March 2020 - Our Thoughts

Don’t Wait — Today is the Day to Buy a Bidet!

To say that COVID-19 (or the coronavirus) has disrupted our normal routines seems like a major understatement. From the cancellation of major sporting events to school closures across the country, many are finding themselves forced to make significant changes to their lives in an effort to contain the global spread of this virus.

One side effect of the coronavirus panic is a shortage of consumer goods — particularly toilet paper. Whether people are fearing being placed under quarantine or are simply worried about there not being any supplies left the next time they need to stock up, the toilet paper shortage is becoming a major news item in and of itself.

National news publications are highlighting stores where toilet paper is still available, and in some areas, first responders are even complaining of 911 calls asking for toilet paper.

Needless to say, many households are now closely monitoring their toilet paper usage — or camping out at local grocery stores for the next time shelves are restocked.

But there is one group that is not stressed about the toilet paper shortage. Bidet owners have been enjoying improved bathroom trips for years. Now that toilet paper supplies are running low, an increasing number of homeowners are starting to realize that buying a bidet could be the perfect long-term solution.

The History of the Bidet

Bidets trace their history to 1600s France, and are now widely used in Europe, Japan, and other parts of the world. While the bidet has been slow to gain popularity in the United States, the number of households using these bathroom products had already been on the rise prior to the recent coronavirus outbreak.

Historically, bidets were a separate fixture that was placed next to the toilet. Users would straddle this wash basin, which featured a faucet that would spray a stream of water to clean themselves after going to the bathroom. This cleaning process was also quite popular for addressing feminine hygiene needs.

It wasn’t until the 1960s that the idea of combining bidet functionality with a standard toilet came into fruition. While early attempts at introducing this product to the United States failed, it helped lead to the development of the TOTO washlet in Japan. The use of control panels and the toilet/bidet combination quickly took off in the country.

While the separate bidet basin remains a common fixture in bathrooms throughout much of Europe, in Japan and the United States, modern consumers are much more likely to find either a toilet with a pre-integrated bidet system, or a bidet toilet seat attachment that can be used to replace the standard toilet seat.

How Does the Bidet Work?

A bidet replaces the need to wipe with toilet paper by sending a jet of clean water to your rear. This isn’t the same water that is in your toilet — the water used by a bidet comes from your normal water supply, so you don’t have to worry about potential contamination.

Modern bidet systems typically use a “wand” for the cleansing process. Various settings allow you to adjust the spray for the type of cleaning you need. In addition to choosing whether you need a front or rear cleanse, you can also select an oscillating or pulsing flow, and even make adjustments to the volume and warmth of the water. The spray wand is self-cleaning, ensuring sanitary conditions while minimizing your cleaning and maintenance needs.

Historically, people would use one or two squares of toilet paper to dry off after the cleaning, but many modern bidets also feature an air dryer to further improve the bathroom experience. As with the water, users can select from one of several temperature settings for a comfortable drying experience.

Most modern bidet toilets and electronic bidet seats are designed to offer a high-end bathroom experience. For example, TOTO Neorest products use auto open/close lids, auto flush mechanisms, heated toilet seats, and even an air deodorizer and nightlight to improve accessibility and keep the bathroom smelling nice. The TOTO Neorest also pre-mists the bowl with electrolyzed water to help sanitize the bowl without the need for harsh chemical cleaners.

To make the whole setup even more convenient, users can control settings with a handy remote. This allows you to set the seat to your preferred wash settings for future use. Most bidets with this feature can save multiple user settings, so everyone who uses the bathroom can quickly access their preferred cleaning setup.

Benefits of Using a Bidet

Though switching from the normal bathroom routine of wiping with toilet paper may initially take some getting used to, there are many good reasons to purchase a bidet — and not just because you won’t have to worry about toilet paper shortages any more!

First is the fact that bidets actually provide a more sanitary way to clean up after going to the bathroom. Toilet paper is typically not able to get rid of all waste residue. You will still have some waste left on your skin. Plus, if you think about it, the biggest risk factor for your hands getting dirty comes when you wipe. This is an easy avenue for spreading germs and disease, especially if you don’t wash your hands thoroughly after going to the bathroom. Even if you think you do a good job washing your hands, you probably aren’t doing enough. In fact, one study found that only five percent of people wash their hands properly to kill harmful bacteria.

