Are Bidets Sanitary? The Answer May Surprise You
It isn’t hard to be grossed out when thinking about toilets or wiping your butt. Have you ever stopped to wonder if a bidet is any more or less sanitary that your toilet? What about if bidets are cleaner than toilet paper?
If you are like me, you like clear science that proves without a doubt whether or not something works. Unfortunately, the truth is that there are no actual peer-reviewed studies proving the bidet’s superiority over old fashioned toilet paper.
However, no part of the bidet nozzle actually touches any part of your body. The ability to control the pressure and direction or the water stream reduces the risk of contamination.
After using a bidet, I can say that I definitely feel cleaner and more sanitary afterwards. It doesn’t take a peer reviewed study to tell me that washing the area with water is cleaner that smearing a mess around with toilet paper.
Think about it like this. If you get poop on your hand when wiping (you know it’s happened), are you going to simply wipe it off with toilet paper, or are you going to immediately head to the sink to wash your hands with water?
Is Bidet Water Sanitary?
The water used in bidets and bidet attachments come from the same place that supplies water to your sinks, shower, or bath. Bidet attachments are simply connected to your main water line, just like the water that fills up the tank to your toilet. It is clean, not recirculated water that sprays off your bottom and goes into the toilet.
The cleaning power of the bidet lies in its ability to wash your bottom with water. If you are only using toilet paper, you are smearing feces around on your skin. No matter how many times you wipe, you are leaving stool residue and bacteria behind (no pun intended). If you are using a bidet, you are able to wash all of that residue away.
The addition of moisture is the key to a thorough cleaning. The rise in popularity of moist toilet wipes, or “wet wipes”, comes from people trying to bridge the gap between toilet paper and bidets. However, there are severe disadvantages to using them.
You (hopefully) use water to wash your hands every time you use the bathroom. You wash your face with water when it is dirty or greasy. Why would you only use a few pieces of dry toilet paper to get poop off of your skin??!!
Are Bidets Healthy?
There is no reason to think that bidet toilets are any less sanitary than your regular toilet seat. The simple fact that they are able to leave your cleaner when you finish the bathroom should tell you that. Some even come with a front washing feature for women’s vaginal health.
In fact, a number of health problems can be remedied by switching to a bidet. Many people may not realize it, but hemorrhoids are a big problem that bidets can help with. Wiping with toilet paper can make hemorrhoids worse. Cleaning with water leads to less instances of pruritus ani (itchy butt). Women are prone to getting UTIs if their vaginal area is not cleaned properly.
The “Bottom” Line
Are bidets clean and sanitary? I think that we have established that the answer is YES! To achieve ultimate cleanliness, wash with a bidet, use its drying feature or toilet paper to pat your self dry. When you are finished there, follow up with the gold standard of washing your hands after using the bathroom, the risk of contamination is greatly reduced. You will be left with a clean healthy butt and hands!