The modern era is full of every convenience one could think of. We have reliable heating, indoor plumbing, and even at the barest income levels most of us could still afford soap and shampoo. However, this was not so in eras past. There was a time in the Middle Ages when bathing was seldom undertaken by the lower classes. And, many of the dim conditions of the Dark Ages followed into the 19th century, which was ruled by a need for progress despite the crippling poverty that ensnared many families.
In the 1800s many countries did not yet have public schools or compulsory education laws, nor were there codes as to what a basic home must have. Towards the end of the Victorian era (Queen Victoria died in 1901), many homes of the upper classes already had indoor plumbing, however even they had a much different outlook on hygiene than we do today.
Using the Bathroom
Women of the era wore a lot of skirts and bustles or hoops. So, how did they use the toilet? Well, their pantaloons or knickers were more like than pants than the underwear we know today. These loose-fitting undergarments had a split crotch so that women merely had to hover over the bowl instead of disrobing altogether (which would have taken too long).
While some well-to-do families had indoor plumbing by the 1880s, many did not, which meant trips to the outhouse or privy when nature called.
The first toilet paper squares were sold in the 1870s (with chemicals added to keep the bathroom from smelling too bad) and the toilet paper roll wasn’t invented until 1891. So what did people use to wipe themselves before that time? The answer might hurt a bit: old newspaper or corncobs seem to be what many people used, provided of course they had access to these things at all.
Taking a Bath
Showers were not yet en vogue and everyone bathed to keep clean. Poorer families would have boiled water on the stove then added it along with cool water to a wooden or metal tub, usually in the kitchen area, when it was time for a deep scrub down. However, most people bathed in rather smaller quantities of water in their bedrooms with a basin and pitcher of cool water. Hands, face, armpits, and crotch were the essential regions and it was not necessary to be submerged in order to maintain a modicum of cleanliness.
Nicer homes not only had proper porcelain bathtubs with both hot and cold taps nearby, some even had the luxury of all luxuries: a plumbed foot bath! These extravagances were like mini bathtubs for your feet.
Washing the Hair
Women’s hairstyles in the Victorian era were often elaborate and they were unlikely to have started the whole process of washing, drying, and styling until it was absolutely time for a good washing. At the time, women’s hair was considered her crowning glory and so the longer and healthier it was the better. It would would only be let down when she was alone with her husband, and so stayed in pins the rest of the time. To keep it healthy, women didn’t wash their hair nearly as often as we do today, taking this particular habit only on a weekly or monthly schedule.
Some books on hygiene and beauty towards the end of the Victorian era suggested that people with oily hair should wash their hair every two weeks or soand those with normal hair should wash it once per month. Still other sources recommended washing the hair and scalp one or two times per week. Before shampoo was common, people just used soap, which often left the scalp and hair very dry. Sometimes pure ammonia was used to clean the hair! Is it any wonder then that oily pomades were used so frequently during this era?
Personal Odor
In the days before lotions and deodorants were common, people had only a few options to cover the scent of B.O. or old clothes. Women with plenty of money could buy perfume or cologne, however it was cheaper to buy a scented powder. This was also quite good for absorbing wetness.
For men the most common scent was bay rum, a unique smell that most people today have never gotten to enjoy (though they do still make it). The spice-and-perfume-infused rum was invented for exactly the purpose of masking body odor by sailors in the 1500s.
For the people who couldn’t afford these luxuries, keeping clean was the only other option to avoiding a stale smell. Women used dress shields to protect their clothing from underarm sweat, but they also didn’t wash their outer garments ever. Only undergarments were scrubbed and dresses and coats were brushed clean- never submerged.
Oral Care
Dentistry was not very advanced back in the 1800s and most of the procedures a dentist could perform were simply extractions of rotten teeth. People did brush their teeth, sometimes just using salt on a finger and rubbing across the teeth, other times perhaps using a frayed twig.
