Bidets are a popular installation in countries all over the world, but in the United States, this hygienic fixture never caught on. In case you aren’t familiar, bidets are bathroom fixtures that provide users with a gentle jet of water, designed to make cleanup both easier and more thorough; most people in the United States still use old-fashioned toilet paper for cleanup.
Scientific research shows that cleaning with water is objectively better for you. You get cleaner and feel better afterward, while reducing your paper consumption and providing environmental benefits in the process.
As if that weren’t enough, using a bidet can actually prevent certain health issues like the development of hemorrhoids.
So why haven’t bidets gotten more popular in the United States?
The Possible Theories
There are several theories for why bidets never caught on in the United States, and these theories aren’t mutually exclusive. Some or all of these theories may be at play, each lending their influence to the overall lack of bidet installations in this country.
- English-French relations. One theory for why bidets never caught on in the U.S. dates back to the 1700s, when the first bidets began to appear in France. Because bidets were a French invention and England-France relations weren’t good at the time, many English people rejected the bidet outright. These feelings of resentment would later migrate to the United States, as many people from England made their way to the U.S.
- Associations with brothels. It’s also possible that rejection of bidets is a leftover from negative connotations during World War II. American soldiers in Europe frequently found bidets in brothels, building a stereotype that bidets are associated with lewd acts or immorality. These days, you won’t find many people who directly associate bidets with brothels in the United States – but the residual stigma continues to be perpetuated.
- Bathroom sizes. Generally speaking, bathrooms in the United States are smaller than bathrooms in other countries. In European and developed Asian countries, bathrooms are typically constructed with enough space to make the installation of a separate bidet both possible and comfortable. This, of course, leads to an interesting feedback loop. Homes are constructed without enough room to install a separate bidet, which leads to more people having no interest in bidets. Then, the lack of demand for bidets continues to fuel the construction of small bathrooms.
- Hygiene purposes. Some users contend that bidets, initially, weren’t intended to be a toilet paper replacement, per se, but were instead used as a substitute for daily bathing. In the 1700s and 1800s, daily baths/showers weren’t commonplace, so bidets offered a convenient way to stay cleaner between baths. By the time bidets became more popular, daily bathing was common in the United States – so there was less need for these fixtures.
- Lack of discussion. By some standards and measurements, America is relatively prudish compared to the rest of the world. Americans don’t spend much time talking about topics like sex or bathroom habits. We don’t want to talk about our experiences with toilet paper or how clean our nether regions are, so bidets don’t get brought up in conversation.
Maybe your friend recently bought a bidet and they’re having a great time using it – but they’re never going to mention it to you unprompted. This leads to two important effects. First, bidets may be more popular in the United States than we realize, simply because we aren’t talking about them. Second, as bidets get more popular, their spreading popularity will be somewhat limited due to restricted conversational topics.
The Changing Tide
That said, bidets are beginning to show signs of increasing popularity in the United States, and for several reasons, including:
- Easily installable bidets. Bidets don’t have to be standalone fixtures anymore. These days, sophisticated bidets can be easily installed on any toilet. Modern bidets are inexpensive, convenient, and portable, making them much more affordable and accessible to the majority of the population.
- Environmentalism. We’re also seeing a wave of environmental consciousness sweep through the country. More people are becoming aware of their consumption habits and are actively invested in minimizing their impact. Since bidets are more eco-friendly than conventional toilet paper use, many people are motivated to switch.
- More open conversations. Though America may still be somewhat prudish and reserved compared to its European counterparts, the culture is changing to be looser and more open. As people have freer conversations about their health (and bathroom habits), we’re seeing a faster spread of bidet use.
Bidets offer many clear advantages, from cost savings to positive health implications. It’s only a matter of time before they begin to grow more popular in the United States, eventually making their way into every bathroom in the country.
