Maybe It’s Time for a Bidet

Using a bidet may not feel like a way to conserve water, but installing one can mean forever cutting back on toilet paper and making a dent in your overall water impact. That’s because more water goes into creating a toilet paper roll than a bidet uses to get the same job done.

"If everyone were to switch to a bidet…that would definitely have an impact in total," says Kory Russel, a University of Oregon assistant professor with a focus on sustainable water and sanitation systems. "And especially when we’re talking about sustainability aspects, every bit helps."

While a bidet can reduce a home’s overall water footprint, it doesn’t have nearly as much benefit as, say, re-using gray water for tasks like landscaping and toilet flushing. Nevertheless, if you do try out a bidet at home, you’ll still need to wipe water off your nether regions. But depending on your "personal defecation situation " Russel says, you won’t need nearly as much toilet paper post-bidet.

If you want to go paper free on the pot, you could use rags or hand towels. But those cloths need to be dedicated to the user, stored in separate containers, and laundered frequently. If you feel squeamish about using washable rags, that’s okay, Russel says. "You’re probably going to use far, far less toilet paper as a result of switching to a bidet. You’re just using a couple sheets there at the end to make sure everything’s dry and ready to go," he says. "And you’re not going to have a sanitary issue."

More ways to save (water)

Photos courtesy of respective companies; Jamie Chung with styling by JJ Chan and assisting by Will Kelly (Vitruvi Cloud Cool Mist Humidifier).

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Head back to "How to Lessen Your Home’s Ecological Impact"