A "washlet" is a high-tech electronic bidet seat that replaces your existing toilet seat, while a "bidet" is a standalone porcelain fixture placed next to the toilet. Washlets offer features like heated seats, warm water, and air dryers, whereas traditional bidets require you to move between fixtures.
TOTO WASHLET bidet seats fit most standard North American toilets. Installing WASHLET is as easy as changing the toilet seat.
Bidet Etiquette in Europe
Remember, after using it, you should dry yourself with the dedicated small towel provided or toilet paper before leaving the bathroom. France: While not as ubiquitous as in Italy, bidets in France are often considered a sign of a well-appointed home.
Doctors say bidets can support comfort and hygiene, but only if used properly. Learning to use a bidet properly helps prevent irritation, infection, and overuse.
With a bidet, you'll get clean with just a few button presses – no wiping, reaching or mess involved. In fact, many doctors and patients recommend adding a bidet to your surgery recovery toolkit.
The Don'ts
Peeing frequently after a hip replacement is very common and usually temporary. It is typically caused by the body flushing out excess IV fluids given during surgery, swelling reducing as the body heals, or side effects from pain and muscle relaxant medications.
Many people find bidets gross due to the mental image of water causing unsanitary splashing, the fear of unclean shared nozzles, or the perceived awkwardness of air-drying or manually drying off afterward.
Gynecologists recommend white, unbleached, unscented, and dye-free toilet paper. Scented or ultra-soft varieties often contain lotions, chlorine bleach, or artificial fragrances that can disrupt your natural pH and cause allergic reactions or chronic irritation in sensitive intimate areas.
Around 70% of the world doesn't rely on toilet paper in the way we do, turning to water before tissue.
Wiping your butt correctly helps avoid infections and irritation. Use soft toilet paper and a gentle technique. Wiping from front to back prevents health complications like urinary tract infection and skin irritation, and avoids aggravating any existing rectal issues, like hemorrhoids or anal fissures.
To use a bidet as a woman, sit normally on the toilet, facing the wall. If using a standalone bidet, you can straddle it facing the controls. Lean slightly forward to center your body, select the gentle "feminine" or front-wash setting, and use toilet paper or a bidet towel to pat dry.
While bidets offer excellent hygiene and reduce toilet paper waste, they come with a few notable drawbacks. Potential cons include high upfront costs for electric models, tricky installations, potential disruptions to vaginal flora, and extra bathroom cleaning duties.
Whether Toto or Kohler is better depends on your priorities. Toto is widely considered the superior brand for innovation, smart bidet technology, and quiet, efficient flushing. Kohler is often preferred for design variety, traditional aesthetics, and more budget-friendly options.
TOTO Washlet KC2 Electronic Bidet Seat with SoftClose Lid | Costco.
The most advanced washlets can mix the water jet with soap for an improved cleaning process. The washlet can replace toilet paper completely, but many users opt to use both wash and paper in combination—although use of paper may be omitted for cleaning of the vulva.
Many traditional Amish communities consider manufactured toilet paper an unnecessary luxury and use resource-saving alternatives instead. In outhouses, families often repurpose old newspapers, magazine pages, or catalogs (like the Sears and Roebuck catalog). To make the paper soft enough to use, they crumple it vigorously multiple times.
Plumbers often advise against using Charmin toilet paper because it is known for being particularly thick and plush, which can lead to clogs in plumbing systems.
First, let's figure out the numbers. Most people use the toilet about 5 times a day, but anything in the 4-10 range is deemed “normal”. And the average person is said to use nearly 7 sheets1 per wipe – approximately 6.41 sheets per toileting occasion for women, and 8.1 sheets per occasion for men.
Yes, an estimated 70% of the world does not use dry toilet paper to wipe. Instead, many cultures across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Europe prioritize washing with water.
A smelly bidet is usually caused by trapped bacteria, clogged internal filters, or a poor seal with your plumbing.
Yes, Japanese bidets are widely considered highly sanitary. They are actively engineered for maximum hygiene, utilizing streams of fresh, continuous tap water for washing rather than dry wiping, which physically lifts and removes bacteria more effectively than toilet paper.
The "21-second pee rule"—also known as the Universal Law of Urination—is a scientific observation that almost all mammals weighing more than 6.5 lbs (about 3 kg), from a house cat to an elephant, empty their bladders in an average of 21 seconds.
Surgeons often advise against using a recliner after hip replacement because the soft padding and low design cause you to sink in. This makes it difficult to stand up safely without bending your hip past 90 degrees or twisting your leg, which violates critical hip precautions and risks dislocation.
One week after hip replacement, the goal is movement, not distance. Aim for short walks around your house of 5 to 10 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day. Always use your prescribed walker or crutches to prevent falls, and get up every 1 to 2 hours to keep your circulation moving.