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“Sales have been up about [tenfold], which is pretty crazy,” Jason Ojalvo, CEO of New York-based bidet brand Tushy, tells The Post. “Earlier this month it started out, you know, two times [the sales], then it went to three times [the sales] and then boom, like next thing you know it’s tenfold.”
Demand for San Francisco-based bidet brand Brondell also shot up — more than 300% over the past week, Daniel Lalley, communications director for Brondell tells the Los Angeles Times. The bum-cleaning bump comes just a day after Australian TP hoarders went viral for brawling over bathroom tissue.
To attract new consumers, purveyors are selling bidets as toilet attachments so en-loo-siasts don’t have to install new plumbing. The swanky $649 Brondell Swash 1400 comes with a boatload of premium features, including an endless warm water spray, heated seat function, warm air dryer, attached deodorizer, nozzle sterilization technology and even a nightlight.
More frugally minded seat scourers can find the Tushy Bidet for $79, but the devices aren’t shipping till April 20. Cheaper options are hard to come by as well, given the run on toilet paper alternatives. BioBidet’s $12.95 cleaner is completely sold out. If you’re open to buying a bidet on eBay, Brondell’s portable option is currently $12.99. Tushy’s travel version is $29.
Fortunately, The Post has compiled a DIY heinie hygiene guide that allows you to MacGyver your own bum washer with a jug and lukewarm water.
“In the midst of this unprecedented toilet paper run, we’re really grateful for the opportunity to provide those who need them with smart solutions for toilet paper replacement,” Lalley says.
Unfortunately, despite experts deeming TP hoarding “unnecessary,” panic buyers have been reluctant to slow their roll. Oregon authorities recently had to urge residents to stop dialing 911 over purported TP shortages.
Ojalvo, for one, doesn’t understand the hysteria.
“The reality is, once you use a bidet to clean after pooping you cannot go back to wiping and toilet paper,” he says. “Wiping seems not just inefficient, but also barbaric, by comparison.”
Miki Agrawal is the Co-Founder and former CEO of THINX.
Dump toilet paper for good with these easy-to-install bidets attachments.
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We're answering all your questions about bidets, from how to install one to whether you should still use toilet paper.
Both the butt of jokes in many rom-coms and a cause for genuine curiosity in fancy hotel bathrooms, there’s always been a bit of mystery swirling around the bidet.
Although they’re popular in many parts of the world, particularly Europe and Japan, bidets have never been able to make a splash in the United States — until now, at least.
Searches for bidets have soared over the past couple of days as people search for alternatives to toilet paper. One popular bidet brand, TUSHY, has seen sales 10 times what they were when people first started worrying about a potential toilet paper shortage, according to company founder Miki Agrawal.
The problem isn’t that there’s really a toilet paper shortage. In fact, the U.S. is flush with toilet paper. The problem is that toilet paper manufacturers are having a hard timegetting the product to stores before it sells out.
Because it’s clear there’s growing interest in and demand for bidet intel, we pulled together all of your need-to-know questions about bidets, from how to install one to whether you should still use toilet paper.
All of your pressing bidets questions, answered:
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What is a bidet and what are the benefits of one?
A bidet sprays water on your nether regions after you’ve gone No.1 or No. 2, and offers a more, ahem, thorough cleanse than traditional toilet paper wiping.
We use water to clean just about everything else — and every other part of our body ― so why have we come to rely solely on toilet paper for this one area?
Wiping exclusively with toilet paper can leave behind poop residue, according to Dr. Samantha Nazareth, a board-certified gastroenterologist in New York City. A spray of water ensures everything is washed off, and it saves your bum from any potential irritation.
“Wiping with toilet paper frequently can cause the skin by the anus to become irritated,” Nazareth said. “Bidets also allow us to clean ourselves hands-free.”
This hands-free idea really hits home when you think about how much of that bacteria ends up sticking to your phone, especially if your find bathroom breaks are better with Instagram. Enough said.
Water is generally the best option when it comes to cleaning that area, according Dr. Kecia Gaither, a board-certified OB-GYN in New York City. That’s especially true if you’re on your period, pregnant or just have a lot of bowel movements.
“For women during their periods, it’s exceedingly helpful for cleansing the perianal area,” Gaither said. “For pregnant woman and/or anyone who suffers with hemorrhoids or has a gastrointestinal issue resulting in multiple daily bowel movements, it’s helpful to have a warm stream of water to cleanse the area as opposed to toilet paper, which can be abrasive.”
Are bidets easier to use than toilet paper?
For people with limited mobility or certain disabilities, or for women who have just given birth, wiping can be a struggle.
Toilet paper can also be painful to use after you’ve given birth or if you suffer from skin sensitivities, and water is a gentler alternative.
However, be mindful of the water pressure. Nazareth said a bidet shouldn’t feel uncomfortable or forceful, so be careful when using one if you have broken skin or ulcers in the genital area or anus.
And, just like it’s important to wipe front to back, you also want make sure you’re directing the bidet’s stream of water away from your vagina, Gaither said. Otherwise you risk getting feculent material in that area, which could result in infection. If you can’t adjust the angle of the nozzle on your bidet, it’s as easy as turning yourself around and straddling the seat backward.