While you should still wash your hands after using a bidet, you are less likely to expose your hands to fecal waste because you won’t have to reach down to wipe. In a time when concerns over the spread of disease have led to an increased emphasis on hand-washing, this can help give you much-needed peace of mind.

Dry toilet paper can also be rough on your skin, resulting in additional discomfort. This can be especially uncomfortable for people suffering from conditions like hemorrhoids or an anal fissure. The use of clean water is a much more sanitary way to clean, and it also greatly reduces discomfort for people with sensitive skin and other similar issues. Total control over water volume and temperature ensures that users can find the perfect setting for their needs.

Using a bidet can also have a major environmental impact. According to Scientific American, United States citizens use over 36 billion rolls of toilet paper per year. The production of all this toilet paper consumes 15 million trees, over 470 billion gallons of water, and 253,000 tons of chlorine. Those numbers don’t account for the energy costs that go into manufacturing and transporting toilet paper.

While washing with a bidet does consume water, that amount is actually less than the amount that goes into toilet paper production. Most bidets only use about one-eighth of a gallon of water per use, as opposed to the 37 gallons of water that can go into manufacturing a single roll of toilet paper.

Many toilet/bidet models go the extra mile in eco-friendliness by using centrifugal force to complete the flush with less water than a standard toilet. This further reduces your household water consumption, minimizing your impact on the environment and lowering future water bills.

Toilet paper doesn’t just create environmental issues during the manufacturing process. The waste itself can also contribute to various problems. Many households use plush toilet paper that doesn’t dissolve easily in water. Worse still, some homes send “flushable” wipes down the drain. Despite the claims made on their packaging, such wipes should never be flushed, as they can cause significant blockages in the pipes. Even regular toilet paper can increase your risk for clogs over time.

With a bidet, you don’t have to worry about dealing with surprise plumbing clogs. The cost of a repair visit from a plumber could add up quite quickly. By using a bidet, you will save money in the long run by no longer needing to buy toilet paper and by avoiding potential plumbing mishaps.

Installation Considerations

While installing a bidet will certainly be quite beneficial for your household, there are a few things to keep in mind before you make your purchase. If you are buying an electronic bidet seat, you will need to check the dimensions of your toilet to ensure that your new seat will fit properly. Even something as simple as knowing whether your toilet has an elongated or round bowl will affect whether the bidet seat you buy fits properly or not.

If adding an electronic bidet seat to your toilet, you will need to turn off the toilet’s water valve, then flush the toilet to drain all water. After removing the existing water hoses and toilet seat, you will place the new bidet seat on the toilet. Connecting a T-valve to the water hose will allow water to run to both the toilet and the bidet seat. Connect the bidet seat’s inlet to the water supply hose, and reconnect the toilet’s water hose.

Both bidets and electronic bidet seats often require electricity to activate all functions (such as the air dryer and night light). This requires access to a 120VAC outlet. If your bathroom does not already have an outlet conveniently located near the toilet, you will need to have a professional electrician install new wiring. Do not attempt any electrical work yourself, as this can be quite dangerous without proper safety equipment.

If you are installing a bidet as part of a full bathroom renovation, make sure that your remodeling plans account for both the plumbing and electrical needs of your new unit.

Buy a Bidet Today!

If you’re worried about running out of toilet paper, it’s clear that buying a bidet will offer a great long-term solution. Best of all, when you buy your bidet from Kitchen & Bath Authority, you can enjoy significant savings on your purchase.

We offer a great selection of electronic bidet seats from Bio Bidet and TOTO, with some models available for under $400. We also sell toilets that come with an integrated bidet seat, such as the TOTO Neorest 700H. The vast majority of these products are available at significant discounts off MSRP, allowing you to save hundreds or thousands of dollars on your purchase.

In addition to our already-discounted prices, you can save even more with coupon codes, free shipping, and our membership program. Our lifetime membership program requires no credit card to join, and instantly unlocks additional savings on items throughout our digital store.

Great prices are backed by our in-house experts’ commitment to guaranteed fitment and easy, hassle-free returns. We want you to be able to transform your bathrooms according to your wishes. With great products, prices, and services, we know that this is possible.

While toilet paper supplies may seem to be in flux in the coming weeks, households that are adequately prepared will have one less thing to worry about. By buying a bidet, you will be ready for current events and whatever the future might bring.

7 Signs It’s Time to Remodel Your Bathroom

The bathroom is one of the most used parts of the home. From the master suite where you and your spouse get ready for the day to the bathrooms used by your children or guests, few rooms are more important.

