How Bidets Keep Your Hands Clean and Healthy

Recently, nursing 32 students in Japan took part in a study comparing the contamination rates from fecal matter when using toilet paper verses using an electric bidet with water spray. For the study, participants wore a glove and wiped using four layers of toilet paper (the most frequently used amount) or wore a glove and wiped after using the electric bidet’s spray. Gloves from both methods were tested.

The results overwhelmingly showed that using a bidet considerably cut down the harmful microbial contamination of Serratia Marcescens verses using toilet paper alone.

After using the bidets, the mean count ± standard deviation of S. marcescens was 0.067 ± 0.249 cfu/ glove, and it was 4,275 ± 6,069 cfu/ glove when bidets were not used. The results obtained were that the cfu of S. marcescens was significantly lower when the bidets were used (p < 0.00001) prior to wiping the artificial diarrheal feces.

These numbers show there is a distinct difference in cleanliness when using toilet paper alone verses using a bidet before wiping. This information is important for everyone, but is eye opening when applied to food handlers. For example, outbreaks resulting from food handlers who are infected or subclinical infected with the norovirus and does not sufficiently wash or disinfect their hands after using the toilet, then handling food. Accordingly, hand hygiene after defecation is of course important, but it is also important to prevent fecal contamination of the hand after defecation as much as possible. Using a bidet will cut down on harmful outbreaks related to prepared food that frequently affect cause illness to multiple people at one location.

In this experiment, the use of bidets was found to be effective in reducing microbial contamination of fingers after defecation. Although bidets were originally developed for medical use, they are presumed to be also effective in the prevention of spreading intestinal infections.

In conclusion, the use of electric toilet seats with water spray (bidets) was an effective method in reducing feces adhering to hands at the time of defecation.

This study confirms that bidets are healthier for literally everyone. Everybody poops, and everyone should be wiping more efficiently, and in a cleaner way.