Is 2017 the Year of the Bidet?

Bidets have long been popular in Europe and Japan, but bidet sales have never quite taken off in American markets…until now. U.S. News and World Reports that Toto has increased sales of its Washlet bidet seats each year by double digits for the last five years, and Toto isn’t the only company trying to expand the market for bidets. Treehugger.com recently reported that Brondell’s $30,000 Kickstarter campaign raised over $159,000 for a campaign to market the Swash 1400.

Still, bidets are an unknown item in many American households. At Terry’s Plumbing, we expect people who follow plumbing trends will have questions about bidets and why they’re in such high demand. In today’s post, we’ll tell you what you need to know about bidets, so you can decide for yourself whether or not a bidet is right for your needs.

What is a bidet, anyway?

A bidet is a plumbing fixture designed to spray water into the genital and buttocks after using the toilet. Some bidets are operated with a control panel, others are turned on and off with a faucet handle similar to a sink. A basic bidet will use only cold water. Luxury bidets will have temperature control, a drying feature and a seat warmer to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

What’s the advantage of using a bidet?

There are many reasons to use a bidet.

Hygiene: Bidets can clean the area more effectively than toilet paper, resulting in a cleaner body overall.
Environmentally friendly: Americans use 34,000,000 rolls of toilet paper every day. Manufacturing toilet paper releases 88,000,000 million pounds of greenhouse gasses into the air every day, killing trees and using water in the process. Use of a bidet can reduce toilet paper use by as much as 75%.
Aging in place: For older people, using a bidet to get clean can be easier than using toilet paper to wipe.

Which product is right for you?

Once you’ve decided to buy a bidet, you’ll still need to decide which type of bidet is right for you.

Floor mounted bidet: A floor mounted bidet is a separate fixture that sits next to the toilet so the user can easily transfer from one to the other. Floor mounted bidets are most prevalent in Europe. This type of bidet is only a realistic option in large bathrooms. They’re classy and attractive, but may not fit in your standard household bathroom.
Handheld bidet: A hand-held bidet is an attachment piece that taps into the same plumbing that supplies the water in the toilet. Handheld bidets mount on the side of the toilet, taking up very little room. This type of bidet is inexpensive and can take about 10 minutes to install given the right tools.
Bidet seat: A bidet seat is a special seat that mounts on the toilet and offers all the functionality of a floor mounted bidet. It takes up no extra room in the bathroom, but may offer a variety of options like a seat warmer and air dryer. These bidets are very popular in Japan.

Contact Terry’s Plumbing

Do you want a bidet in 2017? Terry’s Plumbing can help! Call us today at (412) 364-9114 to make an appointment. We can install your bidet and answer questions you might have about use and maintenance of your new plumbing fixture.