This Millennial-Style Bidet Attachment Is Good for Your Butt *and* the Planet
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When your parents plopped you down on the porcelain throne for the first time as a toddler, you were trained to unroll a generous strip of toilet paper and wipe your tush until there were no lingering remnants each and every time you go number two. And if you're like the average American, you've probably been following that routine to a T in the decades since.
But as it turns out, wiping scratchy toilet paper across your bum can do some damage. "Rough or too frequent wiping can cause skin breakdown and irritation, and if it happens chronically, can cause the skin to thicken," says Heather Yeo, M.D., a colorectal surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. If you wipe with scented toilet paper (the fragrance could potentially cause irritation) or use rough toilet paper and scrub the area too hard to get squeaky clean, you could also experience rectal itching, and scratching the area can make the skin become thick and white, according to the University of Michigan's Health System's website. Scratch too hard, and you could be at risk of breaking the delicate skin and developing an infection, per the National Health Service of Scotland. Fun.
Not to mention, producing toilet paper comes with major consequences for the environment. A majority of the wood pulp that United States-based manufacturers transform into toilet paper is sourced from boreal forests in Canada, which are home to more than 600 Indigenous communities and countless animal species, and annually remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as is produced by 24 million cars, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Each year, more than one million acres — nearly 758,000 football fields — of these forests are logged, in part to fulfill demand for tissue products in the U.S., per the NRDC. In doing so, the forests aren't able to capture as much man-made greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon dioxide) that contribute to climate change, Indigenous communities' cultures, health, and relationships to the land are threatened, and habitats for caribou, lynx, marten, and migratory birds are destroyed, according to the NRDC.
One solution to reducing your environmental footprint and keeping your bootyhole injury-free: Swap your TP for a TUSHY Bidet (Buy It, $89, amazon.com; hellotushy.com), a toilet attachment that gently sprays water onto your undercarriage to get rid of any post-potty debris. Unlike stand-alone bidets or the eyesore ones you'd see in a nursing home, the TUSHY Bidet will seamlessly fit in with your home's hygge, minimalistic style, thanks to its sleek white design and bamboo pressure control dial. Plus, it can be installed in just 10 minutes. After you've done your business, turn the knob to start spraying, move the slider to adjust its angle, and start cleaning. (Related: What Is the Squatty Potty and Does It Really Work?)
Yes, it sounds a little strange to have a water gun-like device hose down your arse, but trust, it's incredibly beneficial for your booty. "Water in the form of a bidet or shower head can be less irritating to your bottom and is good for cleaning," says Dr. Yeo. "In addition, warm water can increase the circulation in the area and help to heal irritation or skin breakdown. A bidet isn't necessarily 'more hygienic,' but it can get rid of debris." (BTW, the TUSHY Bidet uses water straight from your tap — not the water floating around your toilet — for the douche.)
Unlike toilet paper, a bidet's stream of water can maneuver around skin tags, hemorrhoids, and other lumps and bumps downstairs, so it can be easier to clean tough-to-reach spots, says Dr. Yeo. Plus, bidets are especially useful for people who deal with irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, colitis, diarrhea, or other conditions that cause frequent trips to the bathroom, as bidets will be less irritating than constantly wiping, she adds.
Aside from all the health perks for your derrière, using the TUSHY Bidet can not only reduce your toilet paper consumption by up to 75 percent — reducing your carbon footprint and protect the Canadian boreal forests — but it can also save you a huge chunk of change. Considering the average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper in a year and a single roll of Quilted Northern Ultra Plush (Buy It, $29 for 24, amazon.com) will run you roughly $1.20, you'll start saving money with a TUSHY Bidet after about six months of going toilet paper-free.
Convinced you need this magic butt-cleaning device ASAP? Before you get started, though, keep in mind Dr. Yeo's parting words of wisdom: Use a bidet just like you would with a shower head to gently wash the area around your anal canal; if you're using a model with temperature control, like the TUSHY Spa Bidet (Buy It, $119, hellotushy.com), make sure not to use burning hot water.
And most importantly, "it's not an enema. Don't put it in your butt."
TUSHY
Buy It: The TUSHY Bidet, $89, amazon.com; hellotushy.com
TUSHY
Buy It: The TUSHY Spa Bidet, $119, hellotushy.com
