Like many raised in the UK, I used to be perplexed by bidet seats. But today, with the developments in technology and design, not having one is beginning to seem like a mistake. Really, if there’s a simple, plumbing- free modification that will make your bathroom and your body more hygienic, comfortable and environmentally- friendly – why wouldn’t you install it?

It’s this logic that has recently seen the bidet seat rocket in popularity in nations such as the USA, where they’ve traditionally been out of favor due to outdated misconceptions around their purpose and use. All the while, the bidet-friendly majority of the planet looked on perturbed by northern Europe and North America’s reticence to get with the hygiene program. After all, the 18th century French invention has been a legal bathroom requirement in Portugal since 1975 and 97 % of Italian households have one. Bidets are ubiquitous in the Gulf, Middle East, South Asia and South America. And Japan is well known to be awash with high tech, bidet-integrated toilets. Now, thankfully, it seems word of the bidet’s many benefits is finally reaching the rest of us, too.

Even so, as a novice, you might not be ready to plumb in a standalone bidet, or commit to an electric, digitally- controlled, integrated version. Thankfully, following the runaway success of its Sensia Arena shower toilet, GROHE have expanded their bathroom range to include a product designed especially for the bidet-curious: the GROHE Manual Bidet Seat. This easy, simple addition to any U-shaped convenience will discreetly invite touchfree hygiene into your life. Not quite convinced? Let’s get specific. GROHE’s Manual Bidet Seat doesn’t require electricity, nor any additional plumbing work, since the mechanism is based solely on the water pressure from the supply line, eliminating the need for a power connection. The durable Duroplast seat is particularly easy to clean and can be used to quickly and easily upgrade any conventional toilet without having to replace the current ceramic or connect it to a power source. All you need to do is swap the toilet seat. The twin shower arm – cleaned prior to every use – ensures that you, your family and guests experience true cleanliness every single day. Rather than being a morning or evening only affair, that shower-fresh feeling can be had any time you wish. And not just wiped clean with toilet paper (which would never suffice for any other kind of mess) – but properly clean.

While we’re talking paper, in 2019, there’s little excuse not to make lifestyle adjustments that benefit the environment wherever possible. The Worldwide Fund for Nature reported that the equivalent of around 27,000 trees are flushed, or otherwise dumped, daily.

With the easy installation of a bidet seat, household paper usage falls exponentially. As well as saving money in the long-term, fixing a hygienic, manually-powered bidet seat to your toilet will boost your property’s sustainability credentials. Another plus? Thanks to its slim and flat design, the bidet seat fits harmoniously into the bathroom and is the perfect complement to the GROHE Bau ceramics line. In conclusion: less waste, infinitely cleaner – for everyone. When will you be joining the bidet revolution?

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