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.
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.
Granted, bathing like many 21st century people do — a daily bath or shower with modern conveniences and lots of hot water and soap — was almost unknown until indoor plumbing was perfected in the early 20th century. But people bathed and washed as often as they could in past centuries.
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.
Ancient tribal people would simply stand under the falling water to clean themselves. Unlike today, where the majority of households have showers, people would have to travel miles to hunt out a waterfall, as this was a much more effective way of cleansing rather than bathing in a pool or lake.
The Stone Age. Back in Paleolithic times (also known as the stone age), cleanliness was not considered important. There were no baths, no showers, and no soaps or scents. Or, to put it another way, if you go back a few thousand years, your ancestors were really, really smelly.
In the 1700s, most people in the upper class seldom, if ever, bathed. They occasionally washed their faces and hands, and kept themselves “clean” by changing the white linens under their clothing. “The idea about cleanliness focused on their clothing, especially the clothes worn next to the skin,” Ward said.
The fundamental problem is that the area used for releasing urine and faeces is compressed between thighs and buttocks, so we are more likely than other animals to foul ourselves. We also differ from other animals in our response to our waste, which we tend to regard with disgust.
According to Egypt Today, “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.
The Himba people live in one of the most extreme environments on earth with the harsh desert climate and the unavailability of potable water. However, their lack of bathing has not resulted into lack of personal hygiene.
In fact, westerners of his era believed bathing was downright dangerous. They feared that if they submerged themselves in water, they risked toxins infiltrating the body through its pores. Instead, they changed their shirts frequently and took “dry baths,” wiping themselves down with cloth.
Wiping in the Medieval Times
Humans have been wiping their butts for ions. Before toilet paper was even a concept, people just used whatever was available to wipe. This included items such as hay, wood shavings, corn cobs, and even iron cables.
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.
The idea that medieval people were continually grubby and had poor hygiene is a myth. Hands and faces were usually washed with water before meals and after. In noble households, ewers of water were often scented with rose petals or other fragrant herbs which were set aside for this express purpose.
Sweaty, smelly feet were less acceptable, and deodorising powders were available. Perfume was used by some to mask body smells. By the 1920s and 1930s people – particularly women – were expected to eliminate body odour through regular washing and use of deodorant. Women were encouraged to remove underarm hair.
Ancient Rome was famous for its sanitation: latrines, sewer systems, piped water and public baths believed to improve public health.
The cleanest country in the world is Denmark as per the Environmental Performance Index (EPI).
The most dominant view among scientists is the so-called "body-cooling" hypothesis, also known as the "savannah" hypothesis. This points to a rising need for early humans to thermoregulate their bodies as a driver for fur loss.
A more widely accepted theory is that, when human ancestors moved from the cool shady forests into the savannah, they developed a new method of thermoregulation. Losing all that fur made it possible for hominins to hunt during the day in the hot grasslands without overheating.
Humans have thighs and the buttocks region that makes it difficult to clean without wiping. Whereas, dogs don't have a buttocks and their sphincter actually rectracts, leaving their bottoms clean most of the time. Wiping with paper or wipes is a manmade form of hygiene.
As Oneill is keen to point out, the Victorian era was a decidedly filthy period in Western history, when public sanitation hadn't caught up with the major mechanical advances brought on by the Industrial Revolution. That's one detail those tantalizing Hollywood period pieces invariably leave out: the smell.
1800s-1900s
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.
Don't take a bath every day: Daily baths can dry out your skin by ridding your body of its natural oils. Try for baths no more than twice a week. Shower between bath days. Use warm (not hot) water: Some people may experience dizziness or weakness when the temperature is too hot.