PQ shortage brings bidets up to date

Originally Published on korii.slate.fr On March 19, 2020

Appeared in the 18th century in France, the bidet gradually disappeared from Western homes. | Renee Verberne  via Unsplash

Fearing a lack of toilet paper because of Covid-19, the United States is turning to this shunned piece of furniture.

In recent weeks, the toilet paper shelves of many supermarkets have been robbed all over the world. Fearing total containment due to Covid-19 (even the end of the world, if some images are to be believed ), millions of people wanted to build up a last stock.

The United States was not spared by this wind of panic. Rather unjustified panic, given that more than 90% of toilet paper used by Americans is manufactured on the national territory and that the risks of shortage are very low. Still, the psychosis remains and some US stores have been forced to set limits on the number of rolls per person .

Meanwhile, an interesting alternative to the PQ is capitalizing on the renewed interest that has surrounded it in the mainstream media for some time: the bidet. This piece of furniture is used to wash the genitals and anus with water, without having to use toilet paper.

In Europe, his native land, the bidet has largely lost popularity during the second half of the XX th century. The Covid-19 epidemic could well bring him back to the front of the stage - or the bathroom.

Sales doubled, tripled or even increased tenfold

In the United States, companies selling bidets have seen dramatic increases, reports the Wired news site . The Tushy brand has thus seen its sales "doubled, tripled, or even increased tenfold since rumors of toilet paper shortages" , details its CEO Jason Ojalvo.

The New York Times-affiliated Wirecutter site , which compares everyday items, recently saw audience statistics for its guide to bidets explode. Between March 13 and March 15, it was the second most viewed page, with traffic growth of 5,000% compared to last year. On Google, we have also noted in recent days an upward trend in searches for the word "bidet"

The pandemic could make adopt this technology to Americans, who have always consumed a lot of toilet paper and saw in the bidet an invention linked to unbridled sexuality and brothels of Europeans. Other types of sanitary facilities, “washlets” or Japanese toilets, could also benefit from this forced craze for buttocks rinsed with clean water.

Miki Agrawal is the Co-Founder and former CEO of THINX.