Anal hygiene
[citation needed] In ancient Japan, wooden skewers known as chuugi ("shit sticks") were used for post-defecation cleaning.
[1] The first commercially available toilet paper was invented by American entrepreneur Joseph Gayetty in 1857, with the dawning of the Second Industrial Revolution.
According to Buddhism, toilet etiquettes (Wachchakutti Wattakkandaka in Pali language) were enumerated by Buddha himself in Tripitaka, the earliest collection of Buddhist teachings.
[citation needed] In countries that have predominantly Catholic,[10] Eastern Orthodox,[11] Hindu, Buddhist,[12] or Islamic cultural traditions, water is usually used for anal cleansing.
In some parts of the developing world and in other areas where water may not always be usable, such as during camping trips, materials such as vegetable matter (leaves), mudballs, snow, corncobs, and stones are sometimes used for anal cleansing.
Ensuring safe disposal of anal cleansing materials is often overlooked, which can lead to unhygienic debris inside or surrounding public toilets that contributes to the spread of diseases.
The use of water in Muslim countries is due in part to Islamic toilet etiquette which encourages washing after all instances of defecation.
Squat toilets in Turkey do not have this kind of nozzle (a small bucket of water from a hand's reach tap or a bidet shower is used instead).
[citation needed] The use of water in many Christian countries is due in part to the biblical toilet etiquette which encourages washing after all instances of defecation.
A nozzle placed at rear of the toilet bowl aims a water jet to the anus and serves the purpose of cleaning.
Some modern Japanese bidet toilets, especially in hotels and public areas, are labeled with pictograms to avoid language problems, and most newer models have a sensor that will refuse to activate the bidet unless someone is sitting on the toilet.In Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines,[26] Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, and East Timor,[27] house bathrooms usually have a medium size wide plastic dipper (called gayung in Indonesia, tabo in the Philippines, ขัน (khan) in Thai) or large cup, which is also used in bathing.
[28] Some health faucets are metal sets attached to the bowl of the water closet, with the opening pointed at the anus.
In North America, the widely distributed Sears Roebuck catalog was also a popular choice until it began to be printed on glossy paper (at which point some people wrote to the company to complain).
This practice continues today in parts of Africa; while rolls of toilet paper are readily available, they can be fairly expensive, prompting poorer members of the community to use newspapers.
People suffering from hemorrhoids may find it more difficult to keep the anal area clean using only toilet paper and may prefer washing with water as well.
[36][37][38] A product of the 21st century, special foams, sprays and gels can be combined with dry toilet paper as alternatives to wet wipes.
