November 26, 2025

Why Americans Are Finally Reconsidering the Way They Wipe

For more than a century, American bathrooms have been built around a single assumption: that wiping with dry paper is the default—clean, normal, unremarkable. In much of the world, this assumption barely exists. Yet in the United States, cultural habit, corporate marketing, and a touch of national squeamishness kept the conversation closed for decades.

But something has shifted.

Over the past five years, and especially since 2020, more Americans have begun questioning a routine so familiar it rarely receives scrutiny. Search interest in “bidet”, “toilet paper alternatives”, and “is wiping enough?” has grown dramatically. Dermatologists are speaking more openly about irritation caused by friction. Environmental researchers are highlighting the enormous resource footprint of toilet paper. And consumers—especially younger ones—are reconsidering everyday habits in favor of cleaner, more sustainable choices.

What was once a taboo topic is now a quiet, steadily rising cultural shift.

So why are Americans finally rethinking the way they wipe?

1. A Pandemic That Exposed the System

The 2020 toilet paper shortage did more than empty shelves—it shook unquestioned social norms.

For many Americans, it was the first time they realized just how dependent they were on a single use-and-throw commodity. Search volume for “bidet” spiked over 600% that spring, according to Google Trends. Sales for bidet attachments increased five-fold across major retailers.

But more telling than the temporary spike is that the trend never fully went away. Even after shelves restocked, interest remained 2–3x higher than pre-2020 levels.

The shortage acted like a cultural reset button. It made Americans ask a question that other countries asked long ago:

Is toilet paper really the best we can do?

2. Dermatologists Are Challenging the “Cleanliness Myth”

For decades, toilet paper was marketed through soft textures, cloud-like imagery, and purity metaphors. But the reality, according to dermatologists, is less poetic:

Dry paper doesn’t remove all residue.
Friction causes micro-abrasions—especially in colder, drier months.
Added fragrances and bleaches can irritate sensitive skin.
Conditions like hemorrhoids, IBS, Crohn’s, or postpartum sensitivity worsen with wiping.

Dr. Evan Goldstein, a New York–based buttock health specialist (yes, that’s a real profession), has explained in interviews that wiping “creates a false sense of hygiene,” because feeling dry is not the same as being clean.

In other words:

Wiping removes moisture, not necessarily bacteria. Water removes both.

This distinction, once niche medical advice, is now circulating widely in wellness and personal-care communities, especially as Americans become more attentive to skin barrier health.

3. The Generational Shift Toward “Upgraded Hygiene”

Younger Americans—Millennials and Gen Z—are driving the change.

These generations grew up in a world where:

Skin routines are normal conversations.
Shower filters are standard.
Water flossers replaced traditional floss for many households.
Bidets are seen on TikTok, in travel vlogs, and eco-homes.
Clean living is aspirational, not strange.

They are also more willing to try globally accepted habits. In many countries—Japan, South Korea, the UAE, most of Europe—water cleansing has been standard for decades.

Gen Z’s view is clear:
If something feels cleaner, makes biological sense, and is globally normal, why is America resisting it?

4. The Environmental Reality That’s Hard to Ignore

America consumes more toilet paper per capita than any nation in the world.

The average American uses 141 rolls per year.
27,000 trees are cut down daily to meet global toilet paper demand.
The bleaching process produces chemical runoff.
Each roll requires about 37 gallons of water to manufacture.

By comparison, the water used in a bidet cleansing spray is about ⅛ cup per use.

Ironically, wiping with toilet paper uses far more water overall than washing with a bidet.

As sustainability becomes a household consideration—not a niche concern—consumers are re-evaluating what they really “need” versus what they’ve simply inherited through habit.

5. The Psychology Behind “Clean”: Why Water Feels Different

Perhaps the biggest shift isn’t environmental or dermatological—it's emotional.

Americans are becoming more open to talking about bodily comfort, mental health, and daily rituals that support well-being. That openness naturally leads to conversations about hygiene that used to feel awkward.

Water cleansing triggers a series of responses:

Freshness → creates a sense of completion
Temperature + sensation → calms the nervous system
Removal of residue → reduces subconscious discomfort
Less friction → reduces inflammation, swelling, and soreness

Neuroscientists have long observed that cleanliness affects mood, from reducing anxiety to increasing perceived self-control. Washing, in general, activates soothing neural pathways.

Dry wiping doesn’t provide that psychological reset. Water does.

That’s why many first-time bidet users describe the sensation not just as “cleaner,” but:

“Like my brain finally understands what ‘finished’ feels like.”

6. A Quiet Cultural Taboo Breaking Down

For most Americans, the biggest barrier to trying a bidet isn’t cost, installation, or practicality—it’s the social taboo.

Sociologists refer to this as “cultural lag”: when technology outpaces social acceptance.

Many Americans still think:

“Bidets are European.”
“It’s weird to wash that area.”
“My family will make fun of me.”
“Bathrooms aren’t designed for it.”

But once someone tries it—even reluctantly—the conversation changes. Adoption studies show that when a person tries a bidet for several days, their comfort and preference shift quickly.

This is exactly why bidet attachments—not full bidet toilets—are the entry point for most U.S. homes. They’re affordable, non-intimidating, and fit old bathrooms without renovation.

A standard entry model, like a classic mechanical attachment, gives Americans the chance to try water cleansing without making a major change or explaining themselves to anyone.

The cultural taboo weakens the moment someone experiences the difference.

7. Wiping No Longer Aligns With Modern Values

Consumers today evaluate products through a new lens:

Does it actually work?
Is it better for the body?
Is it sustainable?
Does it reduce waste?
Does it support wellness?
Does it feel better?

By those standards, toilet paper starts to look outdated.

Meanwhile, bidet attachments check every modern box:

Higher cleanliness
Gentler on skin
Minimal waste
No electricity
No renovation
Low cost
Fits traditional toilets
Quiet, unnoticed, private

That combination is rare in home hygiene products.

8. Not a Fad—A Long-Term Shift

The American bidet market has grown every year since 2019, and analysts forecast continued growth through 2030. What’s even more notable is repeat adoption within households—people who upgrade to better models or add units to additional bathrooms.

This signals something important:

Consumers aren’t trying bidets as a novelty. They are converting.

Like water flossers, filtered shower heads, or skin-barrier routines, bidet attachments are becoming part of the “small but meaningful upgrades” category: affordable, daily-use improvements that elevate comfort.

The Turning Point

America isn’t in the middle of a sudden trend. It’s participating in a long-overdue cultural correction.

People are realizing:

Wiping isn’t the most hygienic method.
It’s not the most comfortable.
It’s not the most sustainable.
It’s not even globally normal.

And once that realization sets in, trying water cleansing becomes not a radical leap—but a logical next step.

Many households begin with a simple, traditional-style attachment—an entry-level mechanical model compatible with older toilets—because it removes complexity and lowers the barrier to trying.

For most Americans, that first step is all it takes.

Because once you know what clean really feels like, it becomes difficult to return to a century-old habit that suddenly feels… incomplete.