Did poor people practice hygiene in the Middle Ages? Of course!
In the Middle Ages, practicing good hygiene was hard for poor people. However, they did their best. They bathed, did their hair, and washed their hands. Baths were there to remove the human stench. Doing hair made someone look tidy. People washed their hands because they got dirty working out in the fields.

They made the best soap they could from natural recourses. Sickness ravaged the medieval world, but people tried to be sanitary. They also didn’t know about germs, so we must cut them some slack there. They attempted to locate sources of illness and avoid them. People don’t want to smell disgusting, so there is another element to medieval sanitation.
How did people wash their hands? Did people clean their teeth? What other things should people know about hygiene for poor people in the Middle Ages?

Hygiene for Poor People: Bathing

Did poor people bathe in the Middle Ages? Definitely! Poor people did not take a bath every day because it wasn’t even an option. If they wanted to have a hot bath, it took hard work. They even had a variety of ways to take a bath.

First, in summer, poor people could bathe in streams and lakes. It was simple, cheap, and effective; it was also, unfortunately, cold. You didn’t have to carry a ton of water to wash up. Another simple way to wash up included a basin or jug of water. Then they could wash their bodies with minimal water and time. The water in a decanter or basin was also easier to heat because there was only a little bit.

Sometimes a town had a bathhouse. People could go there to clean up a bit. However, everyone could enter bathhouses. They were communal, and men and women were all together. Finally, people could lug a ton of water into their house, possibly heat it, and then bathe in it. People often shared their bath water with their family members. They took turns and therefore, needed less water. Perfect!

Hygiene for Poor People: Hand-Washing

Hand washing is modern, right? Nope, it is an ancient custom, and in fact, by the Middle Ages, it was a well-established part of hygiene. Poor people washed their hands before most if not all, meals. They worked outside with animals all day, so it makes sense people would want to get the grime off their hands. There were no forks in medieval Europe, so people ate with knives, spoons, and their hands.

Who wants dirt in their food? I sure don’t! Folks would also wash their hands after eating. Because they used their hands to eat, they needed to get the food off. You don’t want to wipe your dinner on your tools. After work, near the time for bed, it was customary to wash one’s hands. Customarily, people also washed their hands after a long trip or hike. They didn’t want sweat on their hands any more than we do.

Tooth Care

It can be hard to clean your teeth, even though we have modern tooth care items and dentists. Practicing good hygiene on their teeth was hard for poor people in the Middle Ages. Because they didn’t have toothbrushes or toothpaste, they had to make do with what they could find or make themselves.

Folks could brush their teeth with a piece of cloth, twigs, or a scrap of cloth and a twig. One of the most popular types of twigs to use for tooth care was hazel. The twigs and fabric served as floss, as well as toothbrushes. People would chew on herbs to remove mouth odor. Some of the popular herbs included chamomile, mint, and lavender.

Sometimes people made mouthwash out of water and vinegar. Instead of toothpaste, folks made pastes out of local flora. Dental care was tricky, but medieval people made do with what they had.

Hygiene for Poor People: Soap

Soap has evolved quite a bit over the years. Today, soap is soft, and it smells phenomenal. In the Middle Ages, soap was harsh. It also smelled horrible. People made soap with ash, animal fat such as lard, and occasionally lime, salt, and lye. Lye was a bad idea because it could take off the skin. People had to be creative to make their soap smell good.

They would include fresh or dried herbs and flowers. Some common herbs and flowers included lavender, sage, and other aromatic herbs and flowers they enjoyed. Finally, people formed the soap into bars. People made a lot of soap at a time; then it would be a while before they made more. If people couldn’t even afford to make soap, soapwort (a type of flower) could work. Soapwort was good for their skin.

Hair-Care

It is not just modern people who worry about their hair. Hair care was essential for medieval people too. Poor women tied up their hair. Prevalent hairstyles included braids and buns underneath their hair coverings. Popular hair coverings included veils and wimples. Women covered their hair because they could get in gigantic trouble (accused of having low morals or being a witch) if they left their hair uncovered.

Men didn’t shave nearly as much as they do today. Sometimes they wouldn’t shave at all. When they did shave, it was rare. They also couldn’t shave very well. People didn’t have good mirrors. Therefore, the best way to shave was to go to the Barber-Surgeon. The Barber-Surgeon could see the man he was shaving!

Morning Hygiene Routine

What did the morning routine as far as hygiene look like for poor people in the Middle Ages? First, when people woke, they generally washed their faces and hands. They wanted to be ready for the day and wash off any bugs. Straw bedding hid bugs effortlessly, even when they included pest-repellant herbs such as lavender and chamomile.

They also washed their faces at the end of the day to remove the sweat and dirt from the day. Hand washing got their hands ready for breakfast. Women would do their hair in the morning. Then they could go outside during the day. If they planned on including a form of deodorant, now was the time to put it on. Their forms of deodorant included flowers and herbs tucked away in the clothing, homemade scented pastes, and sachets.

People did the best they could with what they had. Decent hygiene in the Middle Ages was difficult, particularly because they didn’t have any of our modern amenities. What did you think of hygiene in the Middle Ages? Tell me in the comments! Also, let me know if you have any questions.

To Learn More…

Cleanliness and Hygiene in the Middle Ages…

Rosalie’s Medieval Woman – Cleanliness, Hygiene and Bathing

Medieval Hygiene

Health And Hygiene In The Medieval Ages Will Surprise You – About History

Baths…

Did Medieval People Take Baths | Getty News

Hygiene Practices…

Medieval Hygiene: Strangest Hygiene Practices From The Middle Ages

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And last, but not least, my homepage…

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