Over time, however, wear and tear will cause your bathroom to no longer present the soothing, spa-like atmosphere that you once enjoyed. Alternatively, many people who move into a new house may wish to upgrade their bathroom to better fit their personal tastes and usage needs.

If you’ve been considering remodeling your bathroom, you’re not alone. A 2019 survey from Trulia found that “90 percent of homeowners plan to remodel their home at some point,” with bathroom remodels being the second-most popular project, named by 45 percent of homeowners.

If you’ve been debating whether you should spend your tax return on bathroom remodeling, you’re certainly in good company. But how can you be sure that a remodel is truly necessary? Here are a few key indicators that it would be worth your while to remodel.

1. Outdated Decor

One of the best reasons to remodel your bathroom is surprisingly simple — you don’t like the way it looks. This is most common if you have lived in the same house for a decade or more, or if you have just purchased an older home.

Your bathroom decor reflects your personal tastes and helps set the mood for the room. If the decor doesn’t fit your personal preferences, every trip to the bathroom can feel a bit jarring. Even minor details, like the towel holders or faucets, can throw off the desired vibe of the bathroom.

Thankfully, there are a wide range of bathroom styles to choose from, from sleek contemporary looks to products that suit more traditional tastes. Generally speaking, however, you’ll want to give your bathroom a total facelift in these situations so that everything matches. You don’t want that medicine cabinet to stick out like a sore thumb after you’ve upgraded everything else.

Many upgrades allow you to take advantage of modern additions, such as medicine cabinets that come with electric outlets, mirror defoggers, night lights, and even USB ports. The combination of modern looks and functionality will make using your bathroom far more enjoyable.

2. Bad Lighting

Sometimes, your bathroom decor may be perfectly fine, but poor lighting can cause the room to look dark and gloomy. Inadequate lighting can also cause the bathroom to feel small and cramped. This is especially common of bathrooms that don’t have a window or skylight.

While you could certainly go with the more labor-intensive route of having a contractor install a skylight or a translucent window, an easier and more affordable choice is to simply upgrade your lighting fixtures.

New vanity lighting can be installed in a position that better directs light throughout the room, taking advantage of mirrors to further increase the lighting. This will help the room feel much more inviting without the need for other major changes. Installing a glass shower door can also reflect artificial and natural lighting to help the bathroom feel larger.

3. You Have Changing Bathroom Needs

The way you used your bathroom ten years ago isn’t necessarily the same as how you need to use it today. This is especially true of families with growing children, or for older individuals who plan to age in place.

For example, families with young children are typically best served by a shower/tub combo. This allows parents to take a shower, while also having the flexibility to use the tub for their kids’ bath time. As your kids get older and no longer use the tub, you might consider updating to a walk-in shower with sliding glass doors. This could be an especially nice upgrade after your kids grow up and move out of the house, and their bathroom is used by guests. An upscale, walk-in shower will make a great impression on visitors.

If you plan to age in place, you should make adjustments that will reflect your changing mobility needs. A walk-in shower with a hand shower attachment and a bench for seating will generally be much safer than a tub. Grab bars located in the shower and other parts of the bathroom can also reduce the risk of slip and fall accidents. Even toilets can be replaced with ADA compliant models to improve safety and comfort.

For these types of upgrades, it’s always best to think toward the future. Considering how long you plan to stay in your home and how your usage needs could change will ensure that your remodel will serve you well for many years.

4. You Want to Improve Your Eco-Friendliness

More homeowners are becoming increasingly aware of how their decisions inside the house impact the environment. With so many water-consuming fixtures, the bathroom is one area where environmentally-friendly upgrades can have the biggest impact.

If you want to reduce your household water consumption, consider installing low-flow shower heads and faucets. You could even get a WaterSense Certified toilet to save water with each flush. These products still work efficiently, while reducing how much water your household uses as part of its normal bathroom routines.

You can also save electricity by upgrading your lighting fixtures and switching to LED bulbs. These bulbs use less energy than a typical lightbulb, and have a much longer lifespan so you won’t need to purchase replacements as often.

Reducing the energy use in your bathroom won’t just help the environment. In the long run, it will also lower your household utility expenses, which will help you recoup the costs of your upgrades. Every little bit helps!

