Today’s Solutions: September 16, 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?

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