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How to dry after a bidet without toilet paper

To dry after a bidet without toilet paper, pat (don't rub) with a small reusable cloth kept just for this, use a bidet seat's warm-air dryer or a handheld dryer, or stand for a minute and let the air do it. Most people with a plain attachment end up with cloths: they're fast, cost little, and wash with your towels.

Below: every paper-free way side by side, how to set up a cloth system that isn't gross, how to wash them, dryers and air drying, what to do in a shared home, and what to do away from home.

Do you even need to dry after a bidet?

You don't have to get bone dry, but you'll want to get most of the water off before you pull your clothes up. Damp underwear is uncomfortable, and water left between the cheeks takes a while to evaporate. A few seconds of patting is enough; you're blotting clean water, not cleaning.

The steps before drying (wipe first or not, how long to spray) are in our first time using a bidet guide.

Every way to dry without paper

Method	Time	Cost to start	Good for	Downside
Reusable cloth (bidet towel)	5–10 seconds	A pack of small cotton or bamboo cloths	Any bidet, any home	Laundry; somewhere to put used ones
Warm-air dryer on an electric seat	About 1–2 minutes, per Brondell	An electric seat and an outlet	People who want hands-free	Slow; needs power; seats cost far more than attachments
Handheld air dryer	A minute or more	A small battery or plug-in dryer	A non-electric attachment, no cloths	Another gadget to charge and store
Air drying	A few minutes	Nothing	At home, when you're not in a hurry	Slow; you're standing around
A shared bath towel	5 seconds	Nothing	In a pinch	Not a towel anyone else should use on their face

A few squares of toilet paper, patted, is the usual fallback, and it's still far less paper than wiping. If you want none at all, read on.

The cloth system: set it up once

This is what most paper-free bidet users do. It works because it's simple and kept apart from everything else.

Pick small cloths in one colour that no other towel in the house uses. Washcloth size is plenty. Cotton and bamboo are both soft and absorbent. A distinct colour means nobody grabs one for their face.
Get enough for the gap between washes. Count one or two a day per person who'll use them, times the days between laundry, plus a few spare. One person washing weekly: about 10–14.
Keep clean ones in reach of the seat: a small basket, a shelf, a hook, or a holder on the wall.
Keep a small lidded bin or a washable bag for used ones, next to the toilet. If cloths are wet, let them dry on a hook first so they don't sit damp in a closed bin.
Use each cloth once, then into the bin. Some people use one side, fold, then the other. It's a pat of clean water, but a fresh cloth each time keeps it simple.

If you've already got a bidet, that's all the kit there is. If you don't yet, see non-electric bidet attachments for how the cheapest option works.

How to wash bidet cloths

Follow the label. Brondell's guide, for its own bidet towels, says machine wash cold with a gentle detergent and no liquid fabric softener, as their tag says. Cotton cloths often take a warmer wash; the label decides.
Skip liquid fabric softener. It coats fibres and makes towels less absorbent, which is the whole point of the cloth.
Wash them with your towels, or on their own if you'd rather. Don't let them sit damp for days.
Dry fully before they go back in the clean basket: tumble or line dry.
Replace them when they get thin or stiff.

If someone in your home is ill with a stomach bug, follow your doctor's or public health advice on laundry for that week, and use disposable paper until they're better if that's easier.

Dryers: seat and handheld

A warm-air dryer is built into many electric bidet seats. You press a button and a fan blows warm air from under the seat. Brondell says it takes about one to two minutes. It's touch-free, but it needs a seat with power, which means an outlet near the toilet and a bigger budget; our attachment vs seat comparison puts the costs side by side.

A handheld dryer is a small fan made for this, battery or plug-in. It's the only way to get air drying with a plain, non-electric attachment. Keep it out of the splash zone and away from the sink, and don't use a mains-powered gadget with wet hands.

Searching "bidet attachment with dryer"? A non-electric attachment can't have one: a dryer needs power. If drying matters more to you than price, an electric seat is the honest answer.

