High-Tech Toilet Shoots out 'Sanitary' Spray

April 26, 2006 — -- Over the last 250 years, toilet technology hasn't changed much in the United States. Even our hygiene is the same: We use paper -- dry, coarse paper.

"I think we have a preconceived notion about what hygiene is and what sanitation is and for whatever reason, we have it ingrained in our heads that paper gets us cleaner," said expectant mom Shelley Bransten-Perelmuter.

But for people with gastrointestinal or skin problems, toilet tissue can simply make their their problems worse. The texture can be rough or irritating to sensitive, inflamed tissues.

Enter "Swash," a new bidet-style toilet seat recently launched by a San Francisco company trying to revolutionize the bathroom experience. The high-tech Swash comes complete with a heated seat, a cleansing spray -- for both front and back -- and a blow dryer. It's essentially a high-tech bidet.

"Ob-gyns and colorectal surgeons actually prefer their patients to use water because it's less irritating. Many other cultures around the world have used water to wash with, but for some reason Americans have been slow to adopt that even though it's a better way to clean," said Scott Pinizzotto, CEO of Brondell Inc, which makes the Swash.

"The first thing I really liked was that it was a heated seat, and I'm someone who's always cold so I loved that," said Bransten-Perelmuter, who says she loves her Swash bidet. "I think I'm an advocate. I'm certainly a convert."

Bidets aren't new. Japan invented the Toto-Kiki electronic bidet toilet seat years ago, and there are a flood of imitators and more primitive do-it-yourself kits on the market, but Americans have been reluctant to use them.

Pinizzotto is trying to change that.

"People don't know that these products even exist so that now that we've launched in large retailers like Bed, Bath and Beyond and Home Depot Expo stores, the products really are becoming more aware within the American public," he said.

And the installation? Most people require less than 45 minutes to do the installation, and it actually doesn't require a new toilet -- you just replace your toilet seat, Pinizzotto said.

ABC affiliate KGO-TV in San Francisco reported this story.