A Chat with Buum: The Natural Alternative to Wet Wipes

With our stuul toilet stool, we’ve made the squatting position socially acceptable. But the perfect bathroom experience also includes cleaning - and that’s where things come full circle for us.

Buum transforms regular toilet paper into a gentle wet wipe without clogging pipes or containing questionable ingredients. Natural, sustainable, made in Austria. That’s right up our alley. And that’s why Buum is now available in the stuul shop!

To mark the occasion, we sat down with Buum founder Richard Leitgeb for a chat.

Daniel (Co-Founder stuul):

Richard, at stuul, we started by making the squatting position socially acceptable when using the toilet. But the second part of "ButtHygiene" - cleaning - is just as important. What was the moment when you knew, “Something has to change here”?

Richard:

That moment wasn’t so much a single flash of inspiration as it was a realization: We all go to the bathroom every day, but hardly anyone talks about how we actually clean ourselves afterward. Yet that’s precisely an extremely intimate and sensitive area.

I asked myself: Why do we actually accept that dry toilet paper isn’t really thorough enough—and that while wet wipes give a clean feeling, they’re also a huge problem for pipes, sewage treatment plants, and the environment?

So we needed a solution that feels good in everyday life but doesn’t create new problems - something that offers the benefits of wet wipes without clogged pipes, plastic packaging, or questionable ingredients. That’s exactly how Buum came to be.

Daniel:

You mention the “wet wipe dilemma.” Can you explain to our readers why wet wipes - despite the feeling of cleanliness they provide - aren’t actually a good solution?

Richard:

Wet wipes seem convenient at first. You pull one out of the package, clean yourself, and feel like everything is clean. But the problem starts afterward.

Many wet wipes end up in the toilet, even though they often don’t break down quickly enough in the sewer system. Even products labeled “flushable” can cause problems in pipes, pumps, and wastewater treatment plants. This has been a major issue for municipalities and wastewater treatment facilities for years.

On top of that, wet wipes come in single-use plastic packaging, often dry out before you finish the pack, and—depending on the product—contain ingredients that you might not want to use daily in such a sensitive area.

That’s the dilemma for me: You want to feel cleaner and fresher, so you reach for wet wipes - but you pay for it with trash, sewer problems, and often unnecessary additives.

Daniel:

There are already wet wipe sprays and gels on the market. What makes Buum different? What was the biggest challenge in developing the foam?

Richard:

The big difference is the consistency. A spray is often too watery, and a gel is sometimes too sticky or uneven. We wanted to develop something that feels intuitive right away.

So the biggest challenge was clearly this: The foam has to be moist enough to clean thoroughly and gently, but it can’t immediately soak through or dissolve the paper. That sounds simple, but it was the crucial point during development.

We spent several months developing and researching until we got the foam just right - one that doesn’t soak through the paper or collapse immediately when wiping, but instead offers a pleasant cleaning experience.

It was also important to us that the formulation be suitable for sensitive use. That’s why we rely on mild ingredients, including aloe vera, surfactants derived from coconut oil, and components commonly found in baby cosmetics. We completely avoid alcohol.

Daniel:

For someone who’s been using traditional toilet paper or wet wipes: How does Buum work in practice? And how does the result feel?

Richard:

It’s very simple: You take a piece of toilet paper as usual, apply a small amount of Buum foam to it, and then use it to clean. Afterward, the paper can be flushed down the toilet just like normal.

The sensation is the most important part. It’s not wet, slippery, or unfamiliar - it’s simply gentler, fresher, and more thorough than dry paper. Many people only realize when they use it just how much friction dry wiping actually creates.

I like to compare it to a simple example: If you try to wipe something sticky off your hand with a dry cloth, it only works to a limited extent. With a little moisture, it’s much easier and more comfortable. We apply exactly this principle to the bathroom routine.

Daniel:

At stuul, we often talk about the “natural squatting position” for healthy bowel movements. How do you see the connection between the correct posture on the toilet stool and the subsequent gentle cleansing with Buum?

Richard:

For me, stuul and Buum go together extremely well because both products address the same issue: an everyday routine that can be improved without making it complicated.

Stuul helps make going to the bathroom more natural and relaxed. Buum picks up where that leaves off, making cleansing gentler and more thorough. It’s actually a logical cycle: First, you support your body in doing what it’s supposed to do anyway - and then you clean yourself in a way that feels good, fresh, and respectful toward your own body.

I think many people underestimate how much small routines can influence our well-being.

Daniel:

Many of our stuul customers pay close attention to their gut health and overall well-being. What advice do you have for someone who wants to improve their bathroom routine in a sustainable way?

Richard:

My advice would be: Don’t try to change everything radically right away; instead, start with the small things you actually do every day.

For me, a good bathroom routine begins even before you actually go to the bathroom: with staying well-hydrated, eating a high-fiber diet, getting enough exercise, and being mindful of your own body. Fiber from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and seeds, in particular, can support digestion and help everything function more regularly and comfortably.

In the bathroom itself, the routine basically consists of three parts: how we sit, how relaxed we are while taking our time, and how we clean ourselves afterward. Consciously improving these aspects can make a big difference.

So: allow your body to adopt a more natural posture, avoid going to the bathroom when you’re stressed, and opt for gentle cleansing rather than aggressive rubbing afterward. This makes a noticeable difference, especially for those with sensitive skin, while traveling, during exercise, during your period, or when sitting for long periods at the office.

Daniel:

Richard, thank you so much for this candid conversation! It’s great to see how much passion goes into Buum - and how well our products complement each other. We’re thrilled to welcome Buum to our stuul family, effective immediately.

Richard:

Thank you, Daniel. For us, collaborating with stuul is a natural fit because we’re both breaking the taboo around a topic that affects everyone but that hardly anyone talks about openly.

Together, we’re showing that good bottom hygiene doesn’t have to be complicated, uncomfortable, or harmful to the environment. It can be simple, gentle, and sustainable - and still feel really good.

We’re very excited that Buum is now part of the stuul family.