Do you know what the positive side of not having toilet paper is? Potentially, an upcoming bathroom renovation where the new piece to consider is the bidet. Then you’re covered. If there is no paper, at least there is water. If there is no water, there has to be some paper.

With some obscure beginnings, the bidet was invented by the French in the 17th century with the first written reference in Italy, in the 18th century. It appeared like everything else in design: out of need. At the time, the only alternative was tub washing and oh boy! It took a long time to fill a tub. You had to haul water from the stove-heated pot, there was not tap.

But that did not mean that water was not used as a cleansing method before. The water source in bathrooms has not always been distributed through the plumbing fixtures that we have today. Early on, there was one basin for all types of washing and no basin at all for all the discarded matter, but instead, a hole in the ground. Ok, maybe that went too far and it offended our modernly refined perceptions. History, however, is nothing to be ashamed of. All history is positive if it’s used for a better future.

And let’s not forget, many religious ceremonies have used water as a purifying agent and the ancient Roman public toilets stand as the earliest examples of using water to specifically clean the private areas.

Toilet paper, on the other hand, has been invented much later. The first documented records are from China, in the 6th century.

Project photo courtesy of Dochiainteriordesign.com

So when stranded, as you spend extra time on the toilet wondering what your next move is, unsure of what will happen when you do get up, consider the bliss of having a bidet. It’s pretty much like insurance, it gets you covered.

Photo courtesy of renee-verberne through unsplash.com

I thought in light of the unexplainable local panic over toilet paper I should shed some light on how some bathrooms can make a difference when shortages are high. Joke aside, there are so many places in the world where toilet paper is always a luxury. And that folks, should simply not happen.

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