urine instillation (for females). It’s an everyday household necessity that comes in various forms – from traditional ‘roll’ packages to more contemporary packaging options.
It’s easy to see how using toilet paper can have an adverse effect on the environment: Wet toilet paper decomposes quickly, using up a lot of water, bleach and single-use plastic. Furthermore, most toilet paper is made from trees which puts forests at risk and releases carbon dioxide into the air.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. With the right choice, you can save money and do good for the environment at the same time. Switching your daily showering with a bidet can be an effortless, eco-friendly switch that adds value and convenience into your life.