Bidets are rarely found in American households, despite being common bathroom fixtures in many other parts of the world. So why has America been so resistant to adopting this hygienic technology? There are a few key historical, cultural, and commercial factors that have limited the spread of bidets in the US.
What is a Bidet?
First, let’s define what a bidet actually is. A bidet is a plumbing fixture that shoots water upward to cleanse the genital and anal areas. A traditional standalone bidet looks like a toilet but with no lid and a water faucet. You sit on the bidet facing the faucet, which you adjust to direct a stream of water.
There are two main types of modern bidets:
- Standalone bidets – A separate basin situated next to a toilet
- Integrated bidets – Bidet features built into a standard toilet
Integrated bidets may have jets on the toilet seat or under the rim of the toilet bowl. These bidets add a water cleansing feature to a regular toilet.
Bidet Benefits
Using a bidet offers several potential hygiene and health benefits compared to only using toilet paper:
- Better hygiene – Water washes away residue more effectively and hygienically than wiping with paper.
- Reduced toilet paper use – Less wiping required, which saves money and is eco-friendly.
- Healthier for sensitive areas – Jet streams are gentler than wiping, reducing irritation.
- Improved cleanliness for women – Useful for washing during menstruation.
With these advantages, why does this practical fixture remain rare in the US?
The History of Bidets
To understand the lack of bidet adoption in America, we have to look at where bidets originated. Bidets were initially developed in France in the late 17th century as a bathing fixture for washing the private areas of the body. The first bidets were free-standing basins, with early models made of porcelain or metal.
Through the 1700s and 1800s, standalone bidets became common bathroom fixtures for upper-class Europeans. Using water for intimate cleansing caught on among the French nobility and upper classes, spreading to other European countries. Portugal, Italy, and Spain adopted the bidet as a luxury bathroom fixture.
But bidets did not emerge in North America and certain parts of Northern Europe in the same time period. The reasons likely included:
- No aristocratic class – America lacked the noble class culture that initially drove adoption of the bidet in France.
- Puritanical roots – Early American culture tended to view the bidet as distasteful or impure.
- Lack of piped water – Widespread plumbing came later to North America and parts of Northern Europe.
So while bidets flourished across Southern Europe up through the early 20th century, they did not spread to America.
20th Century Decline and Resurgence
By the mid-20th century, bidets had actually started to fade from popularity in Europe. There were a few factors behind this decline:
- World War II damage – Wartime destruction damaged infrastructure, reducing availability of piped water required for bidets.
- Sanitation shifts – Evolving attitudes emphasized closed toilet bowls rather than open bidet basins.
- Economic factors – Postwar recession made expensive bath fixtures less feasible.
While traditional standalone bidets were fading, integrated bidet toilets started gaining traction by the 1950s and 1960s, especially in Japan. These combined standard toilet fixtures with built-in bidet cleansing features.
But bidets of any form remained rare in the booming postwar suburbs of America. American bathroom design centered on efficiency and practicality rather than European luxury. The toilet and sink were designed for speed and simplicity, without distracting features like bidets.
By the 1960s and 70s, American bathrooms were missing bidets entirely. While Americans traveling to Europe would encounter bidets in hotels, the fixtures remained exotic oddities back home.
However, the 1990s saw the first signs of a bidet comeback in America, driven by increased environmental awareness and Japanese integrated bidet seats. Digital bidet add-on seats like the Washlet could convert a standard toilet into a bidet simply by replacing the seat. The bidet was about to make an American comeback.
Reasons for Lack of Popularity in the US
Despite the recent resurgence, bidets are still not common bathroom fixtures in American households today. Here are some of the key factors holding back widespread bidet adoption in the US:
Historic Perceptions
The bidet’s long absence from American bathrooms has ingrained the sense that it is a foreign, unnecessary, or distasteful fixture. The association with European aristocracy also lingers, leaving the impression that the bidet is pretentious or frivolous rather than practical.
High Costs
Installing a standalone bidet or integrated bidet toilet has substantial upfront costs. Bidet add-on seats cost $500-1000. Plumbing in a new standalone bidet can cost $2,000 or more. These prices are prohibitive for many homeowners.
Lack of Retrofitting
Since bidets have not traditionally been included in US bathrooms, installing one often requires renovating the existing space. This includes costs and hassles like:
- Moving existing plumbing
- Installing a hot water connection
- Electrical work for powered fixtures
- Tile work
Retrofitting for bidets is much more daunting than buying a simple add-on seat. This blocks adoption in older homes.
Skepticism of Health Benefits
Some Americans remain unconvinced of the claimed hygiene and health benefits of bidets. Conservative skeptics may view them as unnecessary indulgences, especially given the costs involved.
Limited Public Restroom Availability
People are less likely to warm up to bidets at home if they are unfamiliar with using them. Apart from some high-end hotels, bidets are extremely rare in public American restrooms. This lack of public familiarity and education reinforces the perception that bidets are weird or unnecessary.
Lack of Retailer Support
Major plumbing retailers like Home Depot and Lowes have limited selections of bidet products compared to other countries. Larger inventories and promotions could help drive adoption, but American stores have yet to embrace bidets.
Building and Plumbing Codes
US building codes can require extra effort for permits or limit options for bidet installation. And confusing codes lead plumbers to steer customers away from bidets to avoid potential liabilities.
Updating codes alongside better education for contractors could help accelerate mainstream adoption.
Recent Progress
Despite the barriers, bidets are making slow but steady inroads into American bathrooms thanks to several recent factors:
Online Retail
The growth of direct-to-consumer online sales provides more bidet buying options and information outside of traditional retail stores. Overseas bidet companies can now more easily penetrate the American market.
Targeted Marketing
Companies are actively working to reshape perceptions of bidets through digital and print advertising campaigns. For example, major bidet toilet company Toto has run ads to familiarize Americans with bidets.
Luxury Features
High-end home developers are starting to include bidets and bidet toilets as upscale features in luxury bathrooms. This helps drive adoption among higher income homeowners.
Water Efficiency
Bidets are promoted for reducing toilet paper usage, saving water in drought-prone states. This eco-friendly attribute makes them more appealing to environmentally conscious consumers.
COVID-19 Hygiene
The pandemic has increased interest in hygienic home fixtures like touchless bidets. Viral fears may overcome ingrained cultural unease.
Future Trajectory
Going forward, integrated bidet toilets seem far more likely to catch on than standalone fixtures. Key factors that could accelerate broader adoption of integrated bidets in the US include:
- Lower prices – Already dropping cost of bidet seats and toilets will become more affordable over time.
- Remodeling trends – Bathroom remodeling provides a chance to install new bidet fixtures.
- Millennial preference – Younger generations tend to be more globally minded and open to new bathroom tech.
- Water scarcity – Drought and climate change will make water-saving bidets more attractive.
However, it will likely take a generational shift for bidets to become mainstream American bathroom fixtures comparable to showers or bathtubs. But the bidet’s benefits seem poised to gradually overcome America’s lingering unease.
Conclusion
The bidet story in America has been one of lack of exposure, high costs, and cultural perceptions inhibiting adoption of a practical personal hygiene technology. But recent trends suggest that bidets are emerging from their curious novelty status to become real contenders in American bathrooms. While not yet common, the bidet stands ready to make a splash in the US market.
