Hygiene habits of the Middle Ages

Five hundred years ago the world was a much darker, scarier and more ignorant than they are today. It is difficult to imagine, but the quality of life of our not so distant ancestors is so strikingly different from today's, that some everyday habits of the inhabitants of the Middle Ages may cause us fear. Hygiene at that time had few other rules, so much so that the customs of the time deserve incarnation in a horror movie. Bathroom once a year, the bugs in the bed and a chamber pot under the bed - the reality is not so distant past in which most of the residents had to live in medieval Europe.

Unwashed hands

Wash hands at least once a day only began in the 18th century, wealthy residents of the Netherlands. Until then, ordinary citizens were eating with unwashed hands, which is not promoted long life.





Use of water for several times

Wash in clean water in which to you not visited your whole family, it was a rare occurrence. A single shower for people of the Middle Ages was something out of science fiction, especially for those who lived in a big team.

Laundry was very irregular affair

Wash clothing was made a couple of times a year at the most critical moments. Instead of washing powder, a mixture of urine, alkalis and river water.



Washing urine

Life hacking with urine is not limited to the wash and used in medieval cosmetology - urine frequently washed.



Pot under the bed

Single room with toilet - the brainchild of an enlightened century. In the Middle Ages the pot under his pillow was a great luxury. Usually keep them under the bed from time to time by pouring the contents of the chat window.



Toilet paper not exist

The need for toilet paper and its likeness has experienced our cave ancestors. The Romans kept this in toilets sponge communities, but usually limited to our ancestors by hand or an armful of leaves.



The floors consist of debris

Ground floor, straw and sprinkled liberally fertilized with layers of debris - as an everyday story for residents of the Middle Ages, for us or laminate flooring.



Bed bugs in the bed

Single bites of bedbugs can not do any one night up until the twentieth century illuminated and laundries in every home.



Flower kamufyazh

Camouflage horrible smells could only perfume that abundantly watered hardened sheets, clothes and everything that is not be cleaned more than a few months.



Unsanitary fashion

Hair styling goose fat was extremely popular at that time and on this fertile soil wonderful feel all sorts of parasites.



Pieces of the animals on the face

Hard to believe, but once women were on the face of the artificial eyebrows mouse fur.



Colds treated with leeches

Leeches were treated with cancer and the common cold, abdominal cramps and headaches. Leech doctors flourished, and people were dying of blood poisoning.



Moxibustion instead vaccination



Open wounds often treated with red-hot pokers, thus fighting the infection. Sometimes after these interventions had to amputate the arm, but it happened that helped poker.