Have you ever wondered how clean people were in medieval times? Did they walk around with dirty faces and smelly clothes? Well, the truth is a bit more complicated. Hygiene back then varied a lot depending on who you were. Nobles, or the wealthy people at the top of society, had to stay clean because it was expected of them. Not doing so could embarrass them and their kingdom. But even regular folks cared about staying clean, too.
Most medieval people washed their hands, faces, and feet every day. These were the parts of the body that others could see, so keeping them clean was important. However, unless you were rich, you probably didn’t have a private bath at home. Instead, people used public baths, which were popular since ancient Roman and Greek times. But in the 16th century, public baths started to disappear because of the Black Death and the Catholic Church’s concerns about their morality. After that, people became wary of sharing bathwater, and many went without baths for long periods.
Medieval people also wanted to keep their teeth clean. Sugar was rare and expensive, so most people ate a lot of dairy and vegetables. This diet helped keep their teeth strong and slowed down tooth decay. If someone needed a tooth pulled, it was done without any pain relief. People practiced basic dental hygiene by picking food out of their teeth and rubbing them. Some even followed health guides that suggested rinsing their mouths with wine or vinegar and rubbing their teeth and gums with rough cloth. Chewing mint leaves and herbs was a way to freshen their breath.
For the wealthy, private toilets existed in castles or monasteries. These were simple holes in a seat that led to a cesspit or moat. Most people used chamber pots, which they emptied outside. There were also outhouses with seats over a trough. Instead of toilet paper, people used hay, straw, or if they could afford it, cloth scraps. Streams and rivers often carried waste away, and some towns had old Roman drainage systems.
In towns without streams, the idea of people throwing chamber pots out of windows might not have been as common as we think. It was illegal, and there were fines for doing so. Informers were even hired to catch those breaking the law. The legal solution was cesspits, which were cleaned by workers known as gong farmers.
While medieval hygiene was better than many people think, we’ve come a long way since then. Today, we have all sorts of products to help us stay clean and fresh. So, next time you wash your hands or brush your teeth, remember that people have been trying to stay clean for centuries!
Imagine you are living in medieval times. Write a diary entry describing your daily hygiene routine. Include details about how you wash, care for your teeth, and manage waste. Think about the challenges you might face and how you would overcome them. Share your diary entry with the class and discuss how it compares to modern hygiene practices.
Work in groups to design a medieval public bathhouse. Consider the layout, materials, and features that would make it appealing and functional for people of that time. Present your design to the class, explaining how it addresses the hygiene needs of medieval people and any innovations you included to improve cleanliness.
Participate in a role-play activity where you are a merchant selling hygiene products at a medieval market. Research and create items like herbal tooth powders, rough cloths for cleaning teeth, or scented herbs for freshening breath. Set up a stall and try to convince your classmates to buy your products by explaining their benefits and how they were used in medieval times.
Research the laws and regulations regarding waste management in medieval towns. Create a poster or presentation that explains these laws and the role of gong farmers. Discuss how these regulations helped maintain hygiene and what consequences people faced for breaking them. Share your findings with the class.
Create a Venn diagram comparing hygiene practices from medieval times to those of today. Identify similarities and differences in areas such as bathing, dental care, and waste management. Use this activity to reflect on how hygiene has evolved and the reasons behind these changes. Present your diagram to the class and discuss your insights.
This episode is brought to you by Dollar Shave Club.
How clean were medieval people? What was medieval hygiene like? Were medieval faces and hands always dirty, and were their clothes tattered and smelly? This may be an unfair image, as hygiene varied between different social classes. Nobles at the top kept clean due to their luxuries and societal expectations; failing to do so could bring disgrace to the kingdom. However, even among the majority of common people in medieval Europe, there was an interest in maintaining hygiene and sanitation.
Most medieval people washed their hands, faces, and feet every day, as these were visible to the public. However, unless you were part of the aristocracy or nobility, having a private bath at home was not an option. Public baths were extremely popular during the times of the ancient Romans and Greeks, and even into the medieval period, which lower-class citizens would use. However, public baths began to decline dramatically at the start of the 16th century due to the Black Death and the Catholic Church’s stance against the bathhouses’ perceived immorality. From then on, people became cautious about sharing water with strangers, and lower-class citizens often went without baths for weeks or months.
Regarding dental hygiene, there was a desire to keep teeth clean. Sugar was rare and costly at the time, and peasants primarily consumed a diet of dairy and vegetables, which helped ensure strong teeth and slow tooth decay compared to later centuries. If a tooth needed to be pulled, it would be done without any anesthetic or painkillers. Medieval Europeans practiced daily dental hygiene by picking food out of their teeth and rubbing them. This minimal dental care was informed by numerous written manuals. The more refined individuals would follow health manuals that recommended rinsing the mouth with wine or vinegar after eating and rubbing teeth and gums with rough linen. They also chewed on mint leaves and herbs to freshen their breath.
For the elite, private toilets were found in castles or monasteries, resembling a hole in a wooden or stone seat connected to a shaft leading down into a moat or cesspit. For most people, chamber pots were a common household toilet solution for carrying waste outside. Outhouses and seats with holes above a trough also existed during medieval times. For toilet paper, medieval people used hay or straw, or if they could afford it, cloth or linen scraps. Streams and rivers near towns acted as sewers to carry away waste, and more fortunate towns may have had old Roman drainage systems.
In towns without streams or rivers, the famous image of people throwing filled chamber pots out of their windows may not have been as common as it seems. Such actions could have been motivated by the dangers of going outside at night or simply laziness. Nevertheless, throwing waste outside windows was illegal, and there were fines for doing so. Informers were even employed to catch those breaking this law. The legal solution for such towns was cesspits, and gong farmers were employed to clean out these cesspits.
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Hygiene – The practice of keeping oneself and one’s surroundings clean to maintain health and prevent disease. – In ancient times, people did not understand the importance of hygiene, which often led to widespread illnesses.
Medieval – Relating to the Middle Ages, a period in European history from about the 5th to the late 15th century. – During the medieval period, castles were built to protect people from invaders.
Dental – Relating to the teeth or dentistry. – Dental care was not as advanced in the past, leading to many people losing their teeth at a young age.
Care – The process of providing what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something. – Taking care of one’s health was challenging in the past due to limited medical knowledge.
Waste – Unwanted or unusable materials that are discarded after primary use. – In history, improper waste disposal often led to the spread of diseases in crowded cities.
Management – The process of dealing with or controlling things or people. – Effective waste management became crucial as cities grew larger during the industrial revolution.
Baths – Facilities or acts of washing oneself, often used for relaxation or cleanliness. – Public baths were popular in ancient Rome, where people gathered to socialize and clean themselves.
Teeth – The hard, bony structures in the mouth used for biting and chewing food. – In the past, people used natural tools like twigs to clean their teeth.
Practices – Customary actions or procedures followed by people in a particular field or society. – Historical medical practices often included herbal remedies and traditional healing methods.
Cleanliness – The state of being clean and free from dirt, germs, and impurities. – Cleanliness was not always prioritized in history, leading to frequent outbreaks of disease.
