Toilet paper vs. bidets
Is it just me or are bidets having a moment? Maybe it’s because I just got one for my toilet.
I know, you’re shocked. Scandalised even. I work for a toilet paper company and I still spent money on a bidet. It was just some market research… sort of.
To be totally candid, I bought a bidet after about 2 glasses of wine. Or maybe it was 4. I don’t remember, quarantining is hard. I just wanted to get to the bottom (yes, I said it) of the whole bidet situation. You see, whenever people learn I work for an eco-friendly toilet paper company, they say one of two things:
I bet you’re worried about the rise of bidets. They’re amazing!
I bet you’re not worried about the rise of bidets. They’re freaky!
Ok, maybe not exactly, but that’s the gist. The truth is, I’d never really thought about bidets, let alone worried. I once had a sorry attempt at using one in Italy, but that’s about it. So I did it. I bought a bidet. And guess what? I like it! It saves me about 35 seconds per day if I’ve been eating enough vegetables.
So does it feel gross?
No, I don’t think so. The nozzle on my bidet is very, um, pointed. It’s a strong flow of water – think of it like a power wash. I think it might be grosser if it was a light dribble that you sort of had to hover over, but that’s not the case with most bidets. If you like the feeling of wet wipes (which are terrible for the planet), you’d probably appreciate a bidet.
Do I use less toilet paper?
I feel like that’s the big secret of this whole TP vs. bidet debate. You still need toilet paper with a bidet. Otherwise, you’ll have what, as they say on The Great British Bake Off, a very soggy bottom. I suppose you could also pat your bum dry with a towel, but that sounds like a recipe for many loads of laundry. Also, I wipe when I wee. I know that’s a lot of information, but it’s highly relevant (especially if you have a small bladder).
But back to the big question – do I use less TP with a bidet? Probably a bit. Is it enough of a difference to really have an effect on the environment? Probably not – especially since I love Who Gives A Crap’s recycled rolls.
Is it better for the environment?
If a bidet is helping you reduce your use of supermarket toilet paper, then it’s definitely a good thing. Not only do most regular rolls come from cutting down trees (27,000 per day!), the process of turning those trees into paper is extremely intensive. It takes a LOT of water and energy to turn a tree into a pulp that can dry into loo roll. It’s a whole lot easier to turn paper into pulp, which is exactly how we make our recycled rolls.
The bottom line (whoops, did it again) is that as long as you’re not destroying forests to wipe your bum, you’re doing pretty well for yourself and Mama Earth. Both bidets and Who Gives A Crap toilet paper are great options to help you do that. I like using these great options together, but that’s just personal preference.
