By SACHIKO MIWA/ Staff Writer
September 3, 2023 at 08:00 JST
A new Washlet model developed by Toto Ltd. that can be operated by a smartphone (Sachiko Miwa)
Afraid to answer the call of nature because you’re in a strange place and unsure how sanitary the toilet facilities are?
No need to be concerned. Toto Ltd. has released a new Washlet model whose bidet feature can be controlled with a smartphone.
The product, unveiled in August, was developed to meet surging demand for contact-free solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Company officials said the toilet seat can be operated without the need to touch buttons, thereby catering to those who feel uncomfortable about strangers’ coming into contact with them, too.
The new model from Toto’s Washlet Apricot P line is fitted with a toilet lid that opens automatically.
Aside from bidet and bowl cleaning functions, the toilet generates a flushing sound to mask embarrassing bowel noises. The functions can all be accessed by a smartphone.
Users need to download Toto’s dedicated app and scan a QR code around the toilet bowl’s remote control to connect.
According to company representatives, the new model is intended especially for small establishments, such as restaurants and clinics.
Considering the bother of downloading the app, a Toto official recommended taking advantage of the smartphone-based option “at facilities you frequent, including beauty salons and stores.”
Earlier, Toto conducted a survey of 150 men and women in their 20s through 60s to ascertain their concerns about restrooms.
The findings showed 65 percent want toilet lids fitted with sensors that open or close in a contactless fashion at restaurants, along with other automated traits.
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