That's pretty gross. What's the delta for the energy cost of doing that, its use of extra water and extra heat and extra soap for the water to clean his hand, with the energy cost of a few squares of toilet paper and less water and heat and soap?
Also, if you think it's gross then this is what you're looking for: http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Bidet-D1-Adjustable-Certification/... .
We don’t have to go back in time to heed environmental boundaries.
..pretty sure not using sanitary toilet paper in favor of touching feces is "going back in time", and I'd place using more water as a greater environmental issue than using less of a product that can be made from recycled things anyways.
He's in Michigan, they're not running out anytime soon. The water gets recycled too, in minutes/hours instead of decades for trees. It's going back to (probably) the same lake it came from, not letting it evaporate on a farmer's field.
No, actually it's pretty sanitary. After having lived in Morocco for more than a year, using paper feels dirty. And it is - your behind is much cleaner when treated with water.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/ABS-Toilet-Handheld-Bidet-Spr...
Would you ever consider rubbing yourself with paper a valid realistic alternative to showering?
Then WHY are you more comfortable with merely rubbing the shit off you, at the dirtiest part of your body (than cleaning it using water, and washing it, like your wash the rest of your body).
Those that use hands at least have clean butts and clean hands (most do wash hands now!) -- you, on the other hand can't be completely confident about one.
: )
An analogy I always like was whether you'd be happy enough wiping your hand with a paper towel if you accidentally tripped and put your hand in dog feces.
You will notice that I highlighted soap above, I do this because I believe it is the key factor often missed in discussions like this. You can argue that hand + water can make your anus appear cleaner than hand + paper, but without soap it is at best marginally more sanitary for your anus, and significantly less sanitary for your hand. There is a reason we clean our bodies with soap and water, not just water.
Yes, all the time, for many classes of uncleanliness. Pants and paper towels are amazing. I'm careful with your wording, though -- those are an alternative, not a substitute, and especially an alternative for right now. If I had infinite time I'd love to take a full shower after every crap. If I worked up the slightest sweat bead on my forehead, I'd love to go shower and cool down immediately rather than rub against my shirt or a paper towel and continuing with what I was doing.
One day I might get a fancy Japanese toilet. For now, wiping is a fine alternative to a full shower and even in the gross cases of not washing hands afterwards you're still going to be less likely to spread disease than you would be in a culture where touching things with the left hand is frowned upon. As you say, I can be sure about one, and it's the most important one from a public health standpoint given that the other even if not super clean is contained until shower time.