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way more than I want a toilet to do

I have no experience or wisdom to share, but TOTO has been in the news a lot lately. The Times Square Church is seeking a court injunction to prevent the installation of a TOTO billboard featuring bare bottoms on their Broadway building.

For once, I'd kind of be inclined to side with the church.

Hodding Carter's book Flushed How the Plumber Saved Civilization has a whole chapter about it. He makes it sound good at least. I couldn't find the chapter online, but here is a link to his book on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Flushed-How-Plumber-Saved-Civilization/dp/0743474082

If you're too lazy to wipe your own ass there's something very wrong with you.

my parents just put these suckers on all the toliets in their summer home. they're ugly but AWESOME. seriously.

I'm surprised that there are design-savvy AT readers who don't know about washlets yet. TOTO is a Japanese toilet maker. This should explain a lot (including the weird ad). The Japanese are obsessed cleanliness. Wiping with paper is not considered clean enough. The auto open function is a luxury feature but has been also useful for the disabled/seniors. The Japanese are also obsessed with water conservation. Dual flush and dual use of water (wash hands with clean water before it gets used to refill tank of toilet) are also common features of Japanese toilets.

I'd say don't knock them til you try them but people will have their own opinions regardless. I absolutely LOVE Japanese toilets/bidet sets. When you live in an apartment with no central heating and it is the dead of winter you WILL welcome the warmed toilet seats. Also, all I have to say as a woman is that you do feel CLEANSED after using a toilet like that. Why "smear" when you can actually be cleaned is all I am saying.

Toilets by TOTO and other Japanese companies are fantastic and when I have my house built I will be sure to have one of these in each bathroom (expensive but well worth it). I can't praise these enough. The Japanese always take things and make them better and more useful for people.

We once rented a big house in Hilton Head (with a bunch of other people) that was owned by a Japanese family. These were on all of the toilets. This was summer 2001. Played with the functions a bit. They were a bit weird to use - like having dentist's tools down there squirting you with water, then warm air.

There was also a great laserdisk karaoke player attached to the stereo. Fun long weekend...

I was very leery of these things when I moved to Japan, and they make convenient targets for jokes, given the butt-centric advertising campaign and the anatomically suggestive buttons on the remote control.

After all the snickering, though, I found that the washlet is totally superior to what we use here in the U.S., for all the reasons seika and yuzu (Japanese nicknames?) mention above. For reasons no one wants to discuss at length, toilet paper is pretty crude technology, and it doesn't do that great a job, while creating unnecessary additional paper waste. Get over the adolescent heebie jeebies about the water, it really is vastly cleaner and better.

Having tried the brondell version at nickel spa and having been sold immediately on the much cleaner after-effect....I've had an inconspicuous electrical outlet installed and will be soon purchasing the washlet s300 version!

I can't wait!

I'm rather surprised at the responses from AT'ers on this matter.

re: For reasons no one wants to discuss at length, toilet paper is pretty crude technology, and it doesn't do that great a job, while creating unnecessary additional paper waste.

hahaha. So true!

ps. yes, I'm of Japanese heritage

I do not like the TOTO with all the gadget. The hotel I stayed in while on a trip to S. Korea had one. The maid one day turned it on while cleaning. There is nothing more *icky* than sitting on a warm seat, IMHO. I like the ice cold seat that makes me think no other butt has ever touched it.

The non-gadget TOTO toilet is fabulous! I would buy one if I didn't rent.

My parents have had a TOTO for years now. They had it imported after a visit to Japan. I *heart* their toilet seat and have been saving my pennies to get one.

That said, my slightly homophobic husband dislikes it merrily.

I am trying to figure out why a toilet would have a remote control.

the word toto...hahah makes me laugh.it means something so wrong in spanish..lol

but my cousin has one similar...and its one of the few reasons i go visit. all good in my book.

How is this eco-friendly? A low flush toilet would be a better investment for all.

I've used one.

After....I questioned my need to ever date again.

The low tech alternative--a squeeze bottle with a nozzle for squirting. (Not that anyone here would know ;) but a hairdye bottle is just the thing). Fill it with warmish water and it works without electricity!

My mid-wife called it a "peri-bottle."

And upgrade those plastic seats to wood.

Oh...and put a brick or a big stone in the bottom of your toilet tank. Your very own lo-flo.

They had one at our local kitchen/bath store as the client toilet, so we got to try it out. It wasn't impressive as, how shall I put this? -- it wasn't properly calibrated. And my 3 year old (who is the one who had to go) was not the ideal candidate for it. Too many buttons -- I can see if you had this in a bathroom that guests used they would get a bit frustrated -- there is definitely a learning curve to this toilet.

Washing your buttom in the very same place where you... Ughhh, it may be irrational, but i'd much rather continue using the lovely bidet!

Wasn't Toto totally (sorry, couldn't resist) mentioned during the last AT Bathroom Month? How quickly some forget... :-)

While I like the idea, and plan to get one as long as I can find a model that also has pressure-assisted flush -- I question how clean you can actually get with that little bit of water shooting out of the wand. In my mind a real bidet would have much higher water pressure, and hence cleaner? I don't know, since I've used neither.

