WHAT DOES THE WORD SHATAF MEAN?
It’s an Arabic word meaning cleaning, its an Islamic toilet etiquette which is to wash with water after using the toilet
WHAT IS A SHATAF?
In every Muslim household you will find some sort of a product that resembles like this
at first glance you might say it looks like a tea pot or a watering can, in muslim households this is referred to as a Bodna or Lota, this spout is typically used to maintain hygiene. In Islamic toilet etiquette it is to wash with water after using the toilet. The most widely used form of washing with water is a shataf which is also called a toilet shower or a bidet sprayer. This is why the shataf, toilet shower or bidet sprayer, is so ubiquitous in Muslim countries and is now commonly referred to as a Muslim shower in the west.
In the West we have given the world the flush toilet, but we still have a thing or two to learn from the teachings in Islam about toileting, washing with water is a better bathroom experience.
WHATS THE BENEFIT OF USING A SHATAF?
Better personal hygiene and cleaning
After you use the bathroom dry toilet paper still leaves you unclean, and some residue usually remains on your skin, and can cause irritation. A Shataf provides water which removes any residue left on your skin, and you will feel incredibly clean and refreshed instead of feeling like you are still dirty in some way. Shataf are very common across muslims households around te world, the USA, UK is one of the few countries around the globe that does not include A Shataf in many homes, and most people in UK have never seen or used one
Greatly reduce the impact you have on the environment
On average each person around UK uses approximately 57 sheets of toilet paper every single day. This adds up to over 3 million tons of toilet paper used in the UK each year, and requires 54 million trees that are cut down. Even if tree farms are used 50% of the trees needed to supply UK with toilet paper will come from virgin forests. In addition the manufacturing process to produce toilet paper requires large amounts of water. The 57 sheets of toilet paper used daily on average by each person in UK will require 3.7 gallons of water to create.
A Shataf can greatly reduce the toilet paper that is needed when you use the bathroom and this can be very beneficial to the environment. When packaging, transportation, and other additional factors for toilet paper are calculated in the cost of not using a bidet can be very high for the environment. The bleaching process used to manufacture toilet paper is very damaging to the earth and to people. Bleaching produces a byproduct called dioxin which is a cancer causing substance in humans and animals, and chlorine products are also used which leave behind toxins in the toilet paper and harm the earth. A Shataf is a more environmentally friendly choice.
Save money and reduce household waste
Using a Shataf can be a great way to save money while you help out the environment. You may still use a small amount of toilet paper to dry off when you are done cleaning after you use the bathroom but you will only use a fraction of the amount needed if you do not use a bidet. In addition to saving money on toilet paper purchases you will also reduce your household waste because there is less packaging to dispose of when you buy less toilet paper.
Better skin care and more comfortable to use
Using dry toilet paper to clean up after you use the bathroom can be rough on your skin, and this is not the most comfortable thing to use. If you have any skin irritation or other problems then warm water can be soothing, and staying as clean as possible will make you more comfortable. Certain anal and rectal conditions can make using toilet paper painful. If you have hemorrhoids, an anal fissure, anal prolapse, or other problems in this area then a Shataf may be the best possible choice.
https://shataf.co.uk/ Click for more Info