Friday, August 21, 2009

Wiping is so 20th Century

Toilet paper, such a waste (and not even very effective).

Check out this article from Newsweek:

Deep down, Americans have always known that wiping their rears with dry paper is ineffective; a classic survey showed that half of TP users spend their days with "fecal contamination" in their underpants. And yet we continue to mock the bidet, the Frenchest of innovations, as froufrou, risqué, de trop. But while personal hygiene is one thing, the future of the planet is another. The average American uses 57 sheets of toilet paper a day; collectively, we burn through 36.5 billion rolls each year. Tossing all the TP in America would save 15 million trees, 17.3 terawatts of electricity, and more than 473 billion gallons of water annually; the environmental impact of bidets is minimal in comparison. No wonder the Japanese bidet behemoth Toto is gearing up for a massive sales push in the States. When it's hip to be green, ditching the Charmin could actually make a difference. And not only in our (dirty) drawers.

8 comments:

Rocketstar said...

I would love to have a bidet. I love shitting at home because I can use the baby wipes still around for the girls.

I am also tired of doing the 'poor mans' bidet move by flushing the toilet then dipping toilet paper into the bowl to get it wet.

There has to be a better way

Unknown said...

definitely bidets, I think it's a holistic approach toward wellness! improve personal hygiene and health, save on charmin and GO GREEN!

Timothy Smith said...

I am moving to a farm so I have to use that rough cheap TP anyway because of the septic tank. Maybe a bidet is the way to go. I saw them while I was in Bulgaria, one the fancy hotel rooms had one. I did not use it and my crappy hotel room was not equipped.

I will have to look into it, you must do a "just in case wipe" after though right?

Dave said...

So that is what a bidet is for? I have seen them on holidays and always thought they were for washing the sand out of your flip-flops.

You live and learn ;-)

Thomas said...

Rocket, thanks for the poor-man's bidet strategy. Sounds like a keeper, at least until we get the real things installed Stateside.

Narkissos, I agree. It's win-win.

Tim, with a bidet, I don't know that you'd have to wipe. Maybe just pat yourself down a bit like after taking a shower.

Dave, that's a good one. I wonder what the natives would've thought if they saw you using their bidets for such a purpose.

Reminds me of the scene in the 1985 film "European Vacation" when Chevy Chase sees a small bowl in his hotel room in Britain and uses it to brush his teeth. His son comes up to him a moment later with one in his hand and says, "Hey, dad, look. Bedpan!"

Here's another of my favorite scenes from the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXTe5GOYGz8

Timothy Smith said...

I LOVED European Vacation, even more then the original. The beginning where the game show host is molesting the daughter in the pig suit.

I laughed through that whole movie.

Thomas said...

I went to it 3 times in the summer of '85 and it's easily my favorite of the 4 "Vacation" movies. I gave it to my dad as a birthday present a few years ago and will probably revisit it sometime soon.

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