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While regular ol’ toilet paper might break down more easily than wipes and won’t usually pose a threat to pipes, it’s still not great for the environment.
Are bidets better for the environment than toilet paper?
You might be wondering whether using wet wipes would address a lot of these concerns. The answer is, partially, yes, but wet wipes also contribute to so-called “Fatbergs” — blockages in our pipes and sewage systems made up of cooking oils that get poured down the drain. They can cause major damage, too. Just ask the residents of London’s Whitechapel area.
While regular ol’ toilet paper might break down more easily than wipes and won’t usually pose a threat to pipes, it’s still not great for the environment.
If you don’t want to wait to air-dry and your bidet doesn’t come fully loaded with a fancy dryer (more on that below), you’ll probably still need to keep a little toilet paper on hand.
Traditionally, you might see a towel nearby for drying off, but in this age of extreme sanitation, it might be best to ditch the bidet towel for now in favor of a small supply of TP.
Agrawal, the TUSHY founder, recommends using “only a few sheets of toilet paper to pat dry.”
What’s the difference between a bidet and a bidet toilet attachment?
Let’s get down to brass tacks: A traditional bidet is a separate object with built-in jets that you install in your bathroom. Some bidets are as simple as that, while others have more advanced features like adjustable spray settings, drying options, lights and even Bluetooth compatibility.
Bidet toilet attachments, also known as bidet toilet seats or “washlets,” are devices that attach to your existing toilet so you can get the benefits of a bidet without remodeling your entire bathroom. They attach to your toilet for a water source and are available in manual or electronic models, and have varying features like temperature and flow control.
The TL;DR:
Bidets are a suitable alternative to toilet paper because they tend to be more hygienic, comfortable, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective.
If you’re ready to dump your toilet paper, we’ve rounded up a few easy-to-install bidet toilet attachments that are also renter-friendly.
"We think they’re taking a good look at toilet paper and realizing they might not need it anymore," said a co-founder of Omigo, which produces luxury bidets
No toilet paper? No problem!
Concern about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the U.S. has inspired droves of shoppers to stock up on toilet paper in recent weeks as they anticipate an extended period of social distancing in their homes.
That stockpiling quickly correlated with TP shortages — and a spike in business for companies selling add-on bidets that replace the need for bathroom tissue.
“Basically, we’re having a Black Friday–like day every day. Sales have spiked 10 times,” Tom Lotrecchiano, co-founder of Omigo, which makes “luxury bidet seats” that can be easily installed on an existing toilet, tells PEOPLE. “While the toilet paper shortage is inspiring this spike, customers are telling us they love it so much they’re never going back.”
Adds Lotrecchiano: “We think they’re taking a good look at toilet paper and realizing they might not need it anymore.”
Shoppers leave with a cart full of toilet paper on March 5 in Melbourne.
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According to TUSHY, a company that bills itself as “toilet crusaders” and offers add-on bidets, Americans use an average of 57 sheets of toilet paper per day. And, as many store shelves were left empty recently, TUSHY, too, saw a noticeable surge in bidet sales.
“While this could be the tipping point that finally gets us to adopt the bidet, TUSHY has been saying since 2015 that bidets will replace toilet paper,” founder Miki Agrawal tells PEOPLE. “TUSHY’s goal has always been to save the 15 million trees that are getting flushed down every year, save billions of gallons of water required to make the toilet paper and actually help clean bottoms properly, once and for all.”
New bidet models simplify the installation process, acting as add-ons to standard toilets and connect directly to a fresh water line.
“It’s supplement to your existing toilet. No need to replace the throne,” Lotrecchiano says, describing models that “slide underneath” the toilet seat and others that replace the existing toilet seat and “provide instant warm water with custom washes, a heated seat, nightlight and tons of other features all controlled by a wireless remote.”
“You want to give it regular cleanings to make sure everything stays sanitary, but nothing special is needed to give your bidet a nice long life of butt-washing,” he says.
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A spokesperson for BioBidet tells PEOPLE that the manufacturers have “all hands on deck” to process their increase in orders, hoping to reach “as many homes as possible.”
“Many people simply haven’t experienced or encountered [bidets] after being accustomed to toilet paper for so long, but with shortages occurring throughout the nation, people are starting to take a different perspective on their hygiene,” says the spokesperson. “It’s all about being clean, comfortable and cutting back on toilet paper.”
Even as bidets have become common fixtures in homes internationally, the U.S. continues to be mostly mystified by the concept. Touting benefits of cleanliness and environmental impact, makers of bidets hope this sudden spotlight on the toilet paper alternatives marks a new normal.
“Bidet adoption in the U.S. is a word-of-mouth thing: Once you get one, you tell your friends and family,” says Lotrecchiano. “That’s how we’ve been growing our business. It’s true that bidets are having a moment that will transcend the current crisis, but we would trade that success in a second for this crisis to be over, the country to be safe and everyone’s lives to go back to normal.”
