To quote a crazy Canadian we met, "if you had poo on your arm and you wiped it off with toilet paper, would you say its clean?"
That said, SE Asia really lends itself to the Bum Gun. Its warm and can be humid, so you're not really worried about being a bit damp afterwards. I can't imagine being in a suit in cold UK winter and using one.
Looking forward to trying a Japanese toilet with those sprays...
Whoa...
I can poor water from a bottle of water onto the poo on my arm and I'd still think it'd be unclean. I'd need some positive pressure to think otherwise. Oh, and some soap.
On our bicycle-journey through Asia we had a dedicated squeezable poo-bottle and poo-soap ("Kackflasche" and "Kackseife" in German).
Was disappointed.
https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/b7/48/74/...
Some of them also have variable temperature.
You know a high pressure hose that pushes back when you spray it? It was like that. Vicious.
In terms of duration, it was just like a normal tap, I assume fed by the local water supply so you're not limited.
I'd use it for max 10 seconds to feel fresh.
Sometimes, while in a toilet cubicle, I hear other people wipe once or twice, then leave - their arses are definitely shitty.
Me - I bring in a cup of water, and wet the paper to give my arse a proper shine.
You can think that you've won the poo lottery by pinching one off that seems to wipe clean, but no one is going to recommend sticking that paper back on the roll or putting it in their pocket to wipe their child's face with later just because they don't see anything on it. That's absurdity, and anyone arguing otherwise knows they wouldn't do the same because they don't actually believe it's clean.
That "clean" paper has enough on it to inoculate a fecal assay, and for some people, that's enough to cause issues. There's also the case of it wiping clean but not being completely cleared yet. Not everyone needs maintenance wipes, so not everyone even knows or understands how unreliable wiping as an indicator is.
The mods of HN are suffering from wipe privilege, and it needs to be addressed.
I usually tear off the sheets before I'm done, so that if I go multiple rounds, my TP is prepped. Usually, that means I tear off 3-4 strips of 2 squares each if it's thick paper, or strips of 3 squares if thin. After going gluten-free, I rarely end up using all the strips, and I'd say about a third the time, I'm done after using my first two squares of it, so the rest is wasted.
My dad says the same thing but he uses wet wipes.
I have raised chickens, after a year or so to "cook" (I am a low-intensity composter) we end up with some pretty rich compost.
No because it would stink up the place and someone can touch your poo while taking out the trash
How about menstruation pads? Are you afraid to touch those as well when you take out the trash? Because what you said is true for anything which resides in a trash bin or compost bin. Heck, my plastic bin sometimes smells like rotten fish. It is disgusting. But that's what you get when you eat fish.
If you had poo on your arm and rinsed it with a gentle spray of plain water, would you say it's clean?
If I had poo on my arm, I'd use soap and water to clean it then rinse well. Of course, if my arm was what was generating the poo, I'd probably be less fastidious about keeping it clean and free of poo. And I'd see a doctor.
This is the correct answer.
Baby wipes or go home.
If they are made of, let's say, viscose rayon which is wood pulp (well, any compatible plant fiber) there's no reason why it would clog anything at the processing plant.
Edit: Well, it would also depend on how your local plant processes waste. Give them a call and ask them.
Even Andrex's maximally biodegradable 'flushable washlets' offering contains 2% plastic fibers.
If you are so worried about clogging anything, put them in the compost bin.
And do not get me started on antibacterials... RID dosages to the rescue! (not necessarily a product endorsement).
That is why the only acceptable option is using a bidet, with soap of course. It boggles my mind that some people can withstand even the thought of cleaning themselves with just paper or wet wipes.
gentle, my eye. Here its usually forceful enough that it seems it would fountain out through my head. IMO way better than smearing things around and calling it clean.
Why wouldn't you just use the 3 seashells?
Plus, their toilets have a different shape, something like this:
https://behsakala.com/image/cache/data/products/-پارمیس-گلسا...
As far as I've heard, this form of toilet is better and easier for colons.
Grab a copy of a basic barbell weightlifting book, and you'll see - it'll say the same thing.
Most people from Asia are able to squat pretty comfortably, comfortably as in heel on the ground and not exerting any calf or knee tension, having done it since childhood. Most Western Europeans and Americans can no, the heel of the foot doesn't rest on the ground and squatting is done on the ball of the foot therefore calf and knee pressure.
A few years after my time there I saw the “Squatty Potty”[0] on Shark Tank, but haven’t tried it. Anyone with thoughts?
That, spreading cheeks when sitting down, and a decent diet means almost zero clean up.
But yeah, once you've discovered the beauty of the hose, it's hard to go back. Worse is traveling in other tropical parts of the world with bad plumbing, where the solution to the same problem is "giant garbage bag filled with used toilet paper".
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20141121/restroom-h...
Also see this episode of mythbusters, which goes into much more depth than the synopsis on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_(2013_season)#Epis...
And the high-end ones, which are only marginally better, are very, very loud. Loud enough to trigger tinnitus in myself, for example.
Paper towels don't "waste" paper, they use paper (of which there's no shortage of, in the world) very efficiently. Plus in Germany and Portugal (at least) they have these reusable cloth towels that move between two spools.
If I don't have towels of any kind, I just wipe my hands on my clothes. It's not great but it sure beats the damn useless contraption.
I basically don't use air dryers any more due to the infernal noise of the new ones. I'd rather go with wet hands.
also, the level of noise pollution they create is toxic. Especially the high end/high speed ones.
This whole floor (hosting six companies I think?) in a prominent office tower has one shared male restroom. Two booths. One is usable for me, the other one the scary thing. Most people, locals included, fight for the single seat..
This is a thing for westerners; the squat position (with feet flat on the floor) is really hard to do for a lot of them, iirc mostly having to do with ankle flexibility (for me personally anyway). In countries with squat toilets the people are a lot more used to the position / motion. I guess most people could get by with doing a toe squat, but that's harder to keep balance.
Not sure how I feel about sharing this here but yeah, this should answer some of those questions.
The Youtuber is.. A 'comedian'..
Once you get a stomach bug and you should have gone to the bathroom a minute ago you'll figure it out :) . Hint: It's like the old days, like we've been doing it for millennia, if not millions of years. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+use+squat+toilet