I live in Ireland. Bidets are a luxury item seen only in rich houses or old houses. I know a family who had bidets in all of their bathrooms, but then got rid of them because they weren’t using them. My cousin owns an apartment in Spain, which currently has a bidet. But she and her husband are going to renovate the apartment, and take the bidet out.

Ireland more than 50 years ago was a poor country. Heating was too expensive for most Irish households so hot water was a luxury. Also, most Irish homes had only one bathroom, if there was a bathroom in the house at all, so we had less time to spend in the bathroom than we do now. Most people showered only once a weak as a result of those factors. But to keep clean, people washed their underarms, their feet, their faces and their crotches on the bidet to save time and hot water. Nowadays, most Irish houses have at least two bathrooms and plenty of hot water. So Irish people shower every day.

In case you were wondering, I’m talking about the French bidet, which looks like a low sink. It takes up space in the bathroom which otherwise could be used for extra storage. Plus, you have to disinfect it after you use it. That particular bidet has gone out of fashion and most Irish people are convinced they have outlived their usefulness. I have heard about the Japanese Bidet (toilet seat bidet) and the Finnish bidet (hose next to the toilet). But most people in Ireland don’t know that they exist, so we think of the little sink when we hear the word bidet.

Don’t get me wrong, whenever I went to Spain on holidays with my family I would use the bidet to clean my arse. Most houses in Spain still have them. But even in Spain many new houses don’t have bidets in them. Because I’m weird, I prefer bidets over toilet paper. But I would prefer to have the Finnish bidet, because they use less space and don’t require disinfection every time you wash your arse with them. If I had a French bidet, I’d still invest in a Finnish bidet and use the French one to clean my armpits in the morning and shower at night.