The toothbrush as we know it today was invented in 1857, however it wasn’t until the nylon bristle toothbrushes of the 1930s came along that brushing one’s teeth became more widespread, particularly when GIs returning from Europe in the 1940s brought back the European habit of brushing everyday.
Showers were not yet en vogue and everyone bathed to keep clean. Poorer families would have boiled water on the stove then added it along with cool water to a wooden or metal tub, usually in the kitchen area, when it was time for a deep scrub down.
Though even wealthy families did not take a full bath daily, they were not unclean. It was the custom for most people to wash themselves in the morning, usually a sponge bath with a large washbasin and a pitcher of water on their bedroom washstands. Women might have added perfume to the water.
Before that, they used whatever was handy -- sticks, leaves, corn cobs, bits of cloth, their hands. Toilet paper more or less as we know it today is a product of Victorian times; it was first issued in boxes (the way facial tissue is today) and somewhat later on the familiar rolls.
The poor diet, contaminated water supplies, and unclean and overcrowded conditions led to illness and disease. The most common of these being measles, opthalmia, small pox, dysentery, scarlet and typhus fever, and cholera.
DOLLY: a dolly was used every washday, and it would have been put in a big metal or wooden tub and twisted to turn the clothes and get the dirt out. MANGLE: clothes would have been pushed through the space between the two rollers to squeeze all the water out so that they dried quicker.
Before soap, many people around the world used plain ol' water, with sand and mud as occasional exfoliants. Depending on where you lived and your financial status, you may have had access to different scented waters or oils that would be applied to your body and then wiped off to remove dirt and cover smell.
From the 1890s to the early 1980s, people used sanitary belts, which basically were reusable pads that attached to a belt worn around the waist – and yes, they were as uncomfortable as they sound.
Most people cleaned their teeth using water with twigs or rough cloths as toothbrushes. Some splurged on a “tooth-powder” if they could afford it. Sugar became more widely distributed, thus contributing to an increase in tooth decay during this time period.
Wipe backward from the perineum, toward and past the anus. “Wipe gently, and use additional toilet paper until the paper is clean and never scrub the skin around the perineum. If you cannot reach behind your back, reaching in between your legs from the front is fine as long as you wipe from front to back,” says Dr.
One of the more popular early American wiping objects was the dried corn cob. A variety of other objects were also used, including leaves, handfuls of straw, and seashells. As paper became more prominent and expendable, early Americans began using newspapers, catalogs, and magazines to wipe.
The 1847 article continued: “When the weight of the body has reached its average maximum, men weigh 139 pounds, women 112 pounds.” Fifty years later the numbers remained about the same.
Chamber pots did not always have to sit below a commode. For ease of use, Victorian women could simply hold the chamber pot in their hands, rest a foot on the top of the chair, and hold the chamber pot underneath the skirts.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health. It depends in part on your lifestyle.
The oldest accountable daily ritual of bathing can be traced to the ancient Indians. They used elaborate practices for personal hygiene with three daily baths and washing. These are recorded in the works called grihya sutras which date back to 500 BCE and are in practice today in some communities.
Carbolic soap was a staple item in many posh and poor Victorian homes, as well as in Victorian schools, hospitals and places of work, right up until the mid 20th century. In some parts of the world it's still in use today.
Most people would go to the local baths to have a weekly wash. However, the local baths began to be used more often for sport and leisure rather than just hygiene. Washing clothes was an all day task for which girls were often kept off school.
There were huge changes in domestic life between 1800 and 1900. Soap, starch, and other aids to washing at home became more abundant and more varied. Washing once a week on Monday or "washday" became the established norm.
Leaves, sticks, moss, sand and water were common choices, depending on early humans' environment. Once we developed agriculture, we had options like hay and corn husks. People who lived on islands or on the coast used shells and a scraping technique.
Water does a fine job of rinsing away dirt without stripping vital oils from your skin. Also, avoid those luxurious long, hot showers. Just a few minutes under the spray is enough to rinse away a day's accumulation of dirt, and any longer might dry your skin.
