After living in the Philippines, using only toilet paper now feels barbaric

When I moved to the Philippines, one of the first culture shocks I ran into was, surprisingly, a pleasant one.

The handheld bidet sprayer.

Growing up in the US, almost all of us are potty-trained to use toilet paper. But as I got older, I always thought…

'There has to be a better way.'

Pause for a moment and help me answer this question:

Why doesn't America switch to the bum blaster?

Sure, I've come across Japanese bidets with heated seats, control panels, buttons everywhere and instructions I couldn't read, and I remember thinking…

'I need an engineer to help me use the bathroom.' 😂

Then we moved to the Philippines and I learned to use the simple handheld bidet sprayer. I fell in love with it ♥️

And honestly, it changed my life.

There are some very particular reasons (which I'll spare you) why I've never liked toilet paper, and the sprayer solved nearly all of them. It's simple, effective and cheap, and once I got used to it, toilet paper alone started to feel.., well, inadequate, even barbaric.

We recently went back to the US, and every time I had to use a bathroom without a bidet sprayer, I genuinely felt dirty afterward.

1. Can't America do better?

2. And no, wet wipes are not the same.

So I'm curious: what's your experience with the Filipino-style hand sprayer?

If you grew up using one, what do you think of Americans still relying mainly on toilet paper? And if you came to the Philippines from somewhere else, did the 'bum blaster' convert you too?

Which do you prefer: the hand sprayer, a traditional bidet, toilet paper, or some combination?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts 🙏🏼