5 Things People Who Grew Up Washing With Water Notice After Moving to America (USA)
If you grew up with a shattaf, a lota, or a bum gun — read this before you buy another pack of toilet paper.
(And why none of us ever really got used to it)
Maybe it was a shattaf in Amman. A bum gun in Bangkok. A lota in Lahore. A tabo in Manila. A bidé in Buenos Aires.
Different names. Same standard.
Then you moved to the US — and discovered that one of the world's richest countries expects you to clean yourself with dry paper.
You adapted. You didn't complain. But you noticed.
And if you're reading this — you never stopped noticing.
Here are 5 things millions of us think about, but rarely say out loud.
Paper doesn't clean. It smears.
You've known this since you were a kid.
If you got anything else on your skin, you wouldn't wipe it with dry paper and call it a day. You'd wash it. Everyone understands that logic — right up until it's about the bathroom.
Water cleans. Paper relocates.
And honestly, it's not even about the logic. It's about the feeling. That fresh, actually-clean feeling after washing — the one you grew up with, the one paper has never given you once.
That's what you've been missing.
"In Brazil, feeling truly clean after the bathroom is just... normal. Nobody talks about it because everybody has it. Eight years in Boston and I finally have that back."
You never stopped noticing. You just stopped talking about it.
At some point, most of us quietly gave up trying to explain it to American friends. The look on their face wasn't worth it.
So it became one of those things you only mention to people from back home. A knowing look between you and your cousin. A running joke in the group chat every time someone visits the States for the first time.
Here's the thing: you're not the only one. Tens of millions of people in this country grew up exactly like you did — and almost all of them are quietly thinking the same thing.
"I honestly thought I was the only one who still thought about this. Twelve years in the US and I never said it out loud to anyone except my sister. Then I saw the ad and just started laughing."
Guests from back home judge your bathroom. Silently.
Your mom visits. She doesn't say anything.
But you know she noticed. It was the first thing she checked. And by day two, a bottle of water had quietly appeared next to your toilet.
For a lot of us, the bathroom is the one part of the American home that never passed inspection. It's a small thing — until your in-laws are staying for three weeks.
"My mother-in-law stayed with us for a month. She didn't say anything about the RinseMate — but the water bottle she always travels with never left her suitcase. That's how I knew."
For many of us, it's deeper than habit.
For some, washing with water is comfort. For others, it's hygiene.
And for many of us, it's how we were raised — cleanliness isn't a preference, it's a standard. Part of faith, part of family, part of who you are. Dry paper was never going to meet it.
Not "prefer not to." Cannot.
That standard didn't disappear when you got your visa. It came with you.
"Cleanliness is a big part of my faith, and honestly, of how I was raised. For years I managed with a water bottle. This is dignified — and my whole family uses it."
No tools. No plumber. No installation.
Here's what most people don't realize: you don't need to renovate anything, call a plumber, or bring a bum gun home in your suitcase. (You know someone who has. It might be you.)
RinseMate is completely self-contained. Fill the 0.66-gallon tank under any tap. Hang the rechargeable sprayer on its suction cup mount — you press it onto the wall, that's it. No tools. No drilling. No plumbing. Nothing connects to your toilet.
Charge it once every two months. Fill the tank under any tap. That's the entire routine.
Just the standard you grew up with — back in your own bathroom. And if you move apartments, it moves with you.
The average American household spends $10–15 a month on toilet paper. RinseMate is $79, once.
"I was ready for a whole project with tools and instructions. It's a suction cup. I pressed it on the wall next to the toilet and that was the entire installation. My 65-year-old mom set up the second one herself."
Rated Excellent · 4.8 out of 5 based on 7,000+ reviews
"Feels like home. That's the best way I can say it."
"In Argentina every house has a bidé. Fifteen years in Miami and my bathroom finally makes sense again."
"My abuela refused to visit us again until we 'fixed the bathroom.' She's coming in December. Problem solved."
"I carried a bum gun from Bangkok in my suitcase. Twice. Never again."
"My husband said we didn't need it. He used it one time. Now he's the one who ordered the second one."
"Grew up in Montevideo where the bidé is next to every toilet. This is smaller, cheaper, and honestly easier. My American wife uses it more than I do now."
"Finally I feel proper clean after washroom, like my whole life before America. Very easy, no plumber nothing."
"For the first time in nine years in this country, I feel properly clean. Like back home."
"My kids were born here, but I wasn't raising them with dry paper. Now it's just normal in our house — the way it should be."
Get the standard you grew up with.
- No tools, no plumber, no installation — completely self-contained
- Rechargeable — one USB-C charge lasts up to 60 days
- Free gifts with every order — more gifts the bigger the bundle
- 40,000+ units sold · ⭐ 4.8 from 7,000+ reviews
- Free US shipping · faulty units replaced free
Frequently asked questions
How does it work — does it connect to my plumbing?
Do I need a plumber or any tools?
How often do I need to charge it?
How often do I refill the tank?
Is it hygienic for the whole family to share?
What if I change my mind?
Can I take it with me if I move — or travel?
You didn't lower your standards.
You just didn't have the option.
Now you do. And once you try water again — there's no going back.
Get RinseMate — $79 · Save $21No tools · No plumber · No installation · Free US shipping