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Founded in 2003, Brondell Inc. is a developer and distributer of innovative, high quality, eco-friendly home & bath products that foster a healthy, comfort-enhancing, and socially responsible lifestyle. Brondell's current product suite combines the latest technology and design to provide unique bathroom solutions that are more hygienic and convenient than existing products, while substantially reducing toilet paper and water consumption. The Company's inventive, modern designs bring high technology to the bathroom, resulting in a new level of luxury and hygiene. The Brondell Swash™ advanced bidet toilet seat is a highly functional toilet seat that provides users unparalleled comfort and personal hygiene. Featuring posterior and feminine warm water washes, an adjustable heated seat, warm air dryer, automatic deodorizer and a wireless remote control, the Swash™ bidet seat was the recipient of the 2007 American Building Products Award as well as Electronic House Magazine's 2011 Product of the Year Award presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Unlike any other toilet seat on the market, the Breeza™ and Breeza Warm seats feature an innovative design and patent-pending 4-stage deodorizing system which automatically eliminates bathroom odors at the source. The Breeza Warm adds the comfort of an adjustable heated toilet seat providing the ultimate in comfort and convenience. The Spa Suite line of brondell bidet attachments, bidet sprayers, and travel bidets are a simple and inexpensive way to retrofit your existing toilet into a hygienic bidet in minutes. Why go back to dry irritating toilet paper or expensive baby wipes when you can use a bidet?

What Is A Bidet Attachment?

Posted on May 17, 2013 by admin

Bidet attachments have grown in popularity over recent years as they are both affordable and versatile. With an easy do-it-yourself install, bidet attachments fit nearly all toilets. No need for additional plumbing or electrical and no need to replace your toilet seat. Bidet attachments install between your existing toilet seat and toilet. For those new to using a bidet wash, the price point of a bidet attachment provides the ability to test it out without committing to a larger purchase. Also, for those on a budget a bidet attachment provides the ability to simply have a bidet wash.

Things to look for in a high quality bidet attachment are metal connections, internal brass valve(s) and rated hosing. Since the bidet attachment is constantly under water pressure it is very important to have only the highest quality materials. Plastic expands over time when it is under pressure and will eventually cause a leak and/or flood. A brass internal valve along with metal connections and rated hosing is the only way to avoid this. The FreshSpa series of bidet attachments have brass internal valves, all metal connections and braided PVC hose for cold water connections rated for up to 150psi and high quality tubing for hot water connection rated for up to 212⁰F and 150psi.

A bidet attachment is perfect for a second bathroom, those of us who rent their homes, are on a budget and those with no access to electrical. For those with mobility issues a bidet attachment is a great hygiene solution as simply with the turn of the knob a bidet water wash is provided. Both caregivers and those receiving care in assisted living situations are grateful for the bidet attachment.

Washlets In America

Posted on April 22, 2013 by admin

Washlets first gained wide acceptance in Japan, where according to the government, over 72% of all homes have one of these electronic bidet type toilet seats. Based in Japan, Toto, trademarked the name Washlet, but the term washlet has been adopted much like the term Kleenex has been adopted for facial tissue. So now washlet and electronic bidet toilet seat are interchangeable.

Although washlets were introduced in Japan in the 1980’s, here in America many are just beginning to discover what a washlet is. Different than the old style traditional separate bidet fixtures the washlet installs directly onto your existing toilet. Packed with features many washlets have heated seats, deodorizers, warm air dryers, oscillating nozzles and more controlled by a remote control. In America some washlets can go for up to $1399 like the one from Kohler, but another company based in the United States, San Francisco to be exact, is Brondell and their top of the line seat goes for only $599. The Brondell Swash 1000 is packed full of features like dual stainless steel nozzles, nozzle sterilization, wide spray, sittable lid along with many of the standard washlet features like a heated seat, deodorizer, warm air dryer, positionable nozzles and endless warm water.

Brondell Swash

In America awareness of the washlet is growing and Brondell is leading the way. Whereas in Japan noise reduction features have been popular due to small living quarters, Brondell has substituted those for more functional features like nozzle sterilization utilizing Nano technology (first in the industry) and wide spray for a softer spray with three settings. Be a part of the Wash Don’t Wipe revolution, get a Brondell Swash!

