Arnold Cohen, Bidet King Extraordinaire

I dedicate this blog post to Mr. Cohen, who's products I believe were ahead of their time. I think more people should know about the man who started it all.

Several years ago I stumbled upon www.bidets.com. It was that day that began my fascination with bidets. The more I read about bidets the more I wanted one. I thought the idea was brilliant. Bidets.com is owned by Arnold Cohen, and he is the original inventor of the bidet toilet seat. Over a year ago we had our first communication. I introduced myself and told him I was interested in his website and his products. Mr. Cohen owns numerous domains, and the one I wanted was www.bidet.org. Our talks went nowhere, so I left it several months and then I continued discussing some of his domains. The more I talked to Mr. Cohen the more I learned about the man, and his past is pretty amazing.

arnold cohen bidet kingArnold Cohen was born in Brooklyn, New York, and his family had money. By the time Cohen was 19 he had already established a successful advertising firm at a prestigious Fifth Avenue address, and he did have some help from his wealthy parents in order to achieve this. The gratitude and love that Arnold felt for his parents caused him to invent the American bidet system in the early 1960s. Cohen's father had a medical condition that caused pain in the rectal area, and Arnold wanted to make life easier for his beloved parent.

It took two years for Arnold Cohen to design the American bidet system, using odd parts and odds and ends to create a toilet seat which washed and dried the behind to help his father. The new seat also included a hose, which was very useful for colonic irrigation and douching, and a foot pedal for operation. When the device, originally named the American Sitzbath, was first available Cohen realized that few people wanted to discuss their bathroom needs. In 1964 Arnold patented his design and started marketing the innovative bidet product by using large ads and attending trade shows.

In 1964 Arnold Cohen started the American Bidet Company, but North America sales were few and far between. Many considered the topic vulgar, and few wanted to run the ads that Cohen produced. According to Arnold “I installed thousands of my seats all over the suburbs of New York, and we had offices all across the country. But advertising was a next-to-impossible challenge. Nobody wants to hear about Tushy Washing 101.”

Cohen did not let this attitude stop him. Since North America was not yet interested in the benefits that the American Sitzbath offered Arnold licensed his invention and patent to the Toto Company in Japan. The original American bidet model was upgraded by the company, and by 1989 the Washlet Sleek was introduced. Today bidets can be found in almost every home improvement store in the USA, with prices that are very affordable for typical consumers.  Without Arnold Cohen and his incredible efforts to assist his father the bidet as Americans know it today would not have been possible, and this man has truly earned the title Bidet King extraordinaire.

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Bidet Deodorizers - The Hidden Gem

bidet deodorizer

How do we remove unwanted smells in the bathroom? We use candles, sprays, and/or the fan. Candles and sprays don't eliminate the odor, they simply mask it. We add a nice smelling fragrance to the air in hopes of not smelling the unpleasant one by covering it up. Then you have bathroom fans which work by removing the smell, but they take a long time to work in most cases.

There is a new toilet seat making news around the globe on Kickstarter. The creator is trying to raise money to produce the Fresh Air Plus. This toilet seat is designed to remove unpleasant smells from the air. The toilet seat works with a built in fan that vents the air outside via a tube and a hole cut in your wall.

One of the downsides of an electronic bidet toilet seat having so many amazing features is that some of these amazing features have to take a backseat. With the hype of this new toilet seat we wanted to bring attention to a lesser known feature on many of the electronic bidet toilet seats.

The fact is we have several bidet seats that have built in deodorizers, and the best part is you don't have to cut a hole in your wall to use it. The bidet deodorizer also has a built in fan but this fan works a little differently than the Fresh Air Plus. Through the process of adsorption the bidet deodorizers remove the unpleasant smells from the air. Adsorption occurs through the carbon filtration system in the toilet seat, actually removing the odor instead of just covering it up.

Adsorption utilizes a filtration system that contains active carbon. Oxygen activates the carbon and causes this material to develop millions of pores, and this greatly expands the surface area of the charcoal. This surface attracts unwanted odor particles in the air in large amounts, so air that comes through the filtration system is much cleaner and without unwanted odors.

Bidet air deodorizers use a fan to increase the air that circulates, and this means more air is cleaned and deodorizers. The fan pulls in air that has odors and removes the particles with the carbon filtration system, and this is very effective at truly deodorizing rather than simply covering up the odors in your bathroom.

The bidet deodorizing process works very well. Why cut a hole in your wall if you do not have to or try to just mask odors with fragrant chemical sprays? Here are our most popular bidet models that have a built in deodorizer:

Brondell Swash 1000

Blooming NB-R1063

Bio Bidet BB-2000

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding deodorizers or any of our bidets.

 

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The True Costs of Using Toilet Paper

toilet paperFor many people using toilet paper is a given, especially in the USA, something that is done without a second thought. What are the true costs and effects of using toilet paper though? In order to answer this question several aspects need to be evaluated. General costs, deforestation and the loss of trees, the chemicals used to process toilet paper and the effect that these chemicals have on the environment, and even the water and energy required to manufacture toilet paper all have to be considered. Recycled paper is one possible option to help lower the true costs and effects of using toilet paper but many people have a mistaken belief that recycled toilet paper is still inferior when it comes to roughness and cleaning. Americans on average use 23.6 rolls of toilet paper per person every year.

