Today’s Solutions: June 18, 2026

The bidet: in much of the world it’s the normal, hygienic way to clean your bum after using the toilet. In America, it’s virtually unknown. And that’s a crying shame, both for public health as well for the environment. If you don’t know what a bidet is, allow us to fill you in. It’s basically a basin that sprays water which you use to clean up your butt instead of toilet paper. It’s usually a separate entity from the toilet, but it can also be installed inside your toilet.

The biggest benefit of a bidet is the environmental one. Whereas the bidet uses only one-eighth of a gallon water peruse, a single roll of toilet paper takes about 37 gallons of water to be made, not to mention the number of trees you save from refraining from toilet paper.

As people become more environmentally conscious, could bidets actually become a thing in America? According to USA Today, they’re already catching on. In one article, the publication wrote: “bidet seats and bidet toilets in the U.S. are currently a $106 million category expected to grow 15 percent annually through 2021.”

A study by the National Kitchen and Bath Association also found that designers consider the bidet squirting feature the most important thing to put in a new bathroom today. Could 2019 be the year of the bidet?

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Europe removed a record 602 river barriers last year

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A dam fell in Iceland last December, the first the country has ever deliberately dismantled. The structure on ...

Read More

This ultrasonic espresso method uses 75 percent less energy and tastes just a...

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM So many of us participate in the same morning coffee ritual: the machine warming up, the pressure building, ...

Read More

Mexico’s tequila fish brought back from the brink of extinction

Mexico’s tiny tequila splitfin fish was once a common inhabitant in the country’s Teuchitlán river in the western part of the country. But due ...

Read More

How Bogotá is tackling air pollution by greening its poorest neighborhoods

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In Bogotá, Colombia’s bustling capital, the battle against air pollution isn’t just about cleaner skies. It’s about equity. ...

Read More