I bought a $69 bidet attachment for my toilet in an effort to be more eco-friendly and hygienic - and now I can't imagine not having one

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Tushy

• Tushy offers affordable, decor-friendly bidet attachments that turn virtually any toilet into a bidet (a device that sprays your behind clean, FYI) for under $70.
• Founded by entrepreneur Miki Agrawal, Tushy is about more than cleanliness. It's also an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to toilet paper, seeing as the average American family spends $500 - or two trees' worth of TP - on flushable paper per year.
• Using a bidet also helps prevent UTIs, yeast infections, and hemorrhoids. As a devoted fan, I can honestly say it makes you feel so much fresher and cleaner than wiping.

"If a bird pooped on you, would you wipe it off with paper, or wash it away?"

The words of Miki Agrawal, the founder of Tushy, a company that sells $69 bidet attachments, haunted me for days.

After listening to Agrawal wax poetic about the benefits of a good bidet spray via one of my favorite wellness podcasts, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I needed - no, deserved - a bidet of my very own. She made it sound so necessary. So eco-friendly. So healthy.

Still, when I finally clicked "Add to Cart" on the White Bamboo Tushy Classic (arguably the most fashion-forward toilet accessory in existence), I braced myself for the embarrassment I'd feel when the package arrived and my husband spotted it. After all, installing a bidet in my bathroom was pretty much equivalent to admitting that I actually, you know, use the bathroom - something I've been able to all but hide from him throughout dating, engagement, and marriage.

Let me backup a bit: Are you familiar with bidets?

As Tushy describes it, a bidet is "a device that sprays your bottom clean." Popular in European and Asian countries, bidets look a little different depending on where you go - in Japan, bidets are usually built right into the toilet. In France, bidets are typically separate basins situated next to the toilet. With Tushy, any toilet can become a bidet.

"I am half Japanese and half Indian, and through both cultures I grew up with bidets, so I have known about them for a really long time," Agrawal tells Business Insider. "I always thought Japanese bidets were way too expensive and I also did not want to spend money adding a French bidet next to my toilet, not to mention in my rental apartment that had no space for it." She ended up getting a Chinese bidet attachment - a Valentine's Day present from her then-boyfriend-now-husband, natch - but it was "ugly and looked like a medical device."

"It was then that I had the ding ding ding moment to create a modern, affordable, designer bidet attachment for the American consumer - a product that both was a 100% upgrade from using dry paper that only smears, and one that aided in fighting the deforestation of trees getting flushed down the toilet every year," Agrawal explains. Thus Tushy was born.

Read more: The best bidets you can buy

When my own Tushy arrived, I asked my husband to help me install it and braced myself for some light mocking - but I was shocked on two accounts. For one, installation was super easy; it requires no plumbing experience and barely any tools, and takes only five minutes. I totally could've done it myself (and I'm clueless when it comes to this kind of stuff). And two, my husband didn't laugh. He was certifiably jealous, and ordered one for his own bathroom that same night.

Yup, we're a two-Tushy household now.

Why? Besides the fact that I just feel cleaner using Tushy, it's truly a healthier, more hygienic option than wiping. "With Tushy, you're cleaning up the mess instead of wiping it around," Agrawal says. "Using a Tushy bidet drastically reduces the likelihood of hemorrhoids, UTIs, and yeast infections, and can prevent anal fissures."

On top of that, using a bidet is just plain better for the environment.

"The average American uses 57 sheets of toilet paper per day," the founder shares, noting that the environmental factor was a driving force behind the development of Tushy. "A single roll of toilet paper takes 37 gallons of water [to make]. In a year, a family of four spends upwards of $500 on toilet paper - and cuts down two trees." Do the math: That's 15 million trees per year destined to end up in the sewer. "With Tushy, toilet paper use is reduced by 80%" - you still need a little to pat dry - "and water waste is less than a pint per week," according to Agrawal. "It quickly pays for itself."

It does take a little getting used to, though.

For the first couple weeks, I found myself wiping, then remembering I had a bidet, before it became second nature to spray clean. And be warned: The sensation is, uh, strange in the beginning. Luckily, Tushy is equipped with a handy lever that controls the angle of the stream (so you can hit the right spot, every time) and a knob that controls the pressure (so you can start small).

Read more: 9 cheap solutions for people who want to waste less and wean themselves off single-use items

Tushy Facebook

Today, I can't imagine not using a bidet, and I boast the benefits of bidet-ing to anyone who will listen. Thanks to my loud-and-proud advocacy, my husband, my mom, and many of my friends are converts too.

"I am getting approached either in person or via social media every day from people who love their Tushy bidet and share with me that it has completely changed their lives," Agrawal shares. "They feel more confident, clean, and conscious regarding their health and the environment."

If you don't want to take her word for it, just check out the reviews (powered by a third party) "It's cut paper consumption in my house in half, and now I feel slighted using other peoples' toilets," says one of them.

Tushy's attachments fit all standard, two-piece toilets and some one-piece toilets, so long as you have a flexible hose connection. All you have to do is unscrew the seat, place the Tushy on top, and connect to water - that's it.

I have the Tushy Classic, $69; but you can upgrade to the Tushy Spa, which is temperature controlled, for $99. At checkout, you can add the brand's environmentally conscious bamboo toilet paper to your order as a monthly subscription.

"We have some other amazing products launching soon," the founder reveals, hinting at a travel bidet designed for going on the go. Once it launches, I'll be first in line to purchase - because honestly, once you're the proud owner of a Tushy, you'll never want to use a non-Tushy toilet again.

Buy a Tushy Classic ($69) or a Tushy Spa ($99) by visiting the Tushy website here

Buy the Tushy Classic ($69) on Amazon

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