There’s always been a fierce debate over the hygiene practices of the middle ages. It certainly doesn’t help when seeing popular TV shows depict the times as dirty and unsanitary. The rich could afford the finer luxuries in life but that didn’t mean the peasants couldn’t be smart about their practices. Read on to find out how medieval folk dealt with their personal hygiene.
1. Chamber pots for the night
Why bother getting up in the middle of the night just to walk all the way to the bathroom when a very convenient chamber pot is resting right next to the bed? They may look expensive but it’s not something you should make soup in.
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2. Pluck it then wipe it
There was no such thing as toilet paper back then. Neither rich or poor were picky when it came to wiping down the old basement exit. Though some rich folks preferred lambs wool.
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YouTube
3. Ceruse lead makeup
Ceruse gave men and women of the time a smooth, pale look as it was the foundation of makeup. The problem was that it contained lead that would slowly seep into the body through the skin, eventually poisoning the user.
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YouTube
4. Nosegays for walking
Nosegays kept unwanted smells away. They were usually held in the hand or even on the wrists on a lapel. A small bouquet of flowers or a sachet of dried flowers and herbs were the choices and people would sniff them while walking through smellier places.
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YouTube
5. Bathing in the same water
The 13th century saw the rise of public baths. The problem was that heating the bath could be troublesome due to the scarcity of firewood. Bathing became expensive with most people sharing the same water to cut cost.
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YouTube
6. Laundry, ashes and urine
Ancient Romans thought that urine could remove stains. People in medieval times used lye made of ashes and urine to use during laundry. It gave their clothes that extra crispness to it.
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YouTube
7. Privies and Garderobe
Toilets in Tudor houses were bowls with a slab of wood and a hole on top. These toilets were set into a recess or cupboard-like area called a garderobe. In castles, a hole in the floor was covered by a slab of wood so human waste could go straight into the moat.
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YouTube
8. Clothes for months
King James VI of Scotland would not change his clothes for months. He’d even sleep in them. He didn’t believe in baths either as he though they were bad for his health. Imagine the smell.
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YouTube
9. Lice-infested wigs
Nits and lice had members of the wealthy class shaving their heads in favor of wigs. Problem was even wigs could get infested with the pests, causing problems for men and women alike.
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YouTube
10. Mouse brows
People during the Medieval period were really fashion-conscious. Everything from head to toe had to have a desired look. Even eyebrows had to look right. Mouse fur always helped apparently.
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YouTube
11. Cesspits
Men and women of the era had to dig and bury their waste in a cesspit. And it’s not like they’d clean those out regularly either. So imagine when someone falls into a pit. It did happen!
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12. Infection from Rushes
During medieval times, rushes or straws were used to cover up the natural dirt floor of a building. People would change the top rushes but would neglect the bottom leading to infection.
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YouTube
13. A Peculiar Cure to Baldness
Men in the 17th century would mix potassium salts with chicken droppings then place the mixture on the balding spot. Unwanted hair on body parts needed a paste consisting of eggs, strong vinegar, and cat dung.
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Wikimedia
14. Lead-Lined Water Tanks
The rich paid for their water but that didn’t mean the quality they were getting was different from the common folk. Water supply came from elm trunks and domestic pipes that were lined with lead. Storage large lead tanks often got water stagnant.
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YouTube
15. Bird Droppings on the Bed
Build quality back then wasn’t the same so it was normal for all sorts of unwanted matter falling through the roof. Four-poster beds were invented to catch anything that could make its way on the sheets, including bird droppings.
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YouTube
16. Dental woes
Pastes made from crushing herbs and mixing with water in a mortar and pestle was their mouthwash. A cleaning cloth was used to clean the mouth. Lower classes used such herbs like chamomile and lavender. The rich had dentists but their teeth would still rot away.
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Wikimedia
17. Washing of hands wasn’t important
The reason being that wash areas were usually far off from the dining area. It’s not like they ate with spoon and forks so random hands would reach in for food. Who knows what they were touching before dinner.
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Wikimedia
18. Water collection
Pipes on the roofing allowed rainwater to drain into a cistern. Settling tanks were sometimes set in place by the nobility to improve the quality of the water by allowing sediment to settle. Monasteries would also have had these features.
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Wikimedia
19. Moss for that time of the month
Clean, sanitary tampons or pads did not exist back then so women experiencing their flow had to use moss to soak up their visitor. Sounds gross but it was free as they could get it almost anywhere.
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Wikimedia
20. Personal butt-wiper
Known as the “Groom of the King’s Close Stool”, this person’s job was to carry around the portable toilet. His job was to clean the king’s royal rear end. It was a job held in high regard as that meant he was well trusted!
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Wikimedia
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