Coronavirus: Toilet paper shortage gives rise to 'bring back the bidet' campaign in many affected countries
The coronavirus pandemic has left people scurrying toward supermarkets to hoard everyday essentials, including soap, sanitizers, and toilet paper. And with recent reports of toilet roll shortages in shopping centers across the globe, Brits are worried they might face a toilet paper drought in the UK as well.
People across the world have begun looking for alternatives to toilet paper in case of a shortage, and there's reportedly been a considerable increase in the number of people Googling the word "bidet" over the past few weeks, according to the Daily Mirror. The term "bidet" may be unfamiliar to many. It is basically a plumbing fixture placed next to a toilet that is traditionally used to wash the genitals and the anus. That said, there are variants that fix directly onto a toilet seat.
Bidets are reportedly a common feature in homes across Europe. In Italy, at least 97 percent of houses have one.
Meanwhile, bidets seem to be making a name for themselves Down Under as well. One business in Australia reported how their sales increased by 500 percent since the COVID-19 outbreak. "It's crazy. We've also been getting a lot of phone calls, which have resulted in some sales," Randall Calby, the managing director of Australian Bidets, told Daily Mail. "People are really looking for alternative options."
In the UK, people are already considering their options, with some urging fellow Brits to "bring back the bidet."
Addressing the panic over a toilet paper crisis, 'Bake Off' star Candice Brown took to Twitter to encourage people to calm down and just wash themselves instead. "If you run out of toilet roll- wash your bum in the shower," she wrote.
Brown's tweet was liked and retweeted by hundreds of her followers, with several chiming in with their own suggestions. "Always do anyway. Paper alone doesn't clean you properly," one commented.
"Been saying this to everyone. Running out of loo paper at home would not be the end of the world," another wrote.
"Why are people hoarding rolls of toilet paper? Just buy one bidet," a third advised.