General Toilet Paper Costs

Toilet paper costs can vary widely, and will depend on a number of factors. Whether the roll of toilet paper is one ply or two ply will affect the price, and the number of sheets on the roll also play a part in cost. There are also environmental costs that need to be considered, such as the damage that deforestation has and the pollution that can be caused by the chemicals used in the toilet paper making process. Recycled toilet paper can be a more environmentally choice but this option is not always less expensive because the recycled paper must be processed carefully to ensure quality products.

How Many Trees are Used for Toilet Paper Each Year?

It is estimated that roughly 27,000 trees are cut down every single day in order to provide toilet paper for the world, and around 50% of these trees come from virgin forests and old growth specimens that are hundreds of years old or even older. Many of the trees that are used come from primary forests that are sorely needed to help prevent further global warming and increased carbon in the atmosphere. Logging is occurring in forests that are incredibly diverse, and many of these areas contain protected or even endangered species. Toilet paper is filling up landfills in the USA and around the globe at an alarming rate.

Chemicals and the Toilet Paper Manufacturing Process

The chemicals used in the toilet paper manufacturing process can be very harmful to the environment. Chlorine is used to bleach the paper so that it is white, soft, and visually appealing, but this chemical is devastating to the environment. Dioxins do not become diluted or wash away, and these chemicals build up in fatty tissues. Exposure to dioxins can cause many health problems and disease, and these chemicals end up in the waterways and soil. While manufacturers no longer use dioxin the bleaching process can produce these compounds as a byproduct. Cancer, learning disorders, a decrease in immune system function, birth defects, and even lower sperm counts can all result from environmental exposure to dioxins.

The Energy Required to Produce Toilet Paper

In the USA alone around 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper are used every year, and this can have an enormous cost in terms of energy use. The manufacturing process for this amount of toilet paper will require approximately 17 terawatts of electricity each year, including the packaging and transportation of the finished rolls. Recycling one single ton of paper can save over 4,000 kilowatt hours of energy, and this amount can power the average home in America for 6 months as well as saving 17 trees from being cut down.

How Much Water is Needed for Toilet Paper Manufacturing?

In order to satisfy the American market alone for toilet paper each year toilet paper manufacturers must use 473,587,500,000 gallons of water on an annual basis. This can be a big concern because many areas of the country and the globe are facing water shortages. Recycling just one ton of paper can save almost 7,000 gallons of water. Using a bidet can greatly reduce the amount of water used, save trees, and protect the environment from harmful chemicals by decreasing or even eliminating the use of toilet paper completely.

References:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/science/earth/26charmin.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://encyclopedia.toiletpaperworld.com/toilet-paper-history/toilet-paper-and-the-environment
http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/06/01/why-are-americans-flushing-old-growth-forests-down-toilet
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/feb/26/toilet-roll-america
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2010/04/16/27000_trees_a_day_used_for_toilet_tissue/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earth-talks-bidets/

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The Benefits of Bidets for Seniors

Seniors take great pride in being independent and taking care of themselves, and a bidet can help many seniors live independently for longer and stay more active. Today's seniors are highly capable and they enjoy many activities that seniors in the past did not, but aging takes a toll on the body. As you age you may notice that you lose flexibility, and your range of motion and movement ability decreases as time goes by. This happens to everyone as they get older, and it can be an obstacle to independence for seniors unless steps are taken to prevent this from happening.

Sometimes an injury can make cleaning yourself after you go to the bathroom difficult, and sometimes the aging process may make reaching behind you fully to wipe after going painful or even impossible. A bidet can minimize or even eliminate these problems and help you live on your own without assistance while ensuring that proper hygiene is not ignored. Aging skin also becomes more sensitive, and even minor irritation can cause skin tears and other issues. These conditions can lead to infection if you do not keep your genital and anal area clean and waste free.

Bidets come in many models, and you can find various features which may make life a little easier if you are a senior. A heated seat can take the chill off a bathroom visit during colder weather, and this may also help relax your muscles and soothe any muscle pain that you have. There are models with lights which can help you see in the middle of the night so that there is no need to turn on glaring overhead lights. As a senior it is difficult enough to get back to sleep once you wake up needing to use the toilet, and bright lights are the last thing you need. Trying to navigate your way in the dark is not an option because you could fall or injure yourself.

Aging comes with enough issues and obstacles, you should not need to have to struggle just to use the bathroom and clean yourself properly. The right bidet model can clean and cool your bottom and genital area without causing any irritation or chapping your skin. Aging skin gets drier and may chap or crack easier. Using a bidet and then gently wiping yourself dry is far superior to toilet paper when it comes to good skin care. If you are a senior then the odds are that you suffer from other issues like hemorrhoids, constipation, and other digestive problems, and a bidet can help relieve some of the symptoms experienced.

As a senior you can stay clean and fresh with a bidet even if you have a limited range of motion or you are not as flexible as you used to be. This fixture can help you stay independent and active, while keeping you comfortable and ensuring that you are properly cleaned after each bathroom use. Bidets can range from inexpensive models that fit onto your existing toilet seat to stand alone fixtures which may be much more expensive, so there is a perfect model for every senior.

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Welcome to Bidet.org!

Welcome to Bidet.org! This is our first post for our new online bidet store!

We plan to add great content regularly.

At Bidet.org our goal is to offer the absolute highest quality products, at the lowest prices, all while offering top of the line customer experience. Buying a bidet is a new experience to some people and may be confusing. We hope to eliminate that feeling and we want to be here for you every step of the way.

Please keep on the look out for new content from us!

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