Keeping Clean Wasn't Always Easy
From dangerous remedies to waste disposal, the hygiene standards during the Middle Ages might just send a chill down your spine.
It Was Someone's Job To Clean The King's Bottom
The "Groom of the King's Close Stool" might sound like one of the nastiest jobs in history, but it was actually a highly sought-after position. These groomsmen hailed from noble families and were often extremely close to the king.
The Groom of the Stool was responsible for cleaning up after the king did his business.
Lobsterthermidor, Wikimedia Commons
A Stinky Cure For Baldness
It seems that baldness hasn't been a desirable trait for centuries. One piece of advice from a medical handbook written in 1654 instructs bald men to rub their heads with a putrid mixture of chicken droppings and potassium.
Toothaches Were Remedied Via Extraction
Though many of us despise visiting the dentist, dealing with one's teeth in the Middle Ages was a downright nightmare. As there weren't any dentists, people would go to their barber to have their teeth extracted. And that wasn't all the barber did.
In addition to cutting hair, barbers were also known to perform bloodletting and minor operations.
Wellcome Images, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
People Stored Their Chamber Pots Below Their Beds
Going to the bathroom during the Middle Ages might have been even more convenient than today. It was a common practice for people to store their chamber pots underneath their beds.
In the middle of the night, one simply had to pull out their pot to do their business.
Leaves Were Used As Toilet Paper
Peasants had to clean their own bottoms using dried leaves.
People Wore The Same Clothes Over And Over Again
Multiple sources say that people almost never changed their outfits—even royals. Reportedly, King James VI of Scotland slept in his clothes and didn't change them for months.
National Portrait Gallery London, Picryl
Leeches Were Used To Treat Illnesses
If someone was feeling under the weather, they might have leeches laid upon them for bloodletting. This could also be performed with a blade instead of a leech.
Doug Beckers, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wigs Were A Breeding Ground For Lice
From the 1500s to the 1800s, those towering wigs may have seemed extravagant, but the horrifying reality is that the majority of them were filled with lice and nits.
Eagle Dung Instead Of Epidurals
As one can only imagine, giving birth in the Middle Ages was a terrifying occasion. According to the author Rosalie Gilbert, there were some strange remedies given to the mother throughout the birthing process.
Not only did the laboring mother consume vinegar and oil, but poultices made of eagle dung were also made for her.
Menstruation... And Moss
Moss was extremely absorbent, and therefore women often used this plant during their periods. By wrapping the moss in cloth, women made their own versions of today's tampons and pads.
People Used Urine As A Cleanser
Noble women had a questionable way of washing their faces. Due to its antiseptic properties, many people used urine as a cleaning agent.
B-D-S Piotr Marcinski, Shutterstock
The Makeup Was Downright Dangerous
The Elizabethan era took its beauty practices seriously, but tragically, the makeup of the time contained ceruse lead powder. Though this improved the overall appearance of one's complexion, the lead was extremely poisonous and detrimental to one's health.
Kerameikos Archaeological Museum, Wikimedia Commons
Reusing Bath Water
Taking baths wasn't a common practice. Therefore, if one did happen to take one, it was most likely a communal washing area where people used the same bath water over and over again.
Tudor House Toilets Were Almost Never Emptied
Bacteria and disease ran rampant in Tudor house toilets, as they were almost never properly cleaned.
Hot Pokers Cauterized Wounds
Without the medical advancements of today, wounded people had to face the daunting treatment of a hot poker applied to their open flesh. Though extremely painful, this helped stop bleeding and prevent infection.
Wigs Were Smelly Fire Hazards
If you've ever seen portraits of Marie Antoinette, you might've thought that her wigs were quite elegant. However, in reality, they probably smelled awful. Animal fat helped give these wigs their distinctive shapes, but also transformed them into fire hazards.
Yann Caradec, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Water Wasn't Safe
Clean drinking water was hard to come by, and even the available water was far from ideal as it was usually kept in tanks lined with lead. This dangerous practice often caused lead poisoning.
Rush Floors Were A Breeding Ground For Disease
A Medieval Catholic scholar named Erasmus made a disturbing account of rush floors: "Rushes [are] occasionally renewed, but so imperfectly that the bottom layer is left undisturbed, sometimes for twenty years, harbouring expectoration, vomiting, the leakage of dogs and men, ale droppings, scraps of fish, and other abominations not fit to be mentioned."
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Holbein-erasmus.jpg
Burnt Herbs Were Used For Dental Care
There was no such thing as proper dental care during the Middle Ages. Most people were extremely lucky if they managed to hold on to all of their teeth.
Burned herbs, such as mint and rosemary, were often used to make toothpaste.
A Poor Substitute For Deodorant
Due to the state of personal hygiene, most folks in the Middle Ages definitely smelled. After all, they didn't have the deodorant we enjoy today. The best they could do was carry nosegays—small bouquets of flowers—to balance out their natural musk.
Mercury Was A Remedy For Disease
According to the Journal of Military and Veterans' Health, mercury was used to treat diseases like syphilis before the discovery of penicillin. Unfortunately, they didn't know that mercury was actually very toxic.
Bionerd, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Beds Were Filthy And Infested With Pests
Not only were the floors disgusting, but so were the beds. Thatched roofs often had birds dwelling in them, and their droppings ended up dirtying the beds. It's no wonder that canopy beds became so popular in the Middle Ages.
Disposing Of Waste In Cesspits
The waste disposal system back then caused some serious problems. When chamber pots had to be emptied, they were simply dumped into a cesspit or body of water.
Using Lye And Urine To Do Laundry
As revolting as it sounds, folks in medieval Europe used something known as chamber-lye to clean their clothes. One of its main ingredients was urine.
Erasing Freckles With Sulphur
Like baldness, freckles were an abhorrent trait. During the Elizabethan era, people used special concoctions to fade their freckles. Unfortunately, these were usually made with unsafe ingredients like turpentine, sulphur, and mercury.
