Does anyone use the Japanese-style shower toilet?

[Fiona2011231]

May I ask if anyone here is using the Japanese-style shower toilet, like those washlets made by Toto, or the Sensowash by Duravit?

We plan to redo our bathroom and think of having a toilet like this.

Our main concern is how quiet it is, as our old style toilet is rather noisy. Also, is it easy to install in a house built in 1936?

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

I think it might be advisable to ask the person supplying the products - it should be somewhere in their product specifications - all noise is relative to the rest of the noise in any given situation - so maybe measure the noise current in the room before you make a decision ! ( iphone do a free app to measure decibels )

Have you got good drains for those washlets?

old thread I know, but I wonder if you got the japanese toilet in the end :)

Good product. Toto or Geberit make the best ones. They are really quiet in operation. Geberit have launched the Sela which is now floor mounted as well.

I know someone who has the Geberit one, and says its really excellent. His is in a Victorian terrace, and didn't seem at all noisy.

I have questions about these things:

Is there a possibility that, erm, dirty splash water ends up on the floor and the toilet seat?
How do you dry yourself? On the hand towel provided, or else a communal 'after toilet' towel?
Do you need to use your hands to assist the water spray? In which case do you then use your hands to operate the flush eetc?

I can see numerous ways in which they actually spread germs, unless strict protocols of use are adopted. Which given that they are a novelty in the UK is unlikely because few people will know what to do.

Look up your nearest geberit dealer and go try it. Water will squirt onto the floor if no one is sat on the toilet but otherwise it goes where it ought to without getting into specifics.

Some models have a blow dryer but the protocol is what you establish it to be though I personally think a 'communal' towel is a step too far.

Spray strength, position, style etc is remote control adjusted.

I am assuming you arent going to install one and allow public access to it so the protocols dont need to be publicly communicated.

Charm - they are operated by a button panel on the wall next to the loo, and extremely hygenic. Japan are miles ahead of us on this. And if we weren't about to move into a house that has just been completely redone, we'd be fitting one

kmdesign - yes, but guests who come to the house...

Do you provide old school Andrex as well?

Yes, communal towel a step too far!

Maybe a heap of small towels folded next to the toilet?

Do you use it after a wee?

I was interested in this. I've discovered that you do need to assist the water (just like using a hose on your pushchair tyres doesn't remove dog poo) and you do need a towel to fully dry afterwards. But if you do that then you are lovely and fresh :)

OP, can you post a picture please?

yes i don't really understand how you can get yourself clean and i don't really want to have to wipe poo off my own bum.

Find a Geberit dealer and try it out. Every body is different so the jets need to be adjusted to suit. The water pressure, temperature etc can be adjusted. The higher spec models have dryers but you can use towels if you prefer.

I doubt if toilet paper can be abandoned.

You can use it after it wee. You can use if for fun too :)

Try it and make up your own mind.

Just to say - we never saw it as an alternative whilst in Japan to loo roll, rather a pleasant addition!

This has me intrigued! Is it very costly and is the water warm?

This has me intrigued! Is it very costly and is the water warm?

A seat retrofit will cost from £750 - £1500 and a whole toilet from £2500 - £10k

Thank you...beyond my means though.

are these the same as Closomat toilets. I find these don't dry completely but great for people who have disabilities which make bottom wiping difficult or impossible. Saves embarrassment. My son claims he gets dry enough.

A £10,000 contraption to do the job of a toil troll, and a flannel if you choose?

I can see the benefit for disabled people.

I have installed the washlet seat. It seems in the West it's regarded as something for old or disabled people if people buy it at all, but every house has one back in my home country. There are loads of brands to choose from and inexpensive. Toto price in this country is crazy. I got the washlet seat from a health equipment shop online for a few hundred pounds. It is a bit chunky and primitive compared to the more high tech ones back home, but it's the closest thing I can get here without getting a 10k Toto. (Toto has it in their toilet in the London showroom for people who want to try) The seat is warm (this is why we use it as in winter it's more comfortable. SE Asia houses normally don't have central heating.) It washes and blow dries. You can control the water temperature and position of the jets with the remote. The reason I bought it was because of the pain of the stitches after giving birth. I couldn't step into the bath and didn't want to touch down there at all. After my stitches healed I haven't used it much. The main function for me now is the warm seat. I only used it for feminine wash. For me it never replaces toilet paper. My husband uses it more than I do as he is Japanese. Back home he has a bath with computerised temperature control when it fills, which is just another common bathroom device in Japan. I haven't seen the equivalent here.

We use a plastic jug with a long spout from the Asian shops called a lota. Costs a quid. Tissue to wipe - pour water to clean - tissue to dry. Works a treat.

What's the difference between one of these and a bidet ?

Shinyshoes2 as far as I know the bidet here is something like a smaller bowl with manual taps. The Japanese washlet is electronic. It can be seat only or the whole toilet. Some of the whole toilets ones have seat covers lifting automatically as you approach. Incidentally in Japan the toilet also has a function of playing either the sound of water flowing or music when you sit on it for the purposes of minimising embarrassment (drowning any other sound that the user might be producing) They are a bit obsessed in the hygiene department.

I lived in Japan for 4 years. The toilets are awesome.