(One more thing, Dr. Oz mentioned that wiping with dry toilet paper is akin to using sand paper on your behind. Though he didn't go as far as telling people to use a washlet/bidet, he recommended everyone to wipe with those flushable wet wipes instead.)

The Google offices in CA have had Totos for a long time. And since Americans have historically been prudish about bidets, it's kind of funny that Totos are catching on. They certainly make you feel fresher and cleaner than toilet paper, which someday will go the way of As a rare old lady I once knew said: "I wash the pits, the feets, and the bumbum, and I'm set for the day."

Oops, didn't finish writing" Read:

The Google offices in CA have had Totos for a long time. And since Americans have historically been prudish about bidets, it's kind of funny that Totos are catching on. They certainly make you feel fresher and cleaner than toilet paper, which someday will go the way of corn cobs, old newspapers, and leaves. As a rare old lady I once knew said: "I wash the pits, the feets, and the bumbum, and I'm set for the day."

When I was researching toilets to buy, Toto consistently came up as one of the best. We now have 2 "normal" Toto toilets and they are great (i.e., I haven't had to double-flush or use a plunger in 2 years).

Those washlet things are fabulous. Someday I want to have one myself. I was skeptical at first, but they are truly truly wonderful.

On a side note, that bathroom looks remarkably similar to a catalog of Villeroy and Boch bathroom interiors from 1929 I saw yesterday. All it would need is an attractively tiled fireplace to fit in!

How long does it take? Can my cat use it?

While in Tokyo last month everywhere you go has them. From the nicest hotels to McDonalds. I became so spoiled by them I proptly purchased one when I returned back to the states. They are the BEST!!

http://www.bobbyberkhome.com

I redid my bathroom in NYC about 3 years ago and installed a Washlet, having fallen in love with them in Japan. They are AMAZING - after having used one, using just toilet paper seems completely gross.

The remote means that you don't have to drill holes in your walls and tiles to operate the unit. It also adds the vague sense of Hygiene Evolved.

The controls are really easy, and each has a logical icon - OFF, Firm Sray POsterior, Gentle SPray Posterior, Front Spray, Dryer. Beneath that, there is a switch for Oscillating Flow (back and forth) and Pulsating Flow. Beneath that are buttons so that you can micromanage the intensity and position of the stream, and beneath the face plate are further buttons to regulate water temperature, seat temperature, dryer temperature and energy saving features.

You feel so much cleaner with them. When I travel - and I know this sounds idiotic - I miss my Toto.

Except when I'm in Japan.

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We have the Brondel, and we love it. we come from a culture where washing your ___ with water is common (not Japan) and in my opinion i feel its very hygenic. It works for us! besides i love that warm seat on cold winter mornings...
we don't use the warm air though...i don't have that kind of patience.

I agree, the warm air thing is a bit much.

I don't know that I need an automatic lid raiser function, which is what happens in the most current version.

But I tell you, if I ever renovate another bathroom, it'll definitely have a Washlet.

I don't expect anyone to hop on the bandwagon just from seeing photos of the thing - it's in finally using one that you'll discover how great they art.

I have one in every bathroom at home and love them. I tried the Toto and found that brand way to pricey and located the Clean Sense brand worked even better for less than 1/3rd the price! Just had to do a little shopping. Since then I bought 5 more for our office---all the employees love them....think maybe 1 or 2 of them has bought one for their homes as well....guess I will have to give them out for Xmas presents this year. But shop around and you can certainly find a better deal! Wasn't toto the one that was recalled recently anyway,,,,,maybe they got lost in Kansas.

I first used one of these in Japan. I am a male age 48. Best thing going! My wife thought I was obsessed with these until we built a new house and I had a GFCI outlet put in behind 5 toiltets. I put in Toto toilets because there is no better in my opinion. Cost about $240 per toilet but worth it. I then put in my first washlet for Christmas. Everyone loves it. I have two daughters so we only use one toilet out of 5. I will be putting in the others very soon. The Jasmin can be found for around $730 if you search and the Chloe for $550. If anyone can find it cheaper let me know. Don't knock it until you try it. The Jasmin is not ugly but the chloe can be with the controls right on the seat. The Jasmin has a remote you can mount anywhere on the wall. Good Luck.

I have been visiting many parts of Japan a few times a year in the past 5 years and yes I love their washlet! It's not about being lazy but it really does a better job in cleaning than mere paper. Ask any doctor and I am sure they will agree that washing cleans better? Also like it's other features where they can remove all odour.
Anyone out there know the distributor for such washlet in
Singapore? Or the cost of buying one?

yes they are great but I found other brands that worked better

www.cleansensebidet.com

for 1/2 the price.

singapore, i found a great product from www.australianbidet.com and they shipped it to me in Singapore. much better than the toto unit i tried.

We are Bidet Super Store.
Please look us up at www.smart-seat.com
TOTO S 300 for $729.00
COCO Remote for $529.00
and other brands starting at $289.00