Air drying: does it work?

Yes, if you have a few minutes. Stand, wait, and let the air do it. It works best when:

You spray for no longer than you need, so there's less water to begin with.
You give a quick shake of the hips or a gentle blot with your hand first (then wash your hands).
The bathroom is warm.

It's the slowest way, and most people use it only when there's time, like before a shower.

Drying after a cold-water bidet

Most attachments, ours included, use cold water straight from the toilet's supply line. Cold water doesn't change how you dry, but it changes how it feels to stay damp: nobody wants to air dry after a cold rinse in a winter bathroom. With a cold attachment:

Keep the rinse short. A few seconds on low pressure is often enough, and there's less to dry.
Have the cloth in reach before you start, not across the room.
Pat firmly, once or twice. A soft, thick cloth takes most of the water in one go.

If cold is the deal-breaker, our guide to warm water options covers the sink hot-line hookup and electric seats.

Drying after peeing

Some people rinse after peeing too, especially with a front wash. It's even less water: a quick pat with the cloth, front to back, and it goes in the bin like any other. Using the cloth only from front to back, and only once, keeps the routine the same whichever wash you used. Our guide on using a bidet as a woman covers the front wash itself; using a bidet as a man covers peeing standing up with an attachment on.

Paper-free in a shared home

One colour per person if people want their own cloths, or one shared colour that's only ever for drying after the bidet.
A label on the basket for guests: "For drying after the bidet." Keep a roll of paper for guests anyway.
Agree who does the cloth wash. It's the part that slips.
Our first time guide has three house rules for sharing a bathroom with a bidet.

Away from home

Public toilets and friends' homes won't have your cloths. Options:

Carry a small pack of tissues or a travel cloth in a zip bag, for patting.
Use the toilet paper that's there, patting only. A few squares is fine.
A portable bidet bottle (a squeeze bottle with a nozzle) handles the washing part when there's no bidet; you'll still need something to pat with.

Mistakes when drying after a bidet

Rubbing. Pat. Rubbing a damp area with a dry cloth is what irritates skin.
Mixing cloths with hand towels or face cloths. Use one colour that's only for this.
A closed bin of wet cloths. Let them dry on a hook or use a vented bag.
Too few cloths. Running out on day five sends you back to paper.
Spraying too long. More water means more drying. Thirty seconds or less is usually plenty.
Skipping hand washing. Wash your hands after the bidet, the same as always.

Where ASSJET fits

ASSJET is an under-seat attachment: one knob, no plug, cold water only, so no built-in dryer. People who use one dry with a cloth, a handheld dryer, or a pat of paper. It isn't on sale yet. While you wait, find out which bathroom god you are with the quiz.

FAQ

How do you dry after a bidet if you don't have toilet paper?

Pat dry with a small reusable cloth kept just for this, use a seat or handheld air dryer, or let it air dry for a few minutes.

Are bidet towels hygienic?

They're blotting clean water. Use each one once, keep them apart from other towels, and wash them as the label says.

How many bidet cloths do I need?

One or two a day per person, times the days between washes, plus a few spare. About 10–14 for one person washing weekly.

How long does a bidet dryer take?

About one to two minutes on an electric seat, per Brondell.

Can I use a regular bath towel?

In a pinch, yes. Day to day, a small cloth kept only for this is better, so nobody uses it for anything else.

Do bidet attachments come with dryers?

Non-electric ones don't; a dryer needs power. Electric seats often have one.

More plain answers in our bidet guides, or find your bathroom god with the quiz.

Sources

How do you dry after using a bidet?, Brondell. https://brondell.com/healthy-living-blog/how-do-you-dry-after-using-a-bidet
How to Dry Off After Using a Bidet, Bio Bidet. https://biobidet.com/blogs/news/how-to-dry-off-after-using-a-bidet-bidets-with-air-dry-feature
Answering Top Bidet Frequently Asked Questions, BidetKing. https://bidetking.com/blogs/toilet-talk/answering-top-bidet-frequently-asked-questions