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How often did people bathe in Regency times?

Donald Orn
Donald Orn
2025-05-12 07:41:42
Count answers : 2
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It was rare to have a full bathtub where you could submerge your entire body, and showers were uncommon, thus workers utilized rivers, streams, and lakes. The assumption is the lower classes were cleaning themselves in the rivers and half barrels, while the middle and upper classes were sending for moveable tubs. The majority of Regency folk did not bathe their entire bodies, they spot cleaned body parts, which is still common in many parts of the world. There was an old belief that washing could bring about illness and water could carry disease into the body through the skin. It was not unusual to only bathe once a week, and many went much longer. Perfumes and colognes worked wonders to try and hide body odor. The hauling of water was labor intensive, and water was shared when necessary, especially by the poor. This is why the basin and pitcher method was utilized by the majority, and even found in bedchambers in respectable inns. Nevertheless, Beau Brummel, who was said to bathe everyday, advocated for frequent washing.
Scotty Farrell
Scotty Farrell
2025-05-05 01:04:31
Count answers : 4
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Personal hygiene was likely to have been conducted with a bowl and pitcher of water, with a full body wash only once a week or so. Equally, delicate dresses were not washed frequently – washing practices of the time were harsh and could wear clothes out quickly, so only the base layers, worn next to the skin, were changed regularly. Male nudity, on the other hand, was more commonplace; men often bathed naked in public.
Shaylee Durgan
Shaylee Durgan
2025-05-04 21:29:52
Count answers : 2
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It was commonly believed that bathing was unhealthy as soaking in water, and especially hot water, was thought to let disease enter the body. When Georgians did take a bath, they would therefore do so without removing all of their clothes – a habit that remained until the end of the nineteenth century. It is said that iconic dandy Beau Brummel bathed every day, believing that men should smell clean even without the use of perfumes. However, individuals typically washed their full bodies on a weekly to fortnightly basis. It was common for the face, feet and hands to be washed daily from a basin.