Prompt Cast
The History and Benefits of Bidets: A Hygienic Alternative to Toilet Paper
TLDR Bidets, originally used in France in the 1700s, have become a popular bathroom fixture worldwide due to their comfort, cleanliness, and potential cost savings. They offer a more cost-effective and ecologically-friendly option compared to toilet paper, and can be beneficial for individuals with colitis, IBS, Crohn's, colon cancer, frequent UTIs, and the elderly with arthritis.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Bidets are a popular bathroom fixture that many Americans are unfamiliar with, but they offer a hygienic alternative to using toilet paper.
05:01
Bidets were originally used in France in the early 1700s and were placed in bedrooms next to chamber pots for nighttime use, but eventually they were moved to separate rooms called bathrooms.
09:44
Bidets were initially a luxury item for the middle and upper class in France, with servants to take away the waste and haul water, and they were later improved with hand pumps and refillable tanks, spreading to other parts of Europe and eventually to countries like Argentina, Venezuela, the Middle East, and Japan.
14:31
Americans never adopted bidets due to a combination of factors, including the historical rivalry between England and France, the association of bidets with sex work, the taboo nature of menstruation, and the perception that bidets were not practical in small American bathrooms.
19:33
The bidet was not adopted in America, which led to smaller bathrooms, but an American named Arnold Cohen invented the bidet seat in the 1960s, which eventually became popular in Japan.
24:25
Bidet seats, including Japanese models with additional features like dryers and UV lights, have become popular worldwide, with Toto alone selling millions since the 1980s, due to their comfort, cleanliness, and potential cost savings.
28:57
Using a bidet is a more cost-effective and ecologically-friendly option compared to toilet paper, and there are different types of bidets available including the wall-mounted showerhead bidet.
34:09
The hosts discuss their upcoming book and the importance of not spending too much time on the toilet or in bed, before mentioning the bidet again and the possibility of bidets that talk or make sounds.
38:36
Bidets can be beneficial for individuals with colitis, IBS, Crohn's, colon cancer, and frequent UTIs, as well as for the elderly with arthritis.
43:20
Using a bidet can help individuals who have difficulty wiping themselves, especially as they age, and it has been shown to be cleaner than using toilet paper, although there is a study suggesting that warm water bidets may disrupt the microflora in the vagina and lead to more bacterial infections.
48:21
Bidets are discussed and the hosts read a listener mail about a funny license plate story.
Categories:
Society & Culture
