When it comes to daily rituals, Americans are perplexingly shy about washing their bits and bobs in the bathroom, owing our allegiance to toilet paper because, well, it’s what we all grew up using. But as they say, familiarity eventually breeds contempt. We believe toilet paper’s days are numbered, and should be permanently flushed from our lives because it’s wasteful—and frankly, a little barbaric. As the rest of the world can attest, washing rather than wiping just makes more sense.

We’ve yet to meet anyone who has regretted upgrading to a washlet or bidet. In fact, washlets—attachments that fuse the stand-alone bidet with the toilet seat—tend to inspire a sort of cult-like allegiance. Not just for its “yay, that spray” sanitary action, but also its myriad manners that make visiting the bathroom a little more pleasant. Many models offer heated seats, a feature that wins over many converts even before the party really gets started. Similarly, almost all mid-to-high tier washlets allow users to adjust water temperature, spray strength, and aim. Luxury models will politely deodorize the bowl at the touch of a button, and dry your most intimate parts with a gentle, southerly breeze.

Washlets and bidet attachments also require only a modest investment and a modicum of effort to install. You may have to hire an electrician to put in an outlet nearby if you plan to upgrade to anything beyond a basic manual model. But otherwise, installing a washlet usually can be completed within half an hour: Just shut off the water supply, install an adaptor to reroute water to the washlet, install the washlet onto the toilet, and plug it in to change your world for the better.

Because in the end, isn’t your rear end worth it?

Illustration by Sophia Yeshi

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