5. Leaks & Other Damage

While a single dripping faucet can easily be repaired by a qualified plumber, widespread damage is usually best remedied by a comprehensive remodel. Left unchecked, bathroom maintenance issues can quickly spiral out of control. A broken vent fan could lead to mildew growth or cause ceiling paint to crumble and peel away due to excess moisture.

Brown patches on the walls or near the ceiling are often an indicator of hidden leaks behind the wall. Cracked or loose tiles could pose a major slip hazard, especially when they get wet. Leaking toilet seals could give the entire bathroom a musty odor that simply refuses to go away.

Such damage isn’t just unsightly — it could also lead to significant property damage or even pose a health and safety risk for your family. You don’t want a leak to get so bad that it will eventually require mold remediation or other costly services. When it becomes clear that a significant portion of your bathroom will need to be repaired, you might as well go the extra mile and invest in a full remodel.

After all, you will already be replacing fixtures or even cutting out pieces of drywall as part of the repair process. Converting the project into a full renovation will ensure that your bathroom looks complete and new after the repair work has been completed.

6. Not Enough Space

Not having enough space is a surprisingly common bathroom problem. While modern master suites are designed to be larger than ever, certain floor plans retain a relatively small bathroom area. This can cause the bathroom to feel cramped and uncomfortable, rather than open and inviting.

Adding space to your bathroom can be one of the most intensive parts of the remodeling process. Adapting the layout or even expanding the room can make the bathroom easier to navigate, or help you create space for added features like a soaking tub. Layout changes are very labor-intensive, often requiring adjustments to the plumbing and electrical lines. As such, this tends to be the most expensive way to remodel your bathroom.

A lack of storage space is another frequent concern in the bathroom. You don’t want to have to go marching across the house to get a new roll of toilet paper or replace an empty shampoo bottle. As part of your layout changes, you could close off part of the area to install a storage closet for bathroom products.

Alternatively, you can add storage space by installing a larger bathroom vanity or a linen cabinet. Though you should take careful measurements to ensure that these new additions will fit with your overall layout, they can provide the space you need to keep everything neatly organized within your bathroom.

7. You’re Prepping to Sell

If you’re planning to sell your home in the near future, a bathroom renovation could make all the difference in helping you sell quickly and at a favorable price. Keep in mind that while statistics say you are best served with only minor remodels when planning to sell, a high ROI for your remodeling work isn’t the only thing to consider.

As Kiplinger’s Andrea Browne Taylor explains, “While you may not want to spend the extra cash, the cost of inaction can be far greater than the small loss you’ll incur on any home-improvement projects,” as failing to make even minor cosmetic upgrades “may cause your house to linger on the market longer. As a result, you’ll likely have to pay ongoing mortgage, maintenance and staging costs.”

While many homeowners may wish to make further upgrades to the bathroom after they move in, you can greatly increase your home’s appeal by making some changes before you list your property. In fact, bathrooms are often cited as the second-biggest selling point for a home (only kitchens are ranked higher), and minor remodels can even have a ROI over 100 percent.

Some of the most cost-effective remodeling tips when planning to sell are replacing an outdated vanity, updating the flooring, and repainting the walls. These projects don’t require major alterations to the layout, making them more affordable and easier to complete. They will also help the bathroom look better in photos for your real estate listing, which will get more people to come check out your house in the first place.

Finding Your Reason to Remodel Your Bathroom

No matter why you might wish to remodel your bathroom, there is no denying that the costs associated with this project can add up quickly — especially if you are doing a more extensive renovation. HomeAdvisor estimates that a small, partial bathroom remodel costs an average of $10,000, while a comprehensive remodel of the master bathroom can easily exceed $50,000.

Needless to say, finding ways to save money without compromising on the quality of the final result should be an important priority during the remodeling process. And that’s where Kitchen & Bath Authority comes in.

Here at Kitchen & Bath Authority, we offer everything from bathroom vanities and medicine cabinets to shower doors, faucets, and bathtubs. Not only do we carry products from many of the industry’s leading brands, but we also offer many of these items at significantly discounted prices.

As just one example, many of our bathroom vanities are available for several hundred dollars off their MSRP. With some models, you could actually save over $1,000 on your purchase. Joining our exclusive membership program unlocks additional discounts on many products, and with free shipping on all orders, you don’t have to worry about last-minute markups to your order.

No matter what your motivation for remodeling, make Kitchen & Bath Authority your first digital stop. We’ll help you stretch your remodeling budget further, while giving you access to the best products available.