After using a bidet, there is a bit of residual water that remains after washing. It’s similar to having beads of water on your skin when first stepping out of the shower. Before the modern electronic bidet came along, people would use a towel to dry themselves off. Using a towel is unnecessary these days however, since the electronic bidet comes equipped with a warm air dry. This is perhaps the bidet’s most popular feature.

The air dry is a practical solution for drying oneself after using the bidet. It’s very similar in concept to hand dryers frequently found in public restrooms. When done washing, press the "Dry" button on the bidet’s control panel to activate. The stream of air comes from a small vent near the wash nozzle’s housing pocket, and blows across your bottom. Just like hand dryers, it will take a minute or two to get completely dry.

Originally, putting hand dryers in restrooms was designed to cut costs on paper towels. For a busy bathroom, the cost of refilling the paper dispenser alone could be several dollars a day. This results in paper towel expenses exceeding $1,000 annually for just one bathroom. Saving on these costs was a huge selling point for hand dryer manufacturers early on – spend $300 on a hand dryer, and save $700 every year. Fast forward to today, and we can see why hand dryers have become so prevalent everywhere we go.

Likewise, it’s true that toilet paper costs would decrease by adding a bidet to your home. We view this more as an ancillary benefit though, since the primary reason for purchasing a bidet is to be able to clean with water, which has many other benefits outside of financial ones. But if you’re on the fence regarding the purchase of a new bidet, saving on toilet paper expenses is worth some consideration. Another (and perhaps stronger) point to consider is the effect reduced paper waste would have on the environment.

On most electronic bidets, air dry settings can be adjusted as well. The main purpose of adjusting the temperature and/or force exerted from the air dry is that it reduces drying time. Some folks may not have time to sit through the dry cycle, so they’ll just dab themselves with a bit of toilet paper to accelerate the process. Or, simply increase the bidet’s air dry setting and this will accelerate drying. We’ve seen electronic bidets with up to five different air dry settings, so it does help to do some research and find which model is best for you.