Based on the writings of Herodotus, Ancient Egyptians used many healthy hygiene habits, such as washing, and laundry. They also knew to use mint to make their breath fresh. According to Ancient History Online Encyclopedia, Ancient Egyptians always tried to make their bodies clean.
Although men will not bleed, nor will they experience all of the same symptoms as women, these hormonal shifts can have some pretty notable side effects, especially with mood and irritability. Some call it the “man period” others call it Irritable Male Syndrome, either way, it can be quite similar to a woman's PMS.
1800s to 1900: Turn of the century – From rags to riches? In European and North American societies through most of the 1800s, homemade menstrual cloths made out of flannel or woven fabric were the norm–think “on the rag.”
Women's rights were extremely limited in this era, losing ownership of their wages, all of their physical property, excluding land property, and all other cash they generated once married. When a Victorian man and woman married, the rights of the woman were legally given over to her spouse.
Before modern-day toothpaste was created, pharmacists mixed and sold tooth cream or powder. Early tooth powders were made from something abrasive, like talc or crushed seashells, mixed with essential oils, such as eucalyptus or camphor, thought to fight germs.
The ancient peoples' diet consisted a large part of fibrous foods. Fibrous foods are great for digestion, but also help to keep our teeth healthy and clean. They do this by aiding in flushing away food debris from the surface of the teeth.
Use Mouthwash in Place of Toothpaste: When toothpaste is unavailable, one of the most popular alternatives is to brush using mouthwash. To do so, dip the bristles of the toothbrush into the mouthwash. When the bristles are thoroughly moistened, proceed to brush the teeth as usual.
The transition period starts when you ditch using generic shampoo altogether, and go as long as you can before having to rinse your hair with water. To prepare for this transition, some people leave bigger gaps in between washing with normal shampoo, to get used to less frequent washing.
What Is the No-Poo Method? The no-poo method is a hair-cleansing technique that removes shampoo from the equation, says Geeta Yadav, MD, a dermatologist in Toronto. Instead of using shampoo, followers of the practice use alternatives such as apple cider vinegar, a cleansing conditioner, or just plain water.
Going a long time without washing your hair can cause a buildup of a yeast-like fungus called Malassezia on your scalp. Over time, this leads to a layer of dead skin cells that shed from your head in the form of oily, yellow-ish dandruff flakes. Dandruff can also make your scalp red, scaly, and itchy.
Keep the anal area clean by washing with water every day. Don't use soaps as they will reduce the natural oils that protect the anus and may make the area dry and itchy. Use aqueous cream or a soap-free cleanser instead.
While a Reddit user surveyed 950 participants—626 identified as male, 306 identified as female, and 18 people put their gender as “other”—they found that 65.7% of respondents wipe sitting down and 34.3% wipe standing up. But even though standing wipers may be in the minority, they do exist.
Wiping thoroughly and washing your hands after a bowel movement are the two most important ways to prevent odor and the spread of pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria. For people who have solid bowel movements, this will mean wiping with toilet tissue.
Well, bathrooms in the US aren't really built for bidets. There's no space or additional plumbing setup for bidet fixtures. But the biggest reason it hasn't caught on comes down to habit. Most Americans grew up using toilet paper.
Description: The waterlogged areas of the excavation at Whithorn uncovered preserved 'sheets' of moss, which had been discarded. Closer analysis revealed them to be studded with fragments of hazel nut shells, and blackberry pips.
Women with a BMI of less than 18.5 are considered underweight. The average woman's height is 5 feet, 4 inches. If you weigh 107 pounds or less at this height, you are considered underweight with a BMI of 18.4. A healthy weight range for that woman would be 108 to 145 pounds.
Clear faces, bright eyes and tinted lips were desirable, but everything had to look natural. It was believed that cheeks painted with blush had to look flushed, and lips had to look bitten rather than painted.
Though even wealthy families did not take a full bath daily, they were not unclean. It was the custom for most people to wash themselves in the morning, usually a sponge bath with a large washbasin and a pitcher of water on their bedroom washstands. Women might have added perfume to the water.
In the Victorian and Edwardian era, it was recommended to wash the hair between thrice a week and once a month. Besides washing the hair, frequent hair brushing was used to keep the hair clean and healthy.
A daily shower isn't necessary. ' Mitchell suggested showering or bathing once or twice a week, and experts generally say a few times a week rather than daily is plenty. Also, keep showers short and lukewarm, as too much water, particularly hot water, dries out the skin.
For most people, a full-body shower every other day or every third day is likely enough. On days when you don't shower, you can use a clean washcloth to wipe yourself down. It's also a good idea to wash your face every night to remove dirt, makeup, and sunscreen, which can all clog pores.
Some people don't shower every day. While there's tons of conflicting advice about how often you should shower, this group might have it right. It may sound counterproductive, but a shower every day could be bad for your skin. Some dermatologists only recommend a shower every other day, or two to three times a week.
What should I wash first? Wash from top to bottom. This will allow the soap to rinse off your skin. Focus on the parts of your body that need it the most such as under your arms, breasts, vulva and feet.
Not even the Greeks and Romans, who pioneered running water and public baths, used soap to clean their bodies. Instead, men and women immersed themselves in water baths and then smeared their bodies with scented olive oils. They used a metal or reed scraper called a strigil to remove any remaining oil or grime.
Personal hygiene does provide health benefits, and most people do need to shower regularly. In addition to its use for routine washing and grooming, water offers benefits relating to pain relief and treatment in the form of hydrotherapy.
They used woven fabric or flannel to make homemade cloths to use during their menstrual cycle. Soon, people started having concerns about possible bacteria growth (duh!) from these homemade cloths since they were reused between each cycle and cleaning may not have been adequate.
In the homes of the wealthy they bathed in copper tubs lined with linen. The poorer if they had a wooden barrel would bathe in them. Earlier in the nineteenth century the hands, feet and face were regularly washed as in previous centuries, and the rest of your body every few weeks or longer.
Most people cleaned their teeth using water with twigs or rough cloths as toothbrushes. Some splurged on a “tooth-powder” if they could afford it. Sugar became more widely distributed, thus contributing to an increase in tooth decay during this time period.
While people were still doing their wash by hand in the Victorian Era, the process had been very recently refined and had evolved from a lengthy, once in a while chore to a once a week, routine task. This was largely due to two factors.
Much like the Romans in ancient times, menstruating women in the medieval era also made tampons by wrapping wool or cotton around wooden twigs. Pads were also used in this time, however, the materials were somewhat different. Sphagnum cymbifolium, also known as blood moss, was used for absorbing menstrual blood.
The earliest disposable pads were generally in the form of a cotton wool or similar fibrous rectangle covered with an absorbent liner. The liner ends were extended front and back so as to fit through loops in a special girdle or belt worn beneath undergarments.
1800s: More Inventions + The First Disposable Period Product
In the Victorian Era, rags were commonly used as pads which coined the term, “on the rag”. These 'rags' were reusable and commonly homemade from flannels or woven fabric.
By the middle of the Victorian era, bergamot and lemon oil had surpassed Eau de Cologne to become the most popular fragrance for women. According to Goodman: “Bergamot and lemon oil, sometimes employed separately but more often used in combination, was the signature smell of the middle years of the century.
Humans have probably been bathing since the Stone Age, not least because the vast majority of European caves that contain Palaeolithic art are short distances from natural springs. By the Bronze Age, beginning around 5,000 years ago, washing had become very important.
Wealthy Brits did not hesitate to indulge their sweet tooth, and it was no different for the monarch, Queen Elizabeth I. The queen was especially fond of sweets, but not so fond of the dentist. Her teeth rotted; they turned black and gave off a foul odor.
Washing clothes in the late 1800s was a laborious process. Most household manuals recommended soaking the clothes overnight first. The next day, clothes would be soaped, boiled or scalded, rinsed, wrung out, mangled, dried, starched, and ironed, often with steps repeating throughout.
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