Prevent Urinary Tract Infections with a Bidet Toilet Seat

Posted on March 22, 2013 by admin

Bidet toilet seats can be an effective way to prevent urinary tract infections (also known as UTIs) in women, especially when aging as hormonal changes that take place after menopause can cause bacteria to be found in the vagina which makes its way into the urethra causing infection. Urinary tract infections are common amongst nursing home residents as well as being the cause of many hospital trips by the elderly. In a New York Times interview Dr. Mary Tinetti, chief of geriatrics at Yale Medical School, and Dr. Manisha Juthani-Mehta, an infectious-disease specialist at Yale, state their belief that bidet toilet seats can solve this problem as well as provide further toilet safety for the elderly.

A study was done and published in The Gerontologist in 2005 entitled “The Potential of Wash-and-Dry Toilets to Improve the Toileting Experience for Nursing Home Residents” by Jiska Cohen-Mansfield, PhD and James R. Biddison, BA from the Research Institute on Aging, Hebrew Home of Greater Washington that compared a group of women residents at non-for-profit nursing home facility in Maryland that were 75 years of age. The results showed that about half of the residents in the study group reported that the bidet toilet seat “had a positive effect on toileting.” Also, “Bacterial content of urine decreased in the experimental group and increased in the comparison group during the trial.”

Whether it is a bidet toilet seat, bidet attachment or bidet sprayer (shattaf, diaper sprayer) washing with water is a better alternative to wiping with paper in the prevention of urinary tract infections.

Remodeling For Retirement and Beyond – a baby boomer trend

Posted on January 16, 2013 by admin

It’s official, Baby Boomers are retiring. According to PEW Research Center Baby Boomers are retiring at a rate of 10,000 Boomers a day. This avalanche of retirees will continue for the next 19 years. The most active and fiercely independent generation is entering their golden years and they want to stay as active and independent as they can for as long as they can. The main ingredient in doing so is the remodeling of their homes. With 77 million Boomers representing 50% of all US discretionary spending this is a trend not to ignore. We strongly recommend looking for someone who is a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS). Here are a few ideas that will help any Boomer get their remodel started:

• Don’t Wait – The best advice you can give on an aging-in-place remodel is to not wait. Many wait till it is an emergency and then cannot return home from injury or illness and may have to be transferred to an assisted living or nursing care facility while the remodel is complete. It is better to plan and even possibly phase the project.

• Bathroom – The bathroom is a prime place to start. There is much in the bathroom that can present safety issues that can be resolved with varying levels of effort and cost, most are easily addressed. Here are a few key items for any aging-in-place bathroom remodel:

o Zero Step Shower Entry – this may be a bit more involved but presents, probably, the greatest safety from falling.

o Shower Seat & Handheld Shower – this will ensure independence in the shower.

o Grab Bars – need to be installed anywhere where there will be any maneuvering happening. The NAHB says 80% of CAPS projects last year included grab bars.

o Bidet Toilet Seat – this ensures independence in the most private of daily activities. The bidet toilet seat also presents better hygiene and thus confidence for the aging. Nothing depletes independence or confidence more than not being able to clean oneself properly or at all, and the bidet toilet seat is such an easy install.

o Flooring – removing carpeted areas diminishes risks of tripping and going for honed finishes instead of polished finished help with reducing slipping accidents.

o Toilet – replace the standard height (14.5 in) toilet with a 16 in toilet to make getting up and down easier.

o Faucets – add anti-scalding protection to the sink and shower.

• Lighting – One of the most overlooked items in a remodel for aging-in-place is the lighting because the need for more light happens so incrementally that it goes unnoticed. Those of us that are more aged require at least three times more light than someone in their twenties or thirties. Areas where activity happens is a good place to focus:

o Under Cabinet
o Hallways
o Bathrooms

• Hardware – Swapping out knobs for pulls for cabinets and changing out door knobs for levers is a great way to reduce daily frustration. According to the National Academy on an Aging Society 46% of those 65+ years of age suffer from arthritis.

