Speaking about medieval times, a variety of questions and ideas come across the mind, like how it was like to live in medieval times in Europe from a daily hygiene point of view. So, the question arises why bathing was uncommon in medieval Europe? It turned out to be that humans during medieval times were as clean as we are today. They never liked to be stunk or have dirt on their bodies. So, it seems contrary to some beliefs as they also followed some hygiene practices.
Here is what they did
Humans during medieval times in Europe used to chew one end of the twig for a time. Once the end was properly mashed up, they used that end as a toothbrush. At that time, they did not know the antibacterial properties inside the twig or roots, and over time, these things became famous for their favorable properties.
Talking about bathing, some medical professionals advised against doing it excessively, while others praised the benefits of bathing regularly. Talking about full-body baths, only a few could afford to own a bath with hot water. So most of the people relied on bathhouses, rivers, lakes, etc. Therefore, the poorest of the poor who could not afford to go to a bathhouse are thought to have very poor hygiene.
Hot tubs of the early days
While this might seem a bit odd at first glance, but nowadays, people enjoy soaking in hot tubs with friends while having alcoholic beverages. In the early days, bathhouses were connected with bakeries. The bathhouses used the heat of bakery ovens to warm up the water. Many bathhouses in medieval times were not gendered. It should also come as no surprise that these places were considered to have a really good time.
To sum up, no event can be seen in recorded history that people are known to have ceased bathing in some form.
