Key Points
- The use of bidet bathroom fixture in Qatar has sparked a discussion on social media.
- YouTuber David Vujanic says he found the use of the bidet surprising.
- The uptake of the bidet in different regions of the world has been mixed.
YouTuber David Vujanic said his "bum is very thankful" on Wednesday after discovering bidets in the restrooms of Qatar.
"Been using the toilet bum shower thing in qatar for a month…I am absolutely horrified we only use toilet paper in the Uk/Europe. This is the best thing ever man," David tweeted, moving away from his usual football-related content.
The Croatian-born Serbian content creator was visiting Qatar for the World Cup when he started using the bidet regularly. His initial viral tweet became one of many, as he tweeted 13 more times to his 137,700 Twitter followers about the "bum shower".
"I've used a bidet in France, it’s decent but it’s too big, this is a simple high-pressure shower head, more functional and easily adaptable. Will be investing when back in london," he said in one tweet.
His followers soon joined the discussion, explaining that some have a drying feature, a heated seat, and in Japan, many can play music to quell unwanted bathroom sounds.
"Europe finally out of dark ages," chimed one person on Twitter.
"It took a World Cup for people to learn how to wash their a**ses," another added.
Many Muslims also replied to the thread explaining it was a very normal practice and that he should follow suit. In Islam it is taught that it is essential to be clean at all times - especially before offering prayers.
"Who's we?? Muslims have been doing this since the beginning of time," one Twitter user said.
The tweet stirred another discussion: if the bidet really is that good, why then is it only embraced by some regions of the world?
To wash or to wipe?
Some bidets are freestanding and next to the toilet, while others have a hose attachment or a spray nozzle.
Biolife Technologies, a bidet manufacturer told Scientific American in 2009, the amount of water used to operate a bidet is modest compared to how much water is used to produce toilet paper in the first place. For this reason, many argue they are kinder to the environment and produce less waste (in the form of toilet paper).
While the jury is still divided on whether it's really necessary to be extra clean on your backside, they're common in some countries including Italy and Japan, and across the Middle East.
In Japan, Bidet company 'Toto', has become so successful its name is often used interchangeably with the word 'bidet'. In 2013, Toto reported that around 76 percent of Japanese homes had a washlet-style bidet (remote-controlled seat with a spray nozzle) in their home.
In Italy and Portugal, it has been illegal to build a home without installing at least one bidet since 1975.
While they are said to be common fixtures in some South American countries, particularly Argentina and Uruguay, people report varying degrees of use.
Though their popularity has declined in countries like Greece, there has been a strong uptake in the US.
Panic buying over toilet paper during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 triggered an interest in bidets that had previously been unseen in America.
The COVID-19 pandemic renewed interest among researchers in including the bidget in reviews on toilet hygiene.
Just how hygienic a bidet can be is dependent upon how you're using it, and how many people you're sharing it with.
Just like most things, routine disinfection is required to avoid bacterial build-up, especially for the standalone bidet, a longitudinal study of 10,305 people by public health researchers in Japan reported.
Bidets have also been considered in settings for the elderly and people with disabilities to improve accessibility.
Why didn't Australia ever get behind it?
Bidets are believed to be an invention of the French in the late 17th century, initially an indulgence only for the aristocracy.
There's no clear reason why Australia never embraced the bidet. But Professor Harvey Molotch, author of the book 'Where Stuff Comes From: How Toasters, Toilets, Cars, Computers and Many Other Things Come to Be as They Are', wrote that the English initially weren't fond of the bidet as they believed French imported products were tainted with hedonism and sensuality. Some have hypothesised the same for Australia.
Another perspective is further stigma became attached to the idea of the bidet during World War II when American soldiers encountered the fixture in European brothels, furthering the idea that they were linked to immorality and sin.
