One woman was instructed to wash her hands after going to the toilet. This has led to a heated debate.
Taking to the British parenting forum, Mumsnet, the anonymous woman said she was raised in the UK by a Middle Eastern mother, and asked whether she was being unreasonable ‘to think there’s no way you can wipe your bum clean.’
The woman confessed that she had often wondered if people who use tissue before using it wet it. She said that she used either an attached toilet hose, or a water jug after finishing.
Apologising for the ‘silly’ question, she wrote: ‘I’ve always wondered, do you genuinely think your bum is clean if you only wipe?’
Instantly, commenters split between water and wiping techniques. Both sides labeled each other as ‘disgusting.
Mumsnet was contacted by an anonymous lady to find out why it is acceptable to use only toilet paper for personal hygiene after a shower.
According to her, growing up in Middle Eastern households had an impact on how she was raised.
“I was raised in mixed-race families with my Middle Eastern mother. My parents taught me to wash the downstairs of every room with clean water.
“We now have a mini-shower head that sprays our bums, but before that we had a little jug.
‘The way I see it, if someone dropped a few drops of urine or fecal matter on my flooring at home, I’d scrub it clean and at least use some water.’
It would be a mistake to wipe the skin with tissue paper. What is the best way to clean your skin?
Some people were confused by the idea of not using paper, and they wondered how water could work.
Is there something missing? Is it necessary to wet your tissue before you use it? I’m sorry for asking such a silly question. I have always wanted to know.
A confused commenter said that he preferred to clean the floor with water, but did not know why.
Although neither method is 100% effective in keeping the area spotless and free of germs, it will keep the area clean enough until you can wash your hands again.
A third person agreed with this theoretical method of floor wiping. He said: “It would be better for my floor if it was wiped with dry tissue rather than water.” All that and mechanical removal.
Others were furious at the idea of not drinking water, and could not understand why anyone would feel clean.
“Honestly, I’m not sure it’s spotless even if you wipe. However, it is clean. No one’s eating their dinner out of my a******ck!’
A third person said, ‘So with the little shower nozzle, do you all put the same one really close to your bum with poo on it? Or do you wipe first? I can’t understand it. That nozzle must be really disgusting.
Others, however, couldn’t grasp how someone could get on with their daily lives without using water to wash.
One person wrote: ‘It’s not about being germ free, it’s about cleanliness. A bidet and a jug are the best, but I’d use plastic water bottles or something similar for outings.
When I go out with my children, I always have toilet wipes on me. If necessary, I can also use the wet tissue to clean up after them. It is important to remember that wiping does not clean.
A second commenter said the same thing and added that they have an electronic toilet bidet. You wash it with warm water. Then, dry the item with warm, filtered air. No paper required.’
I think you are right about the dry bits of paper. But how can this person think that it cleans them? Erk.’
A third person was outraged at the prospect of dry wiping, and wrote: ‘Toilet paper is disgusting on its own, you would hope people wouldn’t use it to remove wee or poo from any other part of their body, so I have no idea why some people find it acceptable to smear wee and poo on their genitals and just leave it there.’