Four years after the toilet paper shortage of 2020, bidet converts say they’re never going back
While the toilet paper shortages that hit the United States during pandemic lockdowns in the spring of 2020 ultimately eased up, they’ve had a lasting impact on one industry: the bidet business.
“The industry here in the U.S. just blew up. You couldn’t get a bidet if you wanted to,” says James Lin, founder of BidetKing.com, an online marketplace for all varieties of the bathroom appliance. “We all sold out. … There was a huge scramble to get more.”
Everyone I’ve known who has a bidet says they will never go back to using paper. I’m waiting to get enough cash to get an electric one with heat and install a separate outlet for it.
While hot water is definitely better, cold water is still a huge upgrade over tp.
If you have 2 toilets in your house you could consider getting cold water now and then moving it to s spare bathroom. Start converting your friends.
That’s a good idea. We have a half bath that is mostly for guests. Would be a good place to try it out.
I have a bidet. I use paper almost every time, honestly.
You have the right plan my friend! Funny enough I’ve had mine for almost 4 years now. I just got around to installing an outlet in the bathroom just for this purpose. I’ve had it powered via an extension cord for a while with some creative hiding.
The powered ones are totally worth it. I had a super cheap unpowered one for 10 years and was happy with it. This Christmas we splurged on a Toto that has the heated seat, heated water, blow dryer, auto-opening lid, air filter fan for smell, etc. It’s so much nicer. Not having to touch the toilet lid to lift it up is a benefit I didn’t consider but I love it. The heated seat is nice for late night trips to the toilet.