These are just some ideas to get you started. The important thing to remember is that 80% of those surveyed by AARP expressed a desire to stay in their home. A good place to start is with the toilet and install a Brondell Swash bidet toilet seat today!

The #1 Best Hemorrhoids Remedy

Posted on November 8, 2012 by admin

There is no way around it… hemorrhoids causes discomfort and in many cases, pain. Hemorrhoids present themselves in the anal rectal areas with swelling, inflammation, itching, burning, and/or bleeding. Here is a more full description of hemorrhoids:

Hemorrhoids Description Video

Many people have heard of Preparation H® which is an ointment used for the relief of the symptoms of hemorrhoids. There are several ointments and creams on the market, all of which tend to be messy and the prices can begin to add up. Astringents and herbal remedies are also used to treat hemorrhoids, but they typically can take 2-3 hours to start working and can get expensive. Medicated wipes are also used which leads to the number one sore spot with those that suffer from hemorrhoids… wiping.

Wiping irritates the already irritated affected areas not giving the blood vessels the chance to recover and heal. This is why the #1 remedy for hemorrhoids is a bidet! With either the GoSpa – travel bidet, CleanSpa – hand held bidet or FreshSpa – easy bidet the user can inexpensively and easily benefit from washing with water to reduce irritation, increase sanitation and even reduce swelling by washing with cold water. No need to apply messy ointments or creams and have to walk around all day with that or take expensive remedies. Just wash naturally with water and eliminate the discomfort and pain of hemorrhoids and heal faster.

Fall 2012: The Eco-Friendly Bath Trend

Posted on September 19, 2012 by admin

It seems like everyone wants to be environmentally friendly these days. Recycling is up and oil consumption is down, but the bathroom should not be overlooked in this green revolution. Every little bit counts and there is a lot you can do with your bathroom to save the environment both in the selection of the products you use as well as on-going consumption of natural resources and energy. Here are a few ideas that are better for you and the environment:

Recycled Glass – The easiest way to be eco- friendly is to not steal away new resources from Mother Earth. This approach hits two of the “R”s in Reduce – Reuse – & Recycle. Ann Sacks has a line of recycled glass surfaces called Trend Q found at www.annsacks.com. Trend Q has up to 72% post-consumer waste depending on color.
PaperStone Countertops – This is a composite material made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper that has been saturated with their proprietary PetroFree phenolic resins and infused with selected natural pigments. Best of all, there is no sacrificing appearance to get the eco-cred for your bathroom remodel. You can check it out at www.paperstoneproducts.com.
Bidet Toilet Seat – It may not be thought of first in the eco remodel, but the Japanese style bidet toilet seat saves the Earth one toilet paper square at a time. Americans consume 34 million rolls of toilet paper, every day! A bidet toilet seat cuts down toilet paper consumption 75% on average. The graphic below compares normal toilet paper use to that with a Swash bidet toilet seat. Utility companies are actually beginning to pay toilet paper producers to use less electricity at specific times as they are sucking up too great a share of the supply. Feel good about being green with a bidet seat, not to mention you will save $ome green by not buying as much toilet paper. Brondell has a variety of high quality bidet seats available to fit every budget – learn more: www.brondell.com

Source: 2008 Lifecycle Inventory (LCI) study by Franklin & Associates

Tankless Water Heater – Here is another not oft thought of bathroom remodel item, but it should be as there is nothing worse than a hot shower turning cold. A tankless heater also consumes up to 50% less energy which means it costs 50% less to have hot water 100% of the time. A leader in the tankless industry is www.takagi.com. Takagi even makes their heaters of up to 95%+ recycled materials.
Don’t Forget – The standard eco-friendly low flow shower heads & sink faucets, low or no VOC paint & wood finishes and of course dual flush toilets.

Brondell LumaWarm – heated toilet seat

New Brondell Product

With the cooler weather add a LumaWarm heated toilet seat for every toilet in your home!

Brondell is a leading producer of innovative bathroom products including the Swash 1000 Japanese style bidet toilet seat, the LumaWarm heated toilet seat, the CleanSpa hand held bidet / shattaf / Muslim shower / bidet sprayer and Swash 300 electronic bidet toilet seat.

LumaWarm Heated Nightlight Toilet Seat

Posted on August 24, 2012 by admin

Brondell Introduces Answer to Cold Toilet Seat Shock

LumaWarm Heated Nightlight Toilet Seat

The New Norm in Toilet Seats: The toilet hasn’t changed much since Thomas Crapper installed cedar toilet seats on Queen Victoria’s thirty lavatories in the 1880’s. As technology in our world advances at warp speeds, the toilet has stayed shockingly cold. Sure, you can find a toilet seat inlaid with fake goldfish or leopard print, but those fish or spots will not comfort you on a chilly winter night. Traditional toilet seats are cold, wiggle around and inevitably slam when you least expect it. The LumaWarm is here to solve all your toilet seat problems. With an adjustable heated seat, illuminating nightlight, slow close seat & lid, and sturdy “no slide” mounting system, you’ll never go back to a regular toilet seat again.

LumaWarm – heated nightlight toilet seat

There is nothing more jarring than sitting on a freezing cold toilet seat while still half asleep (or before coffee). It’s something everyone complains about but no one has delivered an answer to in the last 100 years. A heated toilet seat that everyone can afford, brilliant! Whether it’s the midnight run or early morning visit to the bathroom, you will never again experience that shock of sitting down on an ice cold toilet seat. The LumaWarm delivers a fully adjustable heated seat that will install quickly and easily on any standard toilet fixture.

In addition to the comfortable heated seat, the LumaWarm offers an illuminating soft-glow nightlight. There’s nothing worse than being blinded by the bathroom light on those late night trips to the toilet. Now there is no more making your way in the dark, risking life and limb to use the bathroom. Just follow the glow of the blue LED nightlight as it guides you to the relaxing comfort of the heated seat. It’s so comfortable, you may not want to leave.

To learn more about the LumaWarm or Brondell’s entire product line including a full line of advanced bidet toilet seats and attachments, please visit us at www.brondell.com. Brondell products can be found in-stock at select Home Depot stores nationwide, at your local Kitchen and Bath decorative showroom or online with major retailers including Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon, Build.com, Overstock.com, and Vintagetub.com.

About Brondell

Based in San Francisco, California, Brondell is a privately held company, backed by Mark Cuban & David Samuel, that develops innovative, quality bathroom products. Brondell currently sells the Swash line of advanced bidet toilet seats, the LumaWarm heated nightlight toilet seat, and the Spa Suite of bidet toilet attachments (CleanSpa hand held bidet, GoSpa travel bidet, FreshSpa easy bidet & FreshSpa dual temperature bidet). All products reflect Brondell’s commitment to quality design with an environmentally conscious focus. The company’s offerings deliver comfort and cleanliness to young and old alike, setting a new standard for luxury and personal hygiene in the bathroom.

Washing With Water Around The World

Posted on July 10, 2012 by admin

Washing with water is common in many parts of the world. You would be hard pressed to visit a bathroom in many countries that does not have the option of washing yourself with water after having used the toilet. Although in most Western countries it is still viewed as normal to wipe oneself with dry paper the East is leading the way in toilet hygiene. One piece of data from a study done by the University of Arizona in March 2011 from the United States paints a thousand words: 72% of shopping carts at grocery stores showed positive for fecal matter.

Brondell CleanSpa – hand held bidet, shattaf, bidet sprayer, toilet shower

This is an all the more interesting piece of data considering the same exact percentage, 72% as of March 2010, of homes in Japan have a bidet toilet seat installed (commonly referred to as a washlet in Japan). It’s not just Japan and it’s not just modern societies that wash with water. In India people have been washing with water for centuries. On the Indian sub-continent a lota with a spout is typically used to maintain hygiene. Islamic toilet etiquette is to wash with water after using the toilet as well. The most widely used form of washing with water is a shattaf which is also called a toilet shower or a bidet sprayer. This is why the shattaf, toilet shower or bidet sprayer, is so ubiquitous in Muslim countries and is now commonly referred to as a Muslim shower.

Tabo from the Philippines

The toilet shower or bidet sprayer is also commonly found in South East Asia. Two particular countries it is widely used in is the Philippines and Thailand. The origins of washing with water in the Philippines dates back to a practice of washing with water with a tabo, while the origins in Thailand are Islamic nearly every bathroom has a bidet sprayer.es and is now commonly referred to as a Muslim shower.

In the West we have given the world the flush toilet, but we still have a thing or two to learn from the East about toileting. Washing with water is a better bathroom experience.

Toilet Paper :(

Posted on June 27, 2012 by admin

The origins of toilet paper as a commercial product have its footing in the United States. Credited with inventing the first commercially available toilet paper in 1857, Joseph Gayetty provided medicated flat sheets of paper for purchase. In 1883 the first United States patent was awarded for toilet paper and dispensers, which became and are now common everywhere. But brothers, E. Irvin and Clarence Scott, founders of Scott Paper Company, are credited with being the first to widely market toilet paper on a roll like it is still found today.

Though the United States was an innovator in bathroom hygiene it has fallen behind with no innovations in the last 150+ years. Though toilet paper is found quilted, recycled, two-ply, single-ply, infused with aloe, you name it and you can probably find it. While the rest of the developed world continues to use less and less toilet paper moving toward washing with water the United States continues to be the leading consumer of toilet paper consuming 50% more than other Western countries or Japan. Depending on the source the toilet paper industry is between a $2.4 Billion and $6 Billion industry in the United States alone. That is a lot of money being flushed down our toilets.

Bidet Toilet Seat Toilet Paper Savings

The environmental footprint of toilet paper production is mammoth. The average American consumes 50 lbs. of toilet paper a year or 23.6 rolls of toilet paper a year. In one day Americans use 34,000,000 rolls which equates to 221,000 trees, 255,000 gallons of water, 88,000,000 lbs of Greenhouse Gases and 161,000,000 KWH of electricity. When washing with water one uses anywhere from 75%-100% less paper. That is in ONE day! With consumers demanding soft and comfortable toilet paper to wipe with the only way to deliver that supple paper is through standing virgin trees. And to get that paper white takes bleach, chlorine bleach. The chlorine bleaching process creates many toxic by-products that end up in our water systems and soil not to mention being absorbed into our skin.

Bottom line – Wash don’t Wipe!

What is a bidet?

Posted on June 20, 2012 by admin

The bidet was invented by the French. The first known use of the word is 1766 and translated it means pony. The name is derived from the way in which the user would have to straddle the wash basin, as in riding a horse.

Traditional Bidet

The traditional bidet is a separate fixture, usually made of porcelain, found close by the toilet in the bathroom. When one is done using the toilet they move over to the bidet and straddle the fixture, turn on the water to desired pressure and temperature and cleanse the appropriate area. Many associate the bidet only with women but the bidet is not only used to in feminine washes but also in rear washes as well which benefits both men and women. Once clean, a dedicated towel or paper is used.

A modern innovation on the traditional style bidet is the electronic bidet toilet seat. These newer style bidets simply install on the bathroom’s toilet replacing the existing toilet seat. This is a much more convenient way to experience the benefits of a bidet. Not only is it more convenient but the bidet toilet seat is packed full of features such as a heated seat, deodorizer, warm air dryer, oscillation and more all controlled, typically, by a wireless remote control. Other benefits of bidet toilet seat over the traditional style bidet is that there is no need for costly remodeling for extra plumbing water supply and the expense of an additional large porcelain fixture. Most bidet toilet seats are self-installed in about half an hour and come with all parts that are needed for installation. A GFI electrical outlet is all that is required in addition to what is needed for the existing toilet fixture.

Bidet Toilet Seat

There are also other bidet type products that are popular as well that include the bidet toilet seat attachment that installs between the toilet and the existing toilet seat and hooks up to the water supply line at the toilet. There is also the hand held bidet or toilet shower (also referred to as a Muslim shower or shattaf) which is a sprayer head with a trigger that is operated in the palm of the hand and holsters, typically, on the side of the toilet tank. These are very economical ways of experiencing the benefits of a bidet on any toilet.

Bidet Toilet Seat Attachment

Hand Held Bidet

The traditional style bidet is popular in Europe with Italy and Portugal leading the way. The bidet toilet seat is popular in Asia with Japan and South Korea leading the way. And, the hand held bidet is popular in the Middle East